Jaren Jackson Jr. puts ex-Grizzlies teammate on notice
By Mark Nilon
The Memphis Grizzlies may still be over a month out from taking to the hardwood once again as a unit, but many of their players have remained active since last season’s wrap-up and can still be found logging minutes for their respective countries during this summer’s FIBA World Cup.
Though the tournament may now be entering its final stretch, for only two games remain to be played before its official conclusion, Grind City star Jaren Jackson Jr. is still gearing up for in-game action as he and Team USA will be partaking in the bronze-medal bout this coming Sunday.
Interestingly enough, the big man will find himself squaring off against one of his former teammates during the exhibition, as Dillon Brooks and Team Canada will be the direct rival to the United States for the illustrious hardware.
Once the matchup was made official following Canada’s 95-86 loss to Serbia on Friday, August 8, Jackson spoke to reporters about the prospects of going against his former Grizzlies running mate and noted that he’s hoping the wing will lean into his polarizing chatterbox persona during the outing.
Jaren Jackson Jr. puts ex-Grizzlies wing, Dillon Brooks, on notice at World Cup
“I hope Dillon does talk trash,” Jackson said. “Otherwise it wouldn’t be him. It wouldn’t be real.”
Jackson has been a vocal supporter of Brooks since departing from Memphis this offseason via a sign-and-trade relocation to the Houston Rockets.
The 27-year-old has received a tremendous amount of backlash from fans, media pundits, and, per reports, even the Grizzlies franchise following his antics during their one-and-done playoff run last season against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was seen regularly jawing with the superstar on the court and throwing shade in his direction during interviews.
Though many vilified Brooks for his postseason decision-making, Jackson has publicly acknowledged that his actions were all a part of his approach to the game, and stated that they were in an effort to have his opponents be “thrown off at any cost.”
Coming into their bronze-medal meeting, it appears the big hopes to see these qualities once again shine through.
