Jaren Jackson Jr. And The Memphis Grizzlies Are Embarking On A New Journey

When Memphis Grizzlies guardant Jaren Jackson Jr. takes nan level this NBA season, he will beryllium ditching nan No. 13 he wore for nan first 7 years of his career, opting alternatively for No. 8.

While it whitethorn beryllium a caller look for Grizzlies fans, Jackson won’t moreover beryllium nan first personification pinch his sanction to play an NBA crippled pinch nan No. 8 connected his back. That grant belongs to his father, Jaren Jackson Sr., who wore nan number pinch nan Los Angeles Clippers during nan 1992-93 season.

“It's ace individual to me. It's ace individual to my family,” Jackson Jr. told NBC News astir nan switch. “I'm connected pinch 8 successful a existent way. It reaches into nan territory of caller beginnings. It's infinite. It's conscionable a bully spot to tie power from.”

Jackson was riding an workout motorcycle — wherever he says he gets his champion ideas — erstwhile he thought of changing his number. He made nan announcement Friday soon up of his eighth season, and he wants nan caller digit to correspond what he calls a “fresh start” for some himself and Memphis.

“Fresh start” is 1 measurement to picture nan Grizzlies aft a momentous offseason. “Hard pivot” is another.

In June, Memphis traded shooting defender Desmond Bane to nan Orlando Magic successful speech for guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, arsenic good arsenic 4 early first-round picks. The waste and acquisition signaled nan extremity of an era for nan Grizzlies, arsenic Bane, Jackson and constituent defender Ja Morant had formed a trio that was seen arsenic nan instauration for 1 of nan up-and-coming contenders successful nan league.

Amid nan retooling, Memphis emphasized its committedness to Jackson arsenic portion of its core, signing him to a five-year, $240 cardinal hold successful July. (Though it should beryllium noted that Bane was traded aft only 1 play into his ain five-year deal.)

“I wasn't excessively overmuch surprised,” Jackson said of Bane’s departure. “I mean, erstwhile your brothers leave, you are still going to hurt, conscionable because you’re a quality being. But astatine nan extremity of nan day, it's a business. And we're grown.”

Jackson added that his mindset aft nan waste and acquisition was to return connected a bigger activity domiciled and make judge nan younger players connected nan squad weren’t amazed by nan volatility of an NBA offseason.

“You’re going to get person to your prime, and things are going to alteration for you,” he said. “I consciousness for illustration this is simply a bully starting constituent for a full caller travel of stuff. I'm approaching this twelvemonth pinch that spearheaded, disciplined mindset of trying to get america to nan promised land.”

The Grizzlies will surely request Jackson to return a bigger domiciled connected and disconnected nan level to return to nan ascendant way they were connected astatine nan opening of nan decade.

In 2021, Memphis hit Stephen Curry and nan Golden State Warriors successful nan play-in tourney to make nan playoffs arsenic a astonishment eighth seed. The adjacent year, nan Grizzlies pushed nan Warriors to six games successful nan 2nd information — but Morant missed nan extremity of nan bid because of injury.

Then, aft an injury-marred first-round nonaccomplishment successful 2023, Memphis missed nan playoffs wholly successful 2024 — nan play Morant was suspended for 25 games aft he flashed a weapon connected societal media.

The Grizzlies were swept successful nan first information this twelvemonth by nan eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder — a young squad that walked nan way Memphis erstwhile seemed to beryllium connected itself.

“I don't deliberation a extremity would beryllium to get backmost anywhere,” Jackson said erstwhile he was asked really nan Grizzlies tin return to their erstwhile way of success. “It's conscionable to put 1 ft successful beforehand of nan different and get amended each day, because that's what we did before, to get to immoderate you're talking about.”

Jackson has identified areas of his crippled he wants to amended up of adjacent season.

Though he is rehabbing from room to repair a turf toed wounded connected his correct foot, Jackson trying to amended his playmaking this summer, hoping to go a amended provider arsenic he anticipates much double teams successful his future. He besides wants to activity connected his endurance, truthful he tin transportation a bigger load offensively without sacrificing his defense.

While Jackson welcomes nan unit of his caller situation, he ignores immoderate extracurricular sound comes pinch being a franchise pillar. (ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins branded him the “most overhyped” player successful nan league.)

Ultimately, Jackson believes, he’s successful nan correct spot to lead a caller type of this Memphis team.

“Whoever's successful nan locker room is successful your foxhole, and that's wherever you're going to warfare with,” he said. “What are your habits? What are your techniques? Are you consenting to share? Are you consenting to talk? Who are nan leaders? It's simple, but it's not easy.”