Jaren Jackson Jr. has come a long way as a professional basketball player. The 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year was an exceptional player in college earning several accolades. Jackson was widely known for his defense which stuck out in the NBA as well. While playing for Michigan State, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshmen of the Year, and made it to the All-Freshmen team and third-team All-Big Ten.
Before getting drafted to the NBA, Jaren Jackson Jr. was a big part of Team USA’s run U-17 FIBA World Championships. They won the gold medal as he averaged 4.3 points, 5.2 rebounds as well as 1.2 blocks. He became a well-established defensive player and the NBA had all eyes on him. Eventually, he got drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies 4th overall in 2018. His career has flourished since then.
The 2022-23 #KiaDPOY is… Jaren Jackson Jr!#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/7a2CXbPY6S
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2023
Following his first season Jackson made the All-Rookie first team. Over the next couple of years, he would make several runs to be named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. For two years in a row, he led the league in blocked shots until finally reaching his goal of getting the DPOY award. His inspiration for the sport flowed down from his parents Jaren Jackson Sr. and Terri Jackson. Let us take a look at his parents‘ life.
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s father is a retired NBA player and his mother is the WNBPA’s Executive Director
Jaren Jackson Jr. was brought into their world by Jaren Jackson Sr. and Terri Jackson on September 15, 1999. Before he was born, his father played for Georgetown University between 1985 and 1989. Unfortunately, Jackson Sr. would go undrafted in the 1989 NBA Draft. He still managed to work his way through the league and landed a deal with the New Jersey Nets.
Jaren Jackson Sr. bounced around the league for a while playing for the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Washington Bullets, and a few other G-League teams. Eventually, he signed a good deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He won his first NBA Championship with them as well. Jackson Sr. averaged 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Terri also studied at Georgetown University where she majored in law. Before getting into the sports business, she briefly served as a professor of law at Tulane University. She would work at a legal firm and then move into the athletics branch with the University of the District of Columbia, NCAA, and eventually the WNBA. Terri was named among Sports Illustrated’s most powerful women in sports back in 2020 and helped the WNBA bag a deal with PepsiCo a year later.