Basketball fans aren’t allowing Jaren Jackson Jr. to enjoy his long NBA offseason due to his recent performance for Team USA. As many fans should be aware, JJJ is a young star for the Memphis Grizzlies and has been a defensive anchor and presence for the team in recent times. He also won the Defensive Player Of The Year award for his contributions to the Grizzlies last season.
Since his impact was undoubtedly felt and noticed, Jaren Jackson Jr. was given the opportunity to play for Team USA as they competed in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Fans might already know that Team USA ended up being eliminated by Team Germany and even failed to secure third place after a loss to Team Canada.
Although fans cited a lot of reasons for the failure of Team USA, the repeated subpar performances from JJJ led them all. Despite the fact that a few weeks have passed since the FIBA World Cup ended, fans aren’t willing to let his poor play at an international level die down. That said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Should Jaren Jackson Jr. be blamed for the failure of Team USA?
It is always unfair to place blame on one individual for the loss of a whole team. After all, the other players on the squad and coaching staff also deserve a fair share of the blame when things don’t go according to plan. Nonetheless, fans have decided to voice their criticism of JJJ the most. This makes sense considering that he averaged a measly 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists as a starter for Team USA.
While one can understand his scoring going down on Team USA, averaging less than 3 rebounds a game is nearly unacceptable for a high-tier NBA center. Jaren Jackson Jr. likely wants to put his poor play behind him. A viral video of him singing for a music video gave fans a chance to take additional shots at him, “Practice rebounding.”
Jaren Jackson Jr debut music video 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aJqe2whimW
— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) September 16, 2023
Practice rebounding
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) September 16, 2023
can’t rebound or rap might as well retire from both professions
— Adrian Wojnarrowskí (@wojzspen) September 16, 2023
Although we can’t find any reason to criticize the perspectives felt by Team USA fans, perhaps the basketball community should stop hating on JJJ and spamming negative comments about his extracurricular activities. Hopefully, he can play well next season for the Grizzlies and prove all his doubters wrong in the process.