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Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while playing basketball this offseason and underwent successful surgery to repair the injury on Wednesday. As a result, the 19-year-old will be re-evaluated in approximately three months and miss the start of the 2024-25 season, the team announced.
🚨 GG Jackson will miss at least the first 3 months of a season after undergoing surgery to repair his broken right foot, the Memphis Grizzlies have announced. pic.twitter.com/5xx14a7djc
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2024
On August 30, the Grizzlies put out a press release stating that Jackson experienced an unstable landing while attempting a contested layup, which is when this injury occurred. Further imaging revealed a broken fifth metatarsal on his right foot, which is why he underwent surgery on Wednesday.
The good news for Jackson and the team is that the young forward is expected to make a full recovery and return to the court in the middle of the 2024-25 season.
In his rookie season with the Grizzlies, Jackson ended up playing in a total of 48 games due to a multitude of injuries that the organization dealt with throughout the year. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Clarke all missed substantial time during the 2023-24 season, resulting in Jackson being thrown into a key role early on in his career.
The teenager took advantage of his opportunities on the court and ended up averaging 14.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range. By the end of the season, Jackson was one of the go-to scoring weapons for the Grizzlies, which is why many expected him to hold a key bench role at the start of the 2024-25 season.
That will no longer be the case after undergoing surgery, but Jackson's play during his rookie season still caught the attention of the NBA world.
GG Jackson shines in Grizzlies rookie season
Despite his young age, Jackson made the most of the Grizzlies' unfortunate injury situations during the 2023-24 season.
While Memphis struggled to find their footing all year, they may have discovered a new diamond in the rough. Jackson was fantastic during his rookie campaign, and his heroics in certain games began to draw the respect of many around the league, including LeBron James.
“Ever since he's been playing, he's gotten better and better,” James said of Jackson. “I had the opportunity to watch him live at Peach Jam a couple of years ago, playing for Team CP3. You know, I feel like he was one of the best players at Peach Jam. He bypassed his senior year and went straight to South Carolina, right? He was ready to go to the college ranks, he was teammates with my nephew, Meechie Johnson, there. So, I got the opportunity to watch him a lot there. He's gotten better and better every time he stepped out on the floor.”
Jackson finished the 2023-24 season scoring double-digit points in 18 straight games. During this 18-game scoring streak with at least 10 points to conclude the season, Jackson registered seven games with at least 20 points, including a career-high 44 points in the final game of the year.
This offseason, Jackson looked like a key rotational player for the Grizzlies at NBA Summer League. There, he averaged 22.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in six total games en route to leading Memphis to the Summer League championship game.
The current timeframe for Jackson's recovery that was revealed by the team on Wednesday likely means he will return to the court sometime around the holiday season in December. It is unknown whether he will step foot on the court before the calendars turn to 2025.
