Draymond shares wild Steph-GG Jackson in-game snub story

Draymond shares wild Steph-GG Jackson in-game snub story originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Forward Draymond Green was taken aback by Memphis Grizzlies rookie forward G.G. Jackson’s play and in-game anecdote involving Steph Curry during the Warriors’ 116-107 loss on Monday at FedExForum.

Led by his effective shooting, Jackson finished with 23 points in the win over the Warriors, shooting 6 of 9 from the field and an impressive 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

So when the 19-year-old 2023 second-round draft pick approached Curry to share with him that he once had been snubbed from the Warriors guard’s camp, there wasn’t much for the four-time NBA champion to say.

“He said to Steph at halftime, he waited for Steph at the half-court line, he said, ‘Man, I got uninvited from your camp.’ Which I thought was interesting,” Green shared on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” which was released Tuesday.

“Steph ended up telling us about that last night. He [was] like he got uninvited from the camp and Steph was like, ‘Oh, I remember that. We were filled on spots and so they had to pull some invites.’ And Steph was like, ‘I kind of froze for a minute, like it caught me a bit off guard. Like, what do you say to that?’ And so, after the game I learned that it was very personal for G.G. Not only was it like, ‘Oh, I have a chance to play against Steph Curry,’ but he found this extra added motivation like, ‘They uninvited me from the Steph Curry camp.’ “

Green admits he hasn’t watched much film on the Grizzlies forward, but after a one-game sample size, he didn’t hesitate to compare Jackson to a fellow Warriors teammate and NBA great.

“GG Jackson, man, he got off,” Green continued. “He shot the ball like he was Klay Thompson. He was catching like no-hesitation raising up. I haven’t seen him play a ton, so I’m not sure if he’s always like that. I do know that he’s always aggressive to score.

“But he’s like, all the clips and things I’ve seen, aggressive getting down hill. He was raising up, like shooting 45 [percent] from the three. And maybe he [does]… Like I said, I didn’t check to see if he does, but the way he was shooting that ball last night, you got to give him credit. He just answered the bell.”

With a comical spin to it, the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year is such a fan of Jackson that he extended an unauthorized invitation to Curry’s next camp.

“So now, I don’t have really have any real say-so in this, GG, but you’re invited to the Steph Curry camp next year as a counselor, if you want to go back,” Green said. “Go with Under Armour or someone, whatever you’re going to do because that seemed very personal last night. But like I said, you got to give the young fellow some credit. He answered the bell and we were standing at the free throw line and he said, ‘Man, it’s an honor to play with you. I’ve watched you win championships.’ ”

For an emotional leader like Green, it’s the feel-good type of interactions on the court –like the one between Curry and Jackson – that remind him why he plays the game.

And also a possible reminder that not every young star-in-the-making needs Curry’s camp experience to fulfill their dreams of playing against the teachers.

“When you get things like that from young guys, it is one of the most rewarding feelings,” Green added. “But it also shows you who is a student of the game and who is not, when young guys say stuff like that.”

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast