GG Jackson Has One Of "The Hardest Jobs In America"

Forward GG Jackson is the biggest South Carolina signee in recent memory, but head coach Lamont Paris advises fans to understand his position.

Expectations and potential are the two most dangerous things in sports. Almost everything is a projection, and you can't say anything is certain without first-hand proof.

However, that didn't stop South Carolina fans from anointing forward GG Jackson. Jackson was originally a North Carolina commit but ultimately flipped and reclassified into the 2022 cycle.

The upside is obvious: Jackson is 6-9 and 210 lbs. with long arms and ridiculous athleticism. He can win off the bounce, in the post, and catch and shoot. You can't poke many holes in his game, and he should be one of the best players in the SEC.

Head coach Lamont Paris praised Jackson for his maturity, saying he's done all the right things since arriving in Columbia. However, Paris confirmed that he warns Jackson about the pitfalls that accompany basketball stardom.

"He's been really receptive to the things that I say, but I talk about what his long-term goals are from a basketball standpoint. I talk about how many people have had those same goals and failed for reasons that had less to do with dribbling, passing, or shooting and more reasons to do with who you're around, how did you handle yourself, what does your day-to-day work ethic look like?"

Paris warned fans to pump the brakes on the hype. While Paris was steadfast in his confidence in Jackson, he asked everyone to put themselves in Jackson's shoes. Jackson has an entire city in the palm of his hand, but things could change quickly if he doesn't live up to expectations.

We often forget that players are more than a pair of sneakers and a name on the jersey. They are people who experience emotions, peaks, and valleys. Jackson is seventeen-years-old and living away from home for the first time; that's a scary reality. 

"It's hard to be him. He has one of the hardest jobs in all of America. Harder than whoever the version of him was in 2017, even, certainly in 2010, certainly before that. More opportunity, more scrutiny, more visibility, more pressures, more of everything. More money, more resources, more of everything, and while that's great, it's also very difficult for a seventeen-year-old."

South Carolina has tournament aspirations, and those hinge on Jackson. He could become a dominant two-way force, one that hears his name selected in the top 10 at next year's NBA Draft.

That process started when he arrived on campus and only thickens now. There will be learning opportunities, and it won't always be smooth sailing, but Jackson knows he has the backing of his head coach.

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