Memphis Grizzlies Star Opens Up About Playing for Team USA
Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. is set to play for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and a recent article from NBA.com captured the Defensive Player of the Year's feelings on playing for his country.
"It's definitely not something you take for granted," Jackson said. "You try to keep getting better. You get to rep your country. You get to work on your game. I've been in the program."
Expected to be heavily relied upon as a defensive anchor for Team USA, Jackson already has the trust of his head coach Steve Kerr, who recently shared his thoughts on coaching the Grizzlies big man.
"In FIBA, there's no three-second defensive violation, so to have a shot-blocker of Jaren's quality and a presence at the rim like him, I think it's almost a necessity if you want to win a gold medal," Kerr said in early-July. "Jaren is somebody we're going to rely on for his presence at the rim, his force defensively, his ability to help from the weakside and cover up mistakes, back-cuts and that sort of thing."
Jackson should be a perfect piece for Team USA, who plans to settle for nothing less than Gold in the World Cup action this summer. With a loaded roster that of course includes the reigning DPOY, Team USA should have a good shot at winning it all.
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