Shaquille O'Neal's Praise for Young NBA Player Sparks Heartwarming Moment

Grizzlies forward G.G. Jackson had a huge game on Monday, which was quickly followed by a memorable moment with NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Jackson, the youngest player in the NBA, helped lead the short-handed Grizzlies to an impressive 116-107 win over the Golden State Warriors on TNT as part of the NBA's Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate with 23 points and 5-for-8 shooting from behind the arc.

Afterward, Jackson was interviewed by the TNT broadcast team, including O'Neal. The biggest name among the broadcasters (literally and figuratively) drew a big reaction from Jackson.

"I don't have any questions," O'Neal told Jackson, whose face immediately registered shock before he covered his smile with a towel. "I just want to say congratulations, young fella. You played a hell of a game, and if people didn't know who you were, they know who you are now. So, proud of you. Congratulations on being ready, brother."

"It's an honor to get to hear your voice," Jackson said, beaming. "I appreciate you."

Newsweek reached out via email to Jackson's representation to request comment on what it meant to Jackson to speak with O'Neal, and (importantly) to find out whether the 19-year-old remembers watching O'Neal, who retired when Jackson was just 7 years old.

After the game, the Grizzlies posted a screen cap of Jackson's interview to X, formerly Twitter, which Jackson quoted with cry-laughing emojis.

Jackson also liked a post on X after the game responding to a video of his interview from user davethe_king69, which read, "Bros prob thinking in his head 'damn I went from hearing him on 2k to hearing him in irl.'"

Jackson was asked by reporters what made the difference on Monday.

"I guess I prayed a little bit more today," Jackson said.

Jackson Also Spoke With Stephen Curry

O'Neal wasn't the only star to praise Jackson. The rookie also earned some advice from Warriors star Stephen Curry.

"I had reached out to him during halftime," Jackson said. "I had told him that his camp took their invitation back from me, because I reclassified up and went to college early. That was a cool moment we shared together. But his message was to keep going. I'm young in this league. There's a lot out there for me."

How Good Is Jackson?

Jackson was the No. 1 prospect in high-school basketball on some prospect boards entering his freshman season at South Carolina last year, but he scuffled a bit with the Gamecocks, averaging 15.4 points per game while shooting just 38.4 percent from the field. Some draft evaluators ripped Jackson's effort level and physicality at the college level.

Still, Jackson declared for the draft after his freshman season. He fell to the second round, where the Grizzlies nabbed him with the 45th pick. He has appeared in eight games this season, averaging 6.9 points in 10.8 minutes. With Memphis' G-League team, the Memphis Hustle, Jackson is averaging 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in six appearances.

Jackson is on a two-way contract with Memphis, which is a non-guaranteed deal for a player who splits time between the NBA and the G-League. Teams have to convert two-way players to guaranteed deals to have them for the postseason, but the 15-25 Grizzlies—who will be without star guard Ja Morant for the rest of the year—probably won't have to worry about that.

Still, big games like Monday could help Jackson's profile moving forward. Praise from O'Neal was clearly appreciated, but a guaranteed contract might be nicer.