The disappearing genius! The second best player in North Carolina team history and NCAA champion, but he is wandering around in the NBA.

Competitive sports are so cruel. One second you were a hero and the most dazzling star, but the next second you were sitting on the bench and became a despised stone...

In the 2017 NCAA Finals, North Carolina played against Gonzaga. The score was still very close until the last 14 seconds. At this time, North Carolina leader Justin Jackson grabbed the rebound and ran all the way. With a dunk to seal the victory, as the referee's whistle sounded, the players all rushed into the court and gathered around him. At this moment, Jackson was the hero of North Carolina and the rising star of college basketball in the United States. However, when the camera flashed to 2020, the same Justin Jackson was sitting at the end of the NBA bench. His eyes were empty and his face was expressionless, and his scoring average dropped to 5.5 points per game.

What has Justin Jackson experienced in just 3 years?

Jackson was born in the world of sports. His father was a track and field athlete and his mother was the main player of the school basketball team. After retiring, they started working in commodity trading and often had to travel. In order to take care of the three children at home, they had to move frequently. This also prevented Jackson and his sisters from entering the campus. They could only hire tutors to teach at home. The "confinement" of the family made him yearn for the outside world. Basketball is this link, which can help Jackson meet more new friends and learn more fresh food.

"How should I put it? Basketball at that time was like a light, which made me no longer afraid and more courageous to face everything."

George Gervin, a star of the Spurs, was Jackson's favorite star when he was a child. He downloaded a lot of game videos about Gervin. His silky shooting and calm mind fascinated Jackson. After entering the school team, when the staff asked him what number he wanted? Jackson blurted out "No. 44," which was the jersey number he had been using before entering the NBA.

Later, as Kevin Durant entered the NBA, Jackson had a new idol and goal, because his body was very similar to Durant, with a height of 2.03 meters and a wingspan of 2.11 meters. On the field, everyone called him "Little Durant". Jackson also began to imitate and learn Durant's playing style. Every time he hit a pull-up, he felt that he was KD at the moment.

In high school, Jackson began to stand out and attracted the attention of many mainstream media. In 2014, he was invited to participate in the McDonald's All-American Game. With his outstanding performance, he shared the MVP trophy with Jahlil Okafor. After graduation, dozens of prestigious schools, including Georgetown University, Baylor University, etc., offered Jackson an olive branch, but in the end, he chose the prestigious University of North Carolina.

Although this famous school has produced many well-known stars, such as Jordan, James Worthy, etc., in the history of the North Carolina team, no one can ignore the contribution of Justin Jackson. He not only helped the team achieve success twice Entering the finals and eventually winning the trophy in 2017, that season, Jackson averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. In the finals, he scored 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, and used dunks at critical moments to seal the victory.

is the third player in North Carolina team history to win both the championship and the best player in the conference. His total points in team history have reached 2,391 points. He is the only player in team history to score 1,600 points, hit 150 three-pointers, grab 400 rebounds and send out 300 assists. These achievements and his leadership style make him one of the important figures in the history of North Carolina basketball.

Also relying on these great records, Jackson, who was originally predicted to be the 25th pick in the 2017 draft, was picked by the Kings with the 15th pick.

The transition from college star to NBA rookie is not easy. Jackson's advantages were obvious in college, but they turned into weaknesses in the NBA.

The draft report evaluated him this way: He has the standard body of a wing player (2.03 meters, 91 kg), outstanding mid-range scoring ability, strong transition scoring ability, excellent passing ability, skilled pick-and-roll ability, and excellent off-ball movement ability. But it also pointed out that his "body is not strong enough and his offensive lethality needs to be improved."

The results are as reflected in this report. Jackson's offense cannot be used in the NBA at all. You must know that he is not good at long shots. His three-point shooting percentages in his freshman and sophomore seasons were only 30.4% and 29.8% respectively. , after special training in 2016, it was improved to 37%. In the NBA arena, where the competition is more intense and the three-point line is further away, Jackson only shot 30.8%. Although he can occasionally break through with the ball, his lethality is extremely low, his finishing efficiency is not high, and he cannot cause fouls.

With such a level, he is simply not qualified for the 3rd position, and at the 4th position, his confrontation is very poor, and he has no advantage in jumping. He is easily bounced by opponents in defense, and his rebounding rate is not even as good as some backcourt players.

With his awkward role positioning and abilities, Jackson quickly lost the King's trust and became a bargaining chip in exchange for senior senior Harrison Barnes.

When he first arrived in Dallas, Jackson also had a highlight performance. He scored 24 points in a game with the 76ers. In the last 8 games of the season, he scored in double figures in 6 games, averaging 8.2 points per game and hitting 3.3 points from three-point range. 7.4%, but the stability did not last long. In the 19-20 season, Jackson played the worst performance of his career and once again put himself on the shelf. The game he showed had almost no highlights, which also paved the way for his future wandering career.

From the Thunder to the Bucks, from the Celtics to the Suns, Jackson could never find a place to stay, but fate favored him. During his time with the Bucks, he touched many superstars and won championship trophies that he could not touch throughout his life. This scene became the only memory point in his wandering career..

On the trade deadline last year, Jackson was waived by the Timberwolves. Since then, he has not been in contact with any NBA courts and has gradually faded out of people's sight.

如今，杰克逊还在寻找自己的角色定位，即使他清楚未必会有结果，但这就是竞技体育温情的一面，我们喜欢的不仅仅是超级明星的传奇，还有这群小角色们的努力与坚持，他们或许不再闪耀，可从未真正离开这片星空。