“He Outperformed Kobe at That Age”: Paul George Gives 19-Year-Old NBA Rookie His Flowers With a Bold Yet Factually Right Take

Entering the NBA in your rookie season and matching a few stats of Kobe Bryant is a big ask. Yet the 19-year-old has exactly done that and Paul George wants more people to keep an eye on him. On what was a disappointing season for his team, the South Carolina graduate was certainly a star to watch.

On his Podcast P with Paul George, he spoke with the upcoming top draftees Alex Sarr & Reed Sheppard. Yet, during the Rated PG segment, he gave a shout-out to GG Jackson, the youngest player in the NBA currently. The forward signed a two-way contract initially with the Memphis Grizzlies however his performances earned him a 4 year contract.

The attributes that George liked about him were that he was a “big wing” who could score at a high level. Plus can rebound, defend, and overall is super athletic. Even with all the essentials, George feels the youngster is being underappreciated. He said, “For his ceiling at this first year, I mean, he outperformed Kobe at that age.”

He even said that Jackson’s stats are better than the rookie Kobe Bryant to prove a point. No doubt Jackson has got lucky as some would say with the appearances this season. He was not meant to start extensively this season but the number of injuries to their star players and his timely performance earned him a 4-year contract with the Grizzlies.

Kobe Bryant vs GG Jackson

GG Jackson entered the league at the age of 18 while Kobe Bryant was the youngest back then at the age of just 17 years. During the season he also broke a record of Bryant successfully. On February 8th, 2024, against the Chicago Bulls, Jackson (19y, 53d) became the youngest player in NBA history to score 25+ points off the bench. Bryant did the same on November 9th, 1997 when he was (19y, 78d).

Before the Bulls game, Jackson was averaging 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds on 41.9% shooting from the field. He scored a career-high of 27 points on 50% shooting from the floor showcasing his skill-set to coaches and fans alike. But how far ahead is Jackson in terms of stats?

Kobe Bryant averaged 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 71 games in his rookie season in 1996-97. GG Jackson averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 48 games this season. The main difference also comes in minutes played per game. Bryant played 15.5 minutes whereas Jackson featured for 25.7 minutes.

From the looks of it, young rookie Jackson is truly well ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers legend in his first season. Yet Bryant was able to dominate more and find his groove with more minutes in his second season. The fate of Jackson remains to be seen if he will be given the minutes like this season or if the coach will have him warming the bench for the more experienced players.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.