MEMPHIS – Seated alongside Ja Morant at the center of the NBA universe, Jaren Jackson Jr. leaned into the microphone to describe the source of the Grizzlies competitive swagger.
The league’s preeminent shot-blocker was metaphorically protecting the paint.
“We play with energy, we play with intensity – we love that,” Jackson declared in New York City earlier this month after a contentious victory over the Knicks. “That brings joy to us. That back-and-forth (confrontation), that’s just what we like. So, if you want to play that game, we can play that game. It’s all between the lines.