Justin Jackson became a basketball star at a very early age when he won a national championship as a student. Similarly, he won an NCAA championship during his college career at the University of North Carolina. The talented player joined the Sacramento Kings after the 2017 NBA Draft, and given his background, expectations for his professional career are very high.
Justin Jackson Bio, Age
Justin Aaron Jackson was born on March 28, 1995, in Houston, Texas. Originally he wasn’t attracted to basketball when he was in grade school, but he eventually caught the virus when his family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, which gave him the opportunity to play in the snow. Starting in fourth grade, he was home-schooled for most of his early school years. He had his first encounter with organized basketball at the age of 10 when he joined the basketball team at Cincinnati Trailblazers HomeSchool.
As a sixth-grader, Jackson enrolled at Northland Christian School after his family moved back to Texas. However, he soon returned to homeschooling in the middle of the school year. As a home-schooled athlete, he played in the Warrior Basketball program of the Homeschool Christian Youth Association (HCYA). He led the HCYA Warriors to win the 2012 National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships. Among other honors, the talented young man was twice named to the first team of the National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championship All-America.
Internationally, Jackson won gold alongside Jabari Parker as a member of the U.S. team at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He crowned his high school career with an impressive performance in the senior class where he averaged an astounding 31.5 points and 9.1 rebounds. At McDonald’s All-American Boys Game 2014, he led the scoring charts with 23 points and was named co-MVP alongside Jahlil Okafor.
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College Career Stats
Thanks to his impressive heroics as a high school athlete, Justin Jackson was ranked among the best players in the 2014 high school class and was awarded a 5-star rating. He received scholarship offers from up to 12 college basketball programs and eventually chose the University of North Carolina.
Jackson began his career on the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team with a good grade and was appointed to the ACC’s All-Freshman Team in his first season. However, the peak of his college career came during his junior season (2016-17), when he averaged 18.3 points per game in 40 missions (39 starts) and 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 32.0 minutes per game.
During his three-year tenure on the team, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 29.1 minutes per game in a total of 118 outings and was the second Tar Heels player to earn 1,600 career points, 150 three-points, 400 rebounds, and 300 assists. The talented player-led Tar Heels to win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship in 2017, having finished runner-up the previous year. He won the ACC Player of the Year 2017 award, earned the honor of All-ACC First Team, and was voted Consensus All-American First Team.
Pro Career
Justin Jackson participated in the 2017 NBA Draft and was voted 15th in the overall selection by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was traded in a draft-day deal to the Sacramento Kings. The talented player completed a total of 6 missions with the Kings in the 2017 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game.
As a rookie in the 2017-18 season, Jackson averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game in 68 games (41 starts) with the Sacramento Kings. He also had a brief guest appearance with the Reno Bighorns, the Kings’ NBA G League daughter during his rookie season.
Is Justin Jackson Married? Girlfriend
Justin Jackson and his wife Brooke Copeland were married in August 2017. The duo was together for 4 years before they got engaged in May 2017. Apart from the love and friendship that this sweet couple shares, they have another great thing in common, basketball. Just like her famous husband, Copeland was an outstanding basketball player. Born in Cleveland, Tennessee, Copeland played college basketball for the University of Florida’s Florida Gators and was named the Gators’ 2015 Most Improved Player.
She graduated in telecommunications and was named to the Academic Honor List of the South Eastern Conference 2016. However, she gave up a possible professional career in the WNBA to become a missionary – a course she has been interested in since childhood.
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Parents, Siblings
Justin Jackson’s parents are Sharon and Lloyd Jackson, and just like their famous sons, they were both outstanding student-athletes in their prime. They both attended Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, where his father ran track and field and his mother played basketball. Jackson grew up with 3 younger siblings, a brother named Jonathan and sisters Jordan and Jada. As he grew up, his father worked as a commodities trader, which required frequent family relocations.
Justin Jackson Height and Other Body Stats
Justin Jackson is 203 cm (6 feet 8 inches) tall and has a bodyweight of 95 kg (210 lbs). The talented player boasts great offensive athletic ability, impressive ball handling, and intelligent decision-making.
