Jaren Jackson Jr. drops his hoodie, dons $286 fur coat for pre-game drip
Jaren Jackson Jr. upped the ante when it comes to pre-game outfits. The former DPOY swapped his hoodie for a plush $286 fur coat as he made his way to the FedEx Forum ahead of Tuesday's Memphis Grizzlies home clash against the San Antonio Spurs.
The forward showed out in a multicolor fur coat with a crisp white tee, blue denim and sparkling white sneakers. It was a good day out on the game front, as the Grizzlies, bolstered by Ja Morant's return, notched up a 106-98 win over the Spurs.
Jackson had 10 points coupled with seven rebounds and an assist in 32 minutes on the floor.
The Grizzlies were led by Morant (26 points, five rebounds and 10 assists) and Desmond Bane (24 points, three rebounds and two assists) who combined for 50 points to put the screws on the struggling San Antonio team. Victor Wembanyama topped with 20 points and seven boards for the visitors, albeit in a losing cause.
Can Jaren Jackson Jr. win DPOY again?
After becoming the second youngest player in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr. was a cinch to win the title again for the second time in a row, but he faces stiff competition.
With the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo making their cases for the award, Jackson seems to have fallen down the pecking order. But with Memphis looking to make a surge in the second half of the season, the reigning DPOY winner can stake a claim again.
This season, he's averaging 20.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 33 games for Memphis. In his last five games. he's averaging 16.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest.
He will look to steer clear of foul trouble that limits his minutes on the floor. He was rather sluggish on defense at the start of the season while the other power forwards made a rapid ascent. Better players are the defensive anchors for their teams this season, so the 24-year-old will have to bring his old self to make a mark on the voters.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies play the new-look Toronto Raptors next, followed by a clash with the LA Lakers.