After seven seasons playing as No. 13 in Memphis — and winning Defensive Player of the Year, being a two-time All-Star — Jaren Jackson Jr. wanted a change.
That’s why he is switching to the No. 8 for this season, and he talked to [Rohan Nadkarni of NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nba/jaren-jackson-jr-memphis-grizzlies-are-embarking-new-journey-rcna223673) and Mary Omatiga of NBC Sports (the video above) about it.
_“It’s super personal to me. It’s super personal to my family,” Jackson Jr. told NBC News about the switch. “I’m connected with 8 in a real way. It reaches into the territory of new beginnings. It’s infinite. It’s just a good place to draw energy from.”_
Jackson’s new number also comes with the new contract h_e_ signed this offseason, a five-year, $240 million max contract for a player that is at the heart of everything the Grizzlies do — he was second on the team in scoring at 22.2 points a game and is their defensive anchor. He was an All-Star, made an All-Defense team, and was just a couple of spots out of making All-NBA.
Jackson’s new number isn’t the biggest change in Memphis this season — Desmond Bane left the team for Orlando. That’s going to be a blow on the court, where he was a steadying two-way impact player for the Grizzlies.
_“I wasn’t too much surprised,” Jackson said of Bane’s departure. “I mean, when your brothers leave, you are still going to hurt, just because you’re a human being. But at the end of the day, it’s a business. And we’re grown.”_
Jackson feels he’s grown into the No. 8 and is ready for it.