Josh Jackson (basketball)
A top-five NBA draft pick whose explosive athleticism and defensive intensity defined his early promise, though his journey took unexpected turns.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American basketball player·Birthday: February 10·Generation Z
Biography
Josh Jackson arrived in the NBA with the kinetic energy of a can't-miss prospect. After a standout single season at Kansas, where his two-way ferocity made him a consensus star, the Phoenix Suns selected him with the fourth overall pick in 2017. His rookie season showed flashes of that potential, with high-flying dunks and tenacious perimeter defense. However, the trajectory of his professional path shifted through various stops, including Memphis, Detroit, and Sacramento, before he continued his career in the NBA G League. Jackson's story is one of raw talent and adaptation, a player whose physical gifts were never in question as he worked to find a consistent role at basketball's highest level.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Josh was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Josh Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Josh's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 4th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2017 NBA Draft.
- Earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2018.
- Played one season of college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors.
Did You Know?
He was a highly ranked high school recruit, considered the top small forward in his class by ESPN.
He has a daughter named Jayde.
He played for the Stockton Kings, the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings.
“I play with an edge; that intensity is what got me here and what I bring.”
