Biggest revelations from Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane's hilarious podcast party

01/22/2025 04:17 PM

The Memphis Grizzlies have a winning recipe going by the NBA standings and how the locker room sounds even after defeats. Ja Morant’s dunks get most of the attention but Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have been not-so-quietly shaping the culture for years. The duo went deep into their friendship and the team in a recent Young Man and the Three podcast appearance.

Bane explained why the Grizzlies get along so well before a road game against the Houston Rockets.

“I think it is the egos, putting those to the side,” Bane shared. “I think if you have your guys at the top that aren’t wired off of stats and accolades and praise, it’s like it’s easier for everyone else to fall right in line. It’s easy to be happy for other people’s success.”

It helps that Memphis is the kind of city with “no distractions” for the team, per Bane.

Conversation can jump from the Grizzlies grumbling about losses to what’s a good spot for dinner quickly. Then is back to a Rookie of the Year tangent in praise of Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey. Wells is known as J-Murda because he kills the other team’s offense.

(Wells) is guarding the best player every game,” Jackson Jr. began, “and that is such a rare thing for a rookie to have to deal with. He handles it really casually and I don’t think I’ve talked to him about how he feels about it…He has to guard in a playoff way the way we are setting up.”

Everyone was a rookie at some point. Jackson Jr. recalled fellow Michigan State alum Draymond Green calling during the pre-draft process. Jackson Jr. had already enrolled in some second-year classes intending to put the NBA off for a year. He was not in the conversation for the top overall pick but finally saw some mock drafts with lottery grades.

A number Jackson Jr. did not recognize popped up on the screen. It was Green with a simple question and one-word opinion on Jackson Jr.’s plans.

“How high (in the draft) do you want to go?” asked Green. “Idiot.”

Bane had to laugh. It was a genuine interaction between teammates who’d been friends for years.

“I met Des when I blocked his shot,” Jackson Jr. joked. “(It was) in the Indiana…”

“I knew about him before all of this…” Bane interrupted.

“He took a little layup…” Jackson Jr. shot back.

“I hate that dude Jaren. He’s just this tall lanky dude with a fade that’s so low you don’t even know if he has hair or not. Blocking shots,” Bane responded. “(Jackson Jr.) is up at Park Tudor in Indy so nobody really knows about him playing at a 2A school. Transfers out to La Lumiere, the guy pops up here and there, now he is at Michigan State…

“He was 6-foot-9, lanky, jump shot looks funky, and don’t really know what he is good at yet,” Bane sighed. “It was crazy.”

Jackson Jr. wanted more credit for the prep production and styling job.

“I feel like when I had my low cut I was getting it done but no one cared because I was at a 2A school,” admitted Jackson Jr. “I played JV freshman year. Then we got ranked high. You get ranked…”

Well, both Bane and Jackson Jr. got ranked and then a few years later were called to the NBA Draft stage.

As for what Jackson Jr. knew about Bane going into that first on-court battle?

Bane shouted “Nothing!” before ‘Trip’ could muster a response.

“I had blinders on,” Jackson Jr. said. “If you’re not in my division or one of these schools down the block I wasn’t worried about that.”

They are now more concerned with what they can control in Memphis. These Grizzlies were a bit too brash according to Bane and Jackson Jr. The trash talk was constant but now everyone understands the assignment. Waiting to unleash that aggression during the postseason is a better use of the energy.

“(Our trash talk) is more controlled,” Bane said. “(It’s) tame now(compared to previous seasons).”

The podcast was an hour-long riot that moves quicker than a Ja Morant drive through the lane. Bane might be driving traffic to the outlet more often too. The host teased that Bane will be doing more work with the ThreeFourTwo network, giving the editors plenty of job security.

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