Jackson-Davis drops ‘Baby T' nickname from Warriors vets after big game
Jackson-Davis drops ‘Baby T' nickname from Warriors vets after big game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It isn't taking long for Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis to earn his stripes on the team.
The 6-foot-9 forward had himself a game Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center, making the most of early opportunities and players sitting out on the second night of a back-to-back. The showing was so impressive that Jackson-Davis ditched the rookie moniker he was given and stepped into his own name.
"Well, I had a nickname on the team. And so whenever I got my first double-double, the nickname subsided and I'd get called Trayce," Jackson-Davis shared with reporters after the Warriors' 130-102 blowout victory in New Orleans. "My nickname before was Baby T. So they said once you get your first double-double, they thought it was going to be a little bit later, but I got it kind of early. So back to Trayce. So that's good."
Jackson-Davis was selected with the No. 57 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by Golden State.
He racked up a double-double in the preseason, but apparently, Warriors star Klay Thompson said it didn't count. OK. Four games into the regular season, he did it again.
Golden State's bench was extra hyped when the rookie secured the first double-double of his career.
Well, almost. Officials took a rebound away from him after the game. So, the 23-year-old technically finished the game with 13 points on 55.6-percent shooting, nine rebounds, four blocks and was a plus-11 in plus/minute rating in 20 minutes.
After the win, Jackson-Davis said Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green came up to him and said, "Baby T who?"
Fellow rookie Brandin Podziemski, who the Warriors selected with the No. 19 overall pick, also was active in Monday's win. The Santa Clara product had five points on 40 percent shooting, with eight rebounds, two assists and was a plus-15 in 23 minutes.
"I know [Jackson-Davis] has been working for it," Podziemski said postgame. "He had a double-double preseason, but Klay said it didn't count. And now he has one now. So we'll see where it takes him but I'm super proud of him, he did his thing, both scoring the ball and rebounding."
Podziemski doesn't have a nickname that he's trying to replace, his "BP" tag is one he likes and says has stuck. For Baby T turned Trayce, he prefers "TJD."
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