Amsterdam native, Albany Academy graduate Jackson enjoying first steps of NBA journey with Bucks

For Andre Jackson Jr., June 22 will forever remain a special date.

“That was a great night,” Jackson said Saturday, discussing the night where he became a member of the Milwaukee Bucks after a trade for his draft rights with the Orlando Magic. “Having all my teammates from college, all my family and friends, my little cousins and everybody that really means the world to me all in the same place to celebrate that, it just felt great.

“I’m never going to forget that night, just because of the people that were there and how much impact they had on my life, and everything they did and had to sacrifice for me to be able to be in this position now.”

But, Jackson said Saturday while on a Zoom call with reporters following practice with the Bucks’ NBA Summer League team, draft night was only the beginning.

It’s only been a little more than a week since the Amsterdam native and Albany Academy graduate was drafted 36th overall out of UConn, but the 6-foot-6 guard is already hard at work trying to nail down an immediate role for a Bucks team that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference this past season, only to flame out in the first round of the playoffs and replace head coach Mike Budenholzer with Adrian Griffin.

Though Jackson was a team captain on UConn’s national championship squad in his last college season, he’s embraced the role of NBA rookie.

“When you’re the youngest guy, when you’re the rookie, you get to learn so much from other guys,” he said. “There’s so much information to take in, and there’s so many new things to learn. So I actually, honestly, like being in this position almost more, and it’s been a great experience.”

As the Bucks prepare for their summer league schedule in Las Vegas, which opens on Friday, Jackson’s started to get acclimated to his new surroundings in Wisconsin.

He’s in Milwaukee on his own for now, but said his sister will eventually come up to stay with him.

Meanwhile, Jackson has already seen the difference between the NBA and college games.

“The speed that [the game] moves and the athleticism of the players you’re going against, I think that’s the biggest thing that changes when move up a level,” he said. “Everything is moving fast. Everything is a little different.”

Jackson said he’s already formed a quick kinship with MarJon Beauchamp, Milwaukee’s 2022 first-round draft pick.

“MarJon, he just leads by example,” Jackson said. “Just watching him in drills, watching the way he approaches the game and watching his tendencies on the court teach me a lot about how to be a factor on this team. [I’ve been] talking to him a lot and seeing what he went through last year when he was a rookie.”

Jackson’s also taken inspiration from the other Capital Region product currently playing in the NBA, former Shenendehowa star Kevin Huerter of the Sacramento Kings.

The two have communicated on several occasions, and have run into each other when working out with Capital Region trainer Steve Dagostino.

“Just him doing it at the highest level has automatically inspired me,” Jackson said. “You don’t see a lot of people do that, and he’s doing it at a really high level. So, to see that just continues to inspire me every day.”

While Jackson said he got messages from many members of the Bucks’ organization in the immediate aftermath of the draft, he’s yet to get the chance to start to work with the team’s top players, including two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

He’s eager to get to work with Antetokounmpo, as well as guard Jrue Holiday, a player Jackson has modeled himself after for years.

“I watched a lot of Jrue Holiday. That’s my dad’s favorite player,” he said. “So, growing up, he was showing me a lot of Jrue, just because of the way that he moves his feet. He’s just really athletic, and he has some of the best defensive mechanics I’ve ever seen.

“I imagine when I see him, I’ll just ask him questions after questions. I think that’s the most exciting part for me, just being able to be around a veteran and really learn from them, and just try to be like a sponge and soak up all the information.”

Reach Adam Shinder at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Adam_Shinder.

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