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Trayce Jackson-Davis was one of the players who played his part in the Golden State Warriors' 128-110 win over the LA Lakers at Chase Center on Thursday. With the team making a playoff push as the NBA resumes its final stretch of the regular season following the All-Star break, the Dubs started on the right note, trouncing the LeBron James-less LA by 18 points. While it was Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins doing the bulk of the scoring, Golden State had some assistance from the Indiana big who came off the bench to prop up 17 points and five rebounds.
Jackson-Davis was drafted 57th overall by the Golden Warriors in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. The pick was initially held by the Washington Wizards, who traded the forward/center for cash considerations on draft night.
The 24-year-old played 15 minutes against the Lakers and had 17 points to help the Dubs pull off a much-needed win. The team is yet to string up wins to avoid the play-in, but they will take the victory. As for Jackson-Davis, playing alongside veterans like Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green will only help extend his promising career in the league.
Things haven't come easy for the Greenwood native as he dealt with adversity pretty early in life, including a seven-hour brain surgery that threatened to derail all that he has going for him now.
What happened to Trayce Jackson-Davis? A closer look at his brain surgery
According to The Athletic, Trayce Jackson-Davis was four when he pulled on an exercise band that was lodged in a door. The anchor hit him flush on the forehead and he was rushed to the ER where it was revealed that he had sustained a fracture. What followed was seven hours of surgery that saw doctors cut his scalp from one side and peel his skin down to bind the fracture. The operation left its mark as he has had his scars over the years.
That wasn't all. A couple of years later, he was accidentally smacked by a golf club on the side of his face. The procedure meant having a plate screwed to his check to fix the injury.
The initial adversity didn't deter the forward as he eventually suited for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. This season, he is averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Warriors in 40 games. Only time will tell if Trayce Jackson-Davis can make significant contributions to help the side make the playoffs.
