Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. Says Playing NBA 2K 'Definitely Helped Me Win' DPOY

Coming off a magical defensive season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. finally revealed the secret to some of his success on that end of the floor.

Video games.

While appearing on ESPN's broadcast of the Grizzlies' Vegas Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year talked about how NBA 2K has been a key tool for him throughout his career, particularly helping with his timing on blocks.

"You gotta want it a little bit, it takes a lot of endurance to play both ends, especially if you have responsibilities on offense," Jackson said. "You gotta want to stop your defender as bad as he wants to score on you and that's how I feel. When it comes to timing and stuff, I've always said my timing came from 2K, playing a lot of 2K."

"Video games definitely helped me win [Defensive Player of the Year," he added later.

Jackson, 23, is part of this new generation of players that don't just play the game for fun but also draw some benefits from it on the floor.

And, boy, did it pay dividends this past season.

The All-Star is coming off a career year in his fifth season in the league, averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds and one assist while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, the best mark of his career.

Probably the best shot-blocker in the NBA, Jackson led the league in blocks for a second-consecutive year with three per game. The next closest competitor was Brooklyn's Nic Claxton at 2.5.