GSBR Player Of The Week: Johnny Jackson, Ridgewood

Any contenders for POTW got put to rest in Ridgewood's opening contest of the 2024-2025 season when senior guard Johnny Jackson stepped on the floor. Jackson's now well documented last six months has seen him go through nearly a dozen chemotherapy treatements for Stage 4 Hogdkins Lymphoma.

Throughout the process, support form the basketball community in New Jersey has remained high for him...and defying all odds, Jackson returned to the floor for the opener against Saint Joseph's of Montvale.

That in-and-of-itself should land him Player Of The Year awards in New Jersey.

To add even more emotional positivity to the storyline...

Not only did Jackson dress...

Not only did he start...

He scored an eye popping 30 points.

It was as if he didn't miss one second of basketball.

Just two days later, Jackson dropped a game high 24 in a win over Passaic Tech, becoming the all time leading scorer at Ridgewood High.

Player Of The Week isn't the right term, nor is Player Of The Year.

Comeback Story. Nah, that doesn't fit either.

The most positive, resilient, heartwarming story of the year in New Jersey basketball? Those are still words which ring hollow.

What Jackson has gone through medically...and to then come back as good as ever?

Is absolutely the best story in NJ Basketball in years, maybe ever.

His coach told Jersey Sports Zone after the game..."Cancer picked the wrong guy."

Did it ever.

For obvious reasons, our final POTW for the 2024 calendar year is Johnny Jackson of Ridgewood.