The Connection Between Jasmine Carson & Samuel L. Jackson
The Georgia Tech women's basketball team is one of the hottest teams on campus right now. Behind first year head coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets are 13-3 halfway through the 2019-20 season, and at 4-1 are tied with #9 NC State Wolfpack for second in the ACC, behind only the #5 Louisville Cardinals.
One component of Georgia Tech's run this season has been the play of guard Jasmine Carson. The sophomore is second on the team in scoring with 11.9 points per game, and her 40.5% shooting percentage from beyond the arc ranks 3rd in the ACC.
Her and the rest of the team's play on the court is slowly but surely gaining a lot of attention both in Atlanta and across the nation. This includes the praise from a particularly high-profile fan:
Legendary actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson.
Jackson has gone to Twitter multiple times this season to give congratulations to Carson and the rest of the Georgia Tech women's team. However, Jackson isn't just a "fan". He actually is a family friend of Carson's and has a personal connection to her.
"He knows my grandmother, they're very close friends," Carson said. "Now that I'm playing, he's supported me every step of the way"
Carson also noted that he would frequently come over to her house in Memphis, TN as a kid, and that he was basically part of the family. "He's like an uncle to me," she said. "He's a good person, and a person I look up to." Jackson was born in Washington DC, but grew up in Chattanooga.
While Jackson is widely regarded as larger than life figure in Hollywood and Carson in a rising star among the women's college basketball ranks, they have a down to Earth relationship. "He's like a regular person to me," she said. "When I watch his movies, I'll text him and say "hey, good job".
Despite being in constant contact, Jackson has yet to make it out to a game. "He films a lot. But I am trying to make that happen this year," Carson said. "He will make a game before graduation, I know that."
So at some point in the future when you see Samuel L. Jackson gracing the sidelines of McCamish Pavilion, don't be surprised as to why.
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