A fighter on and off the court, a New Jersey high school basketball star is battling more than just his opponents — and continues to defy the odds. In 2024, Ridgewood High School senior Johnny Jackson was diagnosed with cancer. Many people thought the news would sideline him for the season. But he has simply refused to back down or let cancer shape his world. “This chemotherapy, it’s really vicious, I have nerve pain all over my body right now,” Jackson told NBC New York. “It’s just so brutal, it’ll knock me out for a few days.” The 18-year-old star for the Ridgewood Maroons has endured double digit chemotherapy treatments for stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma since summer 2024. “Been a lot of health struggles, there’s been a lot of ups and down, but just making it this far to this point, it just feels great to be here right now,” Jackson said. “This is the one thing that means the world to him, is playing basketball. Cancer took a lot from him but it’s not going to take this,” said his mother, Lynsey Jackson. His sister shared a similar sentiment, saying her brother “truly has a different mindset compared to everyone else.” As a junior last season, Jackson played the entire year at 50%. He still averaged 22 points per game. But his weight dropped from 170 pounds down to 152. His dad, Joe, and mom were searching for answers. In July, they finally got one: Their son was diagnosed with cancer. He started treatment in August. “I’m a competitor…so I kind of just faced it like a game, and I was kind of up for the challenge from day 1. I knew I was going to take it down,” said Jackson. Ten chemo session ensued from Aug. 12 to Dec. 19, the night of Ridgewood’s season opener. Jackson vowed to play — it was his goal, it was his dream. And he delivered. Jackson scored 30 points in a victory over St. Joe’s of Montvale. When asked how he went from a chemo session on Monday, to dropping 30 just three days later, Jackson said he didn’t have an answer. “I just went out there and did it,” he said. The story has been embraced by the entire Ridgewood community. His coach and teammates have been in awe of his strength and nobility. His coach, Mike Troy, called it “an individual story that people wouldn’t believe if it was in a movie.” This season, Jackson has been a profile in heart, courage and inspiration has been averaging 25 points per game. He hopes to soon be cancer-free. “I’m just going to try to inspire as many kids as possible and honestly just put it in the past as quick as I can because it’s been a very troublesome journey,” he said. On Monday, Jackson had his 12th and final chemotherapy treatment at the Joseph Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center. A celebration ensued moments later, as his entire basketball team and family surprised him in the hallway of the hospital — with hugs and kisses, smiles and tears, and plenty of gratitude. Jackson must still get a PET scan in mid-February before he can be declared officially cancer-free. Until then, he will continue his pursuit of 2,000 career points. As of Monday, he was 285 points away. The team is still chasing a state championship. The Maroons won nine of their first 10 games, and were one of the best teams in New Jersey.