Instead, it went through his shirt, which happened to be a Boston Celtics No. 9 jersey.
After All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo heard about Jackson's story, he decided to surprise the 9-year-old with tickets to Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat, according to the Celtics' team website.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing on the news when they reported what happened to Preston," Rondo said. "Preston was the victim of a senseless act and I didn't want his love of basketball to be affected by what happened."
In addition to the tickets, Jackson and his family received a tour of TD Garden and got to sit courtside for the Celtics' pregame warmups. Rondo also gave out sneakers and a new, autographed No. 9 jersey before posing for a picture with Jackson and his sister.
"It felt really good to meet Rondo," Jackson said. "This was the best moment of my life. I'm always going to remember this."
