On April 27, 2014, the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Thunder's third game against the Grizzlies was already in the final minute. The Thunder, who are at home, are still five points behind at this point. The Thunder's opponent, the Grizzlies, was one of the league's best defensive teams that season, having just completed their first Western Conference Finals trip in franchise history last season. The Grizzlies have taken a 2-1 lead in this series, and if they win one more game, the series will all but lose suspense.
In this crucial round, Durant and Westbrook pulled away from the outside of the three-point line. A skinny black guard in the Thunder's lineup alone took possession of the ball and circled around the three-second zone, and he walked back from outside the three-point line to meet the defense and turn around and shoot, hitting.
A round later, it was he who burst into the penalty area to face Gasol Jr. to score a throw, and the game went into overtime. In the final 12 seconds of overtime, he made 4 more free throws to help the Thunder beat the Grizzlies 92-89. After the game, Reggie Jackson almost burst into tears.
That man was Reggie Jackson. He scored 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting in that game, which was higher than the combined points of Durant and Westbrook. He was 23 at the time, and it was the third season of his career.
Seven years later, on stage in the Western Conference Finals, Reggie Jackson scored 23 points in the game against the Suns. He scored eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Clippers seal the win, allowing the Clippers to pull the series score to 2-3 without Leonard.
Compared to the first round of the playoffs seven years ago, Jackson, who was standing in the Western Conference Finals at this time, has matured a lot. Jackson simply emphasized the team's defense after the game and expressed confidence in the next game.
Seven years of ups and downs have made Reggie Jackson calm and composed. He took his salary in his early 2 million years, went from bench to starting in the Clippers, rotated from edge to possession core, and silently played the role that every team needed him to be.
After shining in the playoffs in 2014, Reggie Jackson left the Thunder. The Pistons gave him a big contract with an annual salary of tens of millions.
In his five years with the Pistons, Reggie Jackson actually played well. The Pistons' only two playoff experiences in the last 12 years have occurred during Jackson's time, and that's the only two 40-win seasons the Pistons have had since Billups left. But in those five seasons, Reggie Jackson never made an All-Star, not even stepping on the steps outside the All-Star Gate. In his entire career, Jackson averaged more than 30 minutes of appearances and more than 18 points per game in only one season. In the midst of constant injuries and losses, Jackson may understand that he is not a star who can lead a team to fight for a season.
In the 2019-20 season, the Pistons cut Reggie Jackson, and Jackson chose to join the Clippers. The Clippers' two point guards at the time, Beverley and Lu Williams, one defended strongly and one did not. The Clippers had hoped Jackson would be a qualified starting point guard with a balanced attack and defense, supporting Leonard and George. But that season Jackson played poorly in the playoffs, even falling out of the rotation.
There are too many of these players in the league who don't come from a high background, make a name for themselves with a drive and sign big contracts. However, after receiving a huge annual salary, they quickly sank due to injuries and other reasons, and then they were cut and signed with a basic salary until they faded out of the league.
But apparently Reggie Jackson is not such a player, he is like a reckless hero, when he shrugged off the pressure of high salaries, away from the expectations of the stars, and challenged the strong with a low posture, he lived again.
In this year's playoffs, Leonard was unexpectedly injured, and Reggie Jackson took on the task of the team's second scoring point. Especially in the Western Conference Finals against the Suns, Jackson was the ball-holding core of the Clippers' offense at many times. I don't know if Jackson will think of his imminent death in the playoffs seven years ago, or of his pride when he took over the ball in the hands of Durant and Westbrook.
Back in his role as a celebrity, Jackson played like a hero again. In this season's playoffs, Reggie Jackson played in 19 games with the Clippers, averaging 17.8 points per game, hitting 188 of the three shooting percentages, and even surpassed Leonard in the playoffs.
Bidding farewell to the stumbling days of the Pistons, Jackson, who was a young man, found himself again. From the moment he became famous, he was a reckless hero. He doesn't have the ability to lead a team alone, nor is he qualified to be the center of the league's spotlight. But he was never afraid in the big scenes, and he was always able to rush forward to support the team when the team was in crisis. It's hard to say what outstanding abilities or techniques Reggie has, his shots are not elegant, his dribble is not gorgeous, he is too thin to fly, but he can repeatedly win in a chaotic situation.
The Clippers stopped in the Western Conference Finals, just like the Thunder seven years ago. And Reggie Jackson has a new life, just like he did at the Thunder seven years ago.
Any team needs people like Reggie Jackson, a reckless hero who can stand behind the stars and be ready to charge.
Source: NBA official website