"I really was gonna retire... my brother here saved me" - Reggie Jackson shows his gratitude towards Paul George for turning his career around, calls George his "lifeline"
LA Clippers guard Reggie Jackson recently expressed his gratitude towards teammate Paul George for helping him turn around his stagnating career.
Although the guard spent a decent part of his career with the Detroit Pistons, he didn't necessarily enjoy a lot of success with the side. Seeing his career stagnate, Jackson found himself in a rather miserable place as well.
Reggie Jackson enjoyed a major career turnaround with the LA Clippers. Emerging as one of the best players on the roster in the absence of their superstars, Jackson looked like a different player in a Clippers uniform.
Speaking about the struggles of being in such a situation, Jackson shared his gratitude towards Paul George for helping him turn things around.
Speaking at Paul George's camp, he said (reported in a tweet via Tomer Azarly):
"You know when I was in Detroit, by myself it was fun, but the organization wasn't getting lot of success. We made the playoffs when I got there, but at the same time I went through a lot of injuries."
He added:
"The naysayers, the criticisms from the fans - it really started making me question myself. Don't let anybody ever do this to you in life, take the fun out of the things that you love to do. I really was gonna retire. My lifeline, the reason y'all see me so happy, my brother here saved me."
Jackson joined the LA Clippers midway through the 2019-20 season. Although he didn't play many games early on, he became a vital piece as the season progressed.
Since then, Jackson has become a core member of the Clippers' roster.
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Reggie Jackson's role in the LA Clippers next season
Reggie Jackson was the primary distributor for the Clippers for the majority of the last two seasons. Although this was primarily due to a depth issue in the guard spot, Jackson was reliable in this position.
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Heading into next season, Jackson may find himself utilized differently. With the Clippers' acquisition of former All-Star John Wall, Jackson could find himself filling in as the number two option off the bench.
This gives the Clippers a lot of depth. An experienced and reliable veteran coming off the bench is always a great piece for any title contender. However, whether this could have a negative impact on Jackson's mentality remains to be seen.
With a healthy trio of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall, the Clippers could be a team to watch out for next season.