Reggie Jackson on Thunder tenure: 'I was the scapegoat'
Reggie Jackson cried tears of joy after learning he was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Detroit Pistons before Thursday's trade deadline. As former teammate Kevin Durant said, he got what he wanted.
Jackson's situation in Oklahoma City became so toxic the organization opted to move the restricted free agent - a valuable reserve on the playoff-hopeful Thunder. The 24-year-old reportedly turned down a four-year, $48-million-contract extension ahead of the season, wanted a larger role in the Durant-Russell Westbrook-led offense, requested a trade and refused to play a game because he wasn't moved, according to Royce Young of ESPN.
It's clear Jackson's relationship with the Thunder was fractured. And while Durant didn't hold back his feelings surrounding the departure, neither did Jackson.
Jackson opened up to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about his time with the Thunder and new opportunity in Detroit.
I wasn't always perfect, nor was the situation, but I became the brunt of the blame there. Everything bad that happened, I was the scapegoat. I'm taking all this blame, and I'm wondering: 'How am I supposed to change it all here, make an impact, in eight minutes a game?' Everybody is jumping down my neck, and it gets annoying when I'm supposed to have this great impact playing so little this season.
All of a sudden, I'm the bad locker room guy. I'm the problem …
Jackson said he was upfront with the Thunder about his desire to start, but the opportunity wasn't there. It is now, and Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy re-affirmed that by sending Jackson a text shortly after the trade to inform he was his point guard.
With Brandon Jennings sidelined for the remainder of the season and D.J. Augustin moved to the Thunder in the deal, Jackson should be given as many minutes as he can handle as Detroit battles for the one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
"I've always dreamed about this, and I was never sure it would happen," Jackson said. "Stan believes in me, in the leader that I can be. He believes in the player that I can be, and I've always imagined having a coach like this, an opportunity like this, in the NBA."
Jackson, who averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and four rebounds in 28 minutes per game with the Thunder, further explained his thoughts about the two situations.
It wasn't easy this year, to go to bed at night and think about how you're considered the problem and each and every day, people testing your character. … I couldn't walk last year, couldn't go to sleep without taking pills for my back and I gave them everything I had there.
And then, to have people tarnish your name … it just means so much to have someone finally believe in you. I'm Stan's point guard now, and I want that responsibility. He can cuss me out in the film room, do whatever he needs to do for this team and me, because at least now I have control on the court. That's all I ever wanted.