Reggie Jackson · Biography

On 19 February 2015 the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Reggie Jackson to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team deal that also involved the Utah Jazz. Five months later Detroit re-signed him to a five-year, $80 million contract, and the backup guard who had spent four seasons behind Russell Westbrook became a starting point guard in the NBA. Reginald Shon Jackson was born on 16 April 1990 in Pordenone, Italy, to American parents; his father served at Aviano Air Base. He played for the Thunder, Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers, and won the NBA title with Denver in 2023.

From Italy to Colorado Springs

The family lived in England before moving to the United States when Jackson was five. After a year in North Dakota and spells in Georgia and Florida, they settled in Colorado Springs when he was in sixth grade. At General William J. Palmer High School he was named Gatorade Colorado Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year for 2007-08 and Mr. Colorado Basketball in 2008, the year he graduated. In April 2008 he became an American citizen and gave up his Italian citizenship.

Three seasons at Boston College

Jackson spent three seasons at Boston College, from 2008 to 2011. As a freshman he came off the bench and averaged 7.0 points for a team that reached the NCAA Tournament. He moved into the starting line-up in 2009-10, averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists. In 2010-11 he led the Eagles in scoring at 18.2 points per game, took them to the NIT and was named first-team All-ACC. He declared for the draft after his junior year, having averaged 12.7 points over 99 college games.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2011-2015)

The Thunder took him with the 24th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. His rookie season brought 45 games, 3.1 points per game and several assignments to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. His role changed in the 2013 playoffs: when Westbrook tore his meniscus in the first round against Houston, Jackson moved into the starting five and averaged 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a playoff starter. On 26 April 2014 he scored 32 points, with 9 rebounds, in an overtime win over Memphis in Game 4 of the first round.

Detroit Pistons (2015-2020)

Jackson made his Detroit debut on 22 February 2015 with 17 points, and on 17 March he posted 23 points and a career-high 20 assists. On 8 November 2015 he scored a career-high 40 points against Portland, and he was twice named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in December of that season. His 39 points on 8 April 2016 clinched a playoff berth; the Pistons finished 44-38 as the eighth seed and were swept by Cleveland in the first round. Injuries interrupted the next two years: he missed the first 21 games of 2016-17 and, after a grade 3 ankle sprain on 26 December 2017, sat out 24 games before returning in March 2018. In 2018-19 he started all 82 games and averaged 15.4 points. Detroit waived him after a buyout on 18 February 2020.

Los Angeles Clippers (2020-2023)

Two days later, on 20 February 2020, he signed with the Clippers, who re-signed him on 1 December 2020. In the 2021 playoffs he started alongside Paul George, Patrick Beverley and Terance Mann as the club reached the first Western Conference Finals in franchise history, losing to Phoenix in six games; he averaged 17.8 points in that postseason. He signed a two-year deal on 11 August 2021 and hit game-winners against Orlando in December 2021 and the Lakers in February 2022. On 9 February 2023 the Clippers traded him to the Charlotte Hornets for Mason Plumlee, and Charlotte agreed a buyout three days later.

Champion with Denver

Jackson signed with the Denver Nuggets on 14 February 2023. In June 2023 Denver beat Miami in five games in the NBA Finals, giving him his first NBA championship. He re-signed with the Nuggets on 16 July 2023 and on 27 November 2023 scored 35 points with 13 assists in a win at the Clippers, his former club.

Charlotte, Philadelphia and Washington

On 6 July 2024 Denver sent him to Charlotte in a sign-and-trade involving six teams, the first transaction of that size the NBA had recorded. The Hornets waived him on 23 July and he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on 30 July 2024. On 6 February 2025 Philadelphia traded him to the Washington Wizards, who waived him the same day. Between 2011 and 2025 he played 884 regular-season NBA games, averaging 12.3 points and 4.1 assists.