Reggie Jackson tearfully thanked his teammates 'for saving me' after the Clippers' Game 6 loss

You can't help but be happy for Reggie Jackson

What makes the playoffs so tough is that somebody has to lose.

Every team goes out there and gives it their all to try and win a championship. 16 teams enter the playoffs. Only 1 team leaves with the trophy. That means there’s a lot more heartbreak than there is joy — especially after a deep playoff run.

But Reggie Jackson didn’t seem to feel any of that after the Clippers’ Game 6 loss to the Suns. Was he sad the Clippers lost? Absolutely. But he made it clear in his emotional postgame press conference, he wasn’t crying tears of sadness.

No. Instead, he was thankful. He showed his teammates and the organization so much love.

An emotional and tearful Reggie Jackson talks about how much this team and his best friend Paul George have meant to him and his career. pic.twitter.com/9esDrS3P1U

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) July 1, 2021

“It was the most challenging year. The most fun year. Not sure when you’re gonna play. Ups and downs. Guys getting injured. Still finding my way in this locker room. First thing I told those guys was ‘thank you for saving me.’ I appreciate it. I appreciate every guy in that locker room. I appreciate Paul [George] for getting on that phone last year and the end of the season as time went by in Detroit. I’m thankful for everything I’ve experienced here.” 

There’s a bit of context to this. It was Paul George who had to convince Reggie Jackson to play basketball again. He was actually going to retire after the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets last postseason, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne.

Now, here he was in these playoffs less than a year later making big play after big play for the Clippers. He was phenomenal.

He continued in his presser just gushing about the Clippers and his team with tears in his eyes.

“This city makes me feel at home. This organization welcoming me. My quirks, my strengths, my weaknesses. I’m not here today without this team. I’m not still playing without this team. I thank them for everything. In my heart this will forever be a special year. Like I said, it sucks that we didn’t win it, but I ride with those guys. Those guys rode with me all year and I ride with those guys. That’s what makes this one tougher. That makes this one extremely tough. To be the ones that, not getting the win, to be the ones at the end of the season, not the ones hoisting the trophy. I think that group revitalized me.

They found ways to push me every day, to challenge me, ask me to be better, encourage me to be better. We became family. This has been an extremely special year under these extremely difficult circumstances that everybody’s been under with the pandemic, COVID. Last year at the half, the way this team took me in, the way this core group welcomed me, the way that they’ve allowed me to be myself, like I said, I’m forever thankful for this group.”

From almost being out of the NBA to being one of the breakout stars in the postseason. Shoutout to Reggie Jackson. What an incredible story and an incredible comeback.

I don’t know if he’ll be back with the Clippers next year — as Paul George said, he made himself some money in these playoffs. He’ll have plenty of offers to choose from.

But, man, it’d be nice to see him run this back.