How the Detroit Pistons can become relevant again in 2018-19
By Amaar Burton
Reggie Jackson goes H.A.M. on OKC
Social media beef is big in the NBA right now. Fans thrive on drama, and the media thrives on their clicks and views, so both sides want pro athletes to have personal rivalries.
Just look at last season and how hard some people were trying to turn Kyrie Irving vs. LeBron James into another Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O’Neal feud. There was a period when every social media post and like from Kyrie and LeBron was being picked apart for hidden messages in hopes that they were taking shots at each other.
This summer, Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams released a book in which he took some blatant shots at Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson, his former teammate in OKC. (Of course, the story didn’t really blow up until parts of the book were posted on social media. People don’t read actual books anymore.)
Now the dates are set for when Adams and Jackson cross paths: Dec. 3 in Detroit, and April 5 in Oklahoma City. The first meeting will air on NBA TV.
Jackson is an intense player who carries chips on his shoulder, and Thunder superstar point guard Russell Westbrook is always down to get chippy with an opponent who wants to do the same.
If Jackson makes this personal — and it seems like he would — then those Detroit-OKC games could steal the spotlight on those nights and get people talking about one of the Pistons’ top players.