Reggie Jackson had a tough decision to make when his father, Saul, had been hospitalized with a diabetic seizure near the end of last season. Jackson had been acquired by the Detroit Pistons at the trade deadline and was trying to impress his new team as a pending restricted free agent.

Jackson faced the decision of either flying to Colorado to be with his father or staying with the team. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Jackson to take the team plane to visit his father.

From Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press:

"'It was weird for me, personally, because I was playing for my contract, but the team obviously told me don't worry about that,' Jackson told the Free Press Monday after signing a five-year, $80-million contract extension. . . . 'It made me realize it was something special. It wasn't about winning games. It was about taking care of your loved ones.' Jackson said he was already sold on the Pistons' organization, but how he was treated while undergoing a personal crisis solidified his thought process: He was going to spend the next portion of his career with the Pistons. It's an example of how Van Gundy and owner Tom Gores are trying to create a player-friendly atmosphere. It's the right thing — and an added benefit is the hope word gets out and players view the Pistons as a viable destination."