Why Knicks’ Brandon Jennings has no hard feelings toward former team
Brandon Jennings at New York Knicks Media Day at the Ritz Carlton on September 26, 2016 in White Plains, New York. Credit: Getty Images / Michael Reaves
AUBURN HILLS, MI. — Brandon Jennings said he’s not out to show the Pistons they made a mistake for giving up on him when he faces his former team on Tuesday night.
Jennings spent parts of three seasons with Detroit. But a big reason the Pistons moved on from him was he ruptured his Achilles in January 2015. A few weeks later, the Pistons acquired Reggie Jackson from the Thunder.
“I knew it was over once they got Reggie Jackson,” Jennings said after the Knicks’ morning shootaround. “Just the fact my Achilles injury, nobody knew what to expect from me, how long would it take me to come back. Achilles injuries are career-ending injuries. I already knew what time it was.”
The Pistons traded Jennings to Orlando last February for former Half Hollow Hills star Tobias Harris.
“I had my run,” Jennings said. “It was time for me just to move on. The Detroit Pistons was moving in a different direction.”
Jennings became a free agent after last season and signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Knicks. He feels fully healthy, but he’s still working out some of the rust from missing about a year of playing.
In his first two games, Jennings is averaging 6.5 points, while shooting 27.3 percent from the field, and four assists. He said getting a win is more important than looking for any kind of revenge against Detroit.
“We’re 1-1,” Jennings said. “We got some tough games coming up. We need every win we can get right now. That was the main thing.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.