Since returning from his trip to Chicago two weeks ago, Rondre Jackson has been peppered with shouts of “Here comes the champ!” and “Can he go back-to-back?” by players and coaches around the Lakers’ practice facility.
Jackson, the Lakers’ Director of Player Development, indeed brought back some hardware from the Windy City, as he received the third annual Dana Davis NBA Player Development Award at the NBA Coaches Association meetings.
Jackson — who originally started with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks in 2000 — has been a constant presence around the Lakers since joining the team nine years ago.
Player development remains a growing field, and it was practically nonexistent at the time of his hiring, so Jackson decided to make his role a bit of everything.
He educates players on finance, serving the community, dealing with the media and generally introduces them to life in the NBA. The only area he is careful not to tread into is basketball itself.
“You try to just be a go-to resource,” Jackson said. “The players have so many coaches on the court. This role kind of serves as a coach off the court.”
Most visibly to outsiders, Jackson also puts together trips to landmarks for when the team is on the road. Last year’s itinerary included visits to the National September 11 Memorial, National Civil Rights Museum and NASA Space Station in Houston.
Jackson is sure to choose locations that offer players, coaches and staff the opportunity to learn and bond, saying “the reward that I hear back from the players themselves when they say they’ve never experienced something like that before or that it was very educational.”
Being on the road has been a huge boost for Jackson’s operation. He has traveled with the team for the past three years and says that the in-between moments are often the ones where he is able to connect with players.
“When we go to somewhere like Fenway Park or the Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium, it’s not just about seeing the stadium or seeing the place where other professional athletes play,” Jackson said. “It’s more about the journey, time and interaction that I have with the guys one-on-one.”
Road trips are the perfect setting for Jackson, who understands that there are more responsibilities and distractions back home.
“Being on the road is an important piece of the puzzle,” Jackson said. “The guys see you around all the time. They feel a lot more comfortable in coming up to you. They have more time to do things on the road than they do when they are at home with their families or friends. So being on the road has actually allowed me to get to know the guys a lot better.
“We eat together. We ride the busses and planes together. We’re at the arenas early together. To be there when they win, be there when they lose and always just be there for them is very helpful.”
For Jackson, winning the NBA Player Development Award is a testament to the organization’s dedication to his field.
He says that with so many key young guys on the roster, player development takes an added focus for the Lakers. The presence of six international players also makes his job that more important, as he is tasked with helping them with daily life in a foreign country.
In his eyes, the Lakers’ willingness to send him on every road trip is the biggest signal that player development is something that the organization really values.
“The Lakers committed to player development by saying: ‘If you’re not with the team all the time, you can only reach the players 50 percent of the time,’” Jackson said. “Now I can reach them on the road. I can reach them at home. This award just means that all the work being put into player development is coming to fruition.”
Jackson’s role has given him a wide-ranging platter of responsibilities.
From the lighter moments, like taking rookies to get their first driver license, to more serious tasks, such as informing a player of a family member’s death, Jackson has been there for the team in a variety of ways.
So, naturally, when players join the team he is typically the one to welcome them to Los Angeles.
“I’m usually the first person that they see at the airport,” Jackson said. “I pick them up from the airport when they are assigned to the team, just to give them a sense of introduction that: The team is here for you. Somebody’s going to be in your corner at all times.”