Whenever an NBA talent emerges, descriptors claiming someone is “unique” or “different” get carelessly tossed around. And I’ll be damned if my vocabulary fails me, but truly, Jason Preston of the San Diego Clippers is unique and different AF—and not in the ways you might initially assume.

For starters, the dude was averaging only 2 points at William R. Boone High School in Orlando and nearly abandoned hoops when he applied to the University of Central Florida as an academic student interested in journalism. With no basketball offers at the time, he enrolled in summer classes at UCF and was all but ready to give up on athletics. He even dipped his toes in sports journalism and began writing for websites like FanSided and Bleacher Report about his favorite team, the Detroit Pistons.

That all changed when he had a growth spurt of four inches, balled out in AAU as a last-minute invitee and transferred to Believe Prep Academy in Tennessee as a fifth-year high school senior, where he starred as a floor general. After posting his highlights on Twitter (now X), Preston received an offer from Ohio University, where the budding 6-3 PG would eventually lead the team in scoring and assists on his way to earning First Team All-MAC honors and declaring for the NBA draft after his junior season.

“That was a long journey,” Preston admits. “But I learned how to be adaptable and make the most of my situation.”

In 2021, the same kid who barely saw the court in high school was suddenly the 33rd overall pick in the NBA draft. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night but unfortunately missed his entire rookie season with a devastating right foot injury. He then bounced around with the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz. While healthy, he cooked in the G League as a 1-guard, averaging a near triple-double with the Salt Lake City Stars. Unfortunately, Preston injured his calf in the 2024-25 G League season opener.

He now finds himself back with the Clippers G League affiliate and has completely reinvented his game; this time, as a YouTube personality who offers masterclasses from an NBA player’s perspective.

“YouTube is where I can explain and break things down,” he says. With over 107,000 followers on Instagram alone, he certainly has reached an audience that is interested in what he has to offer. “Growing up, I was a kid who didn’t have the money to get trainers. I didn’t have access to that knowledge,” he says. “So now I really want to help anyone out there to have free access to that. I imagine a kid in my shoes when I was a teenager—it would be awesome to learn.”

There’s a recent video of Preston breaking down film from a game in which he was mic’d up. He walks viewers through it by breaking down each play like a passionate coach: the angle of a defender’s shoulder, where to anticipate throwing a pass, how to control the tempo depending on what’s happening in front of him. It’s particularly insightful for anyone who might wonder what goes on in the mind of an NBA point guard in real time.

He’s especially beloved for his dribbling videos. For one tutorial, he was filmed during a workout with a Jazz trainer and pointed out the dos and don’ts of how to improve. It’s specific and understandable for any age level: where to place the balls of your feet when moving backward, the importance of feigning explosive movements in any situation, how to shift your body when being guarded by aggressive defenders. It’s like having private access to NBA training and film sessions with Preston as your savvy, cheery mentor.

For Preston, he reveals it all with joy, enthusiasm and rugged experience. “Free game from an NBA player,” the videos often announce before viewers press play. He has generated millions of views online, with overseas pros and five-star prospects like Mikel Brown Jr directly seeking him out. Everyday kids are also tagging him across social media, posting their reactions and sharing their own progress in response to his content. Even D’Angelo Russell and Andre Drummond have contacted him for tips. Preston plans on inviting his viewers to directly submit their own clips so that he can give them 1:1 feedback over Instagram Live.

Preston credits his former Jazz trainer and former North Carolina State hooper Torin Dorn for inspiring him to improve on the court every day. He also mentions By Any Means Basketball, a basketball content creator, as someone who has influenced and aided him in making tutorials.

Unexpectedly, Preston’s desire—and ability—to make videos happened after his injury during his rookie season. His first video went up during Summer League.

“My first year with the Clippers, I was hurt the entire year, so I had a lot of time to make videos,” he says. “It came from my love for helping people. I had never made any videos before, but getting my perspective out there that not too many people have felt valuable.”

Part of what makes Preston appealing to his fans is that he himself hasn’t fully made it yet. This isn’t a blue chipper whose road to the NBA was paved in 24 karat gold. He’s a worker, a man of deep faith, constantly fighting for his place in the Association. And now he’s filming it all and breaking it down for those who dream of one day doing the same, and going beyond.

As Preston prepares for yet another season-long battle to be called up to the Clippers’ roster, he knows it’s bigger than the game itself. Having recently become a father, he credits his daughter Judi Sky (named in memory of his mother, Judith, who passed away from lung cancer when he was a teenager) and his wife Micaylah Preston for fueling his aspirations. He has also teamed up with the American Lung Association to raise awareness in tribute of his mother’s passing.

When asked how it balances it all, he replies humbly and with a youthful smile: “I’m just trying to be a light at the end of the day.”

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Portraits by Andrew Cruz.