DeAndre Jordan is scheduled to address the media today for the first time since he spurned the Mavs for the Clippers, but he got a jump start on explaining his story via The Players’ Tribune. Half of the piece is written and the other half is presented in a video, one in which Jordan’s struggle with his decision is apparent as he reflects on the events of two weeks ago. The entire piece is well worth your time, but we’ll pass along some of the most noteworthy quotes from the big man here:
On Chris Paul, with whom he reportedly had a rift:
“I love Chris, man. Chris is a big brother to me. When you play sports, you’re competitive — especially when you play them at as high a level as we have these last few years. And of course, yeah, we all bump heads during the course of the game. But we know that whatever criticisms or arguments we have on the floor, they’re about one thing: winning.”
On the doubt that crept into his mind following his commitment to Dallas:
“I woke up Monday morning [July 6th] feeling like there was something missing, like something that I didn’t do, something that was not covered. And that’s why, and that’s when I started to begin to have second thoughts. I feel like we’ve all had decisions in our lives where we’ve had second thoughts about things and have gone back and had to revisit a situation, and I definitely feel like that this was one of those times for me.”
On the Mavs:
“Originally, I said yes to the Mavericks because I thought I needed change. I thought I wanted change at that point in time. And they had a great presentation. They have a great owner, great coach, a championship team, but, at the same time, I felt like I didn’t give it all of my thought. At the end of the day, we’re basketball players and these great athletes, but we’re also human, and we make mistakes. We have emotions and feelings, just like everybody else.”
On the Clippers:
“I decided to stay with the Clippers because I’ve been with this team for seven years, and being on one team for my entire career was definitely important to me. I’ve been here since I was 19, so this is what I know. I love the city, I love the fans, I love my teammates and I love this organization.”
On the difficulty of breaking his deal with the Mavs:
“A lot of the guys who I was talking to during the process, they were friends of mine. That’s what made it so tough. Talking to these guys and really wanting to maybe partner up with these guys and play, and then not wanting to, it’s definitely a tough situation it puts you in. It puts you in [it] because you want to make the right decision, but you also don’t want to step on toes.”
Jordan’s breach of NBA etiquette will impact how fans view him for years to come.
Yep. People haven’t seen Dwight Howard the same way ever since his indecision, though his injury and diminished play probably have a lot to do with that, too.
Even though he made a mistake, I have a feeling that DeAndre and Dwight aren’t going to be viewed in the same light by NBA fans. All of DeAndre’s teammates and coaches love him. No doubt, how thing shook out with the Mavs was not good and I don’t blame the organization and fans for taking it personally — it was a personal decision, not business.
Dwight is a whole other beast. Each team he leaves, he leaves them in shambles. Yes, part of this is that he is largely talented and hard to replace — so there’s a basketball component. Unlike DeAndre, Dwight is a terrible teammate. I don’t care how highly any Rockets fans speak of him — the dude has a huge ego and is only looking out for himself. I know I sound like a bitter Lakers fan, but Magic fans will agree. He takes plays off and throws a fit when things don’t go his way.
Dwight Howard would be the best center in the league (barring injuries) if he was a good teammate and gave 100% during every play each game. DeAndre might not have that ceiling, but he will have more success in his career in terms of his team’s well-being. Guaranteed.
TL;DR – DeAndre and Dwight both made mistakes; but DeAndre is cool and Dwight is an ass.