According to former Clippers coach Doc Rivers, former All-Star big man Deandre Jordan deserves to be the first player ever to have his jersey retired by the organization. In a chat on the 'Sloane Knows;' podcast, Doc argued that Jordan's efforts as a defender combined with his long tenure with the franchise make him more than worthy of the honor.
"He was the original one. He's all defense, Olympic gold medalist, NBA champion," said Rivers. "He stayed there the longest, was traded, never just left."
To date, the Clippers are just one of two teams in the entire NBA without a retired jersey. For most of their history, it had been nothing but losing and losing for the Clippers but that began to change when Chris Paul arrived in 2011. Blake Griffin soon came along, and then Doc Rivers, and then an impressive run of competitive basketball.
Deandre Jordan had been on the team since 2008, and his defense was recognized right away for being elite. Of course, when Paul became his teammate, Deandre's game was unlocked offensively and he was able to take on a bigger role for the team.
Over 10 seasons with the Clippers, Jordan averaged 9.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He made the All-Star team in 2017 and was selected to the All-NBA roster twice in his career.
Even with his relatively modest numbers, Jordan was able to build a lasting legacy with the Clippers and, for a while, he was their last remaining remnant of the infamous "lob city" era. Now, Kawhi Leonard is in charge and Deandre Jordan is more likely to become a footnote in Clippers history than their first retired player number ever.
What Happened To The Lob City Clippers?
Deandre Jordan was on track to win a title in Los Angeles before things took a turn for the worst. Leading up to the 2017 playoffs, the Clippers were facing enormous pressure to perform in the wake of their failures from years past. So when they lost in the first round that season to a young Jazz team, everyone knew the end was near.
Paul was the first one to go that summer, and it would mark the start of his journey with James Harden in Houston. Blake Griffin would end up in Detroit the following season, leaving only Doc Rivers and Deandre Jordan as the last core members of the team.
Nobody can pinpoint exactly where things went wrong but former Clippers role-player Dahntay Jones said internal conflict among the players was to blame. "Immaturity... from the door, it's just was, you can see the conflict and personalities.
After a while, even Deandre Jordan left the Clippers behind and it's probably for the best. Today, the Clippers are doing pretty well under the leadership of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while Jordan is aiming to win his second straight title with the Nuggets.
It's unknown if Deandre will ever return but he had a part to play in the "lob city" era and he's the only one of the core members who didn't turn his back on the organization.
More must-reads: