Clippers coach Rivers talks DeAndre Jordan: 'Our goal was to get DJ ... and we got him'
Doc Rivers had a goal in mind on Wednesday ... to get DeAndre Jordan to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mission accomplished.
During a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Rivers — the head coach and general manager of the Clippers — discussed what went down in Houston when he, along with Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Blake Griffin, JJ Redick and owner Steve Ballmer, met with Jordan at his home with hopes of keeping Jordan's talents in Los Angeles.
"Overall, looking at different situations and being recruited (by other teams), sometimes, you can get enchanted by it all," Rivers said. "When that happens, you have the right to look at it again and change your mind ... and that's what he did.
"I just wish people could be in that situation once and feel that pressure."
Jordan had a verbal agreement in place to join the Dallas Mavericks before having a change of heart and re-signing with the Clippers, which the franchise made official on Thursday.
Official: Clippers re-sign DeAndre Jordan and add Wesley Johnson. Details → http://t.co/PSOY5a5izo pic.twitter.com/LOSD6MwxMo
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 9, 2015
Rivers was beyond pleased with the tone of the meeting, and the support from the Clippers players, including newcomer Pierce.
"It was a great team building moment ... it was fantastic," Rivers added. "Coaches look for moments and team building moments all season. It was a wonderful moment for a bunch of guys to get into a room and talk about our team."
Wednesday was one for the social media record books -- filled with emoji battles, Mavs owner Mark Cuban reportedly searching for Jordan in Houston and Blake Griffin showing us all how funny he can truly be.
Rivers, however, was "oblivious" to the emojis, but suspected something when "our guys were all looking at their phones ... I should have known something was up.
"It was funny how it (the whole ordeal) was portrayed (in the media) ... it wasn't anything like that. DJ did leave the house a couple of times, people came and went," Rivers added.
When questions turned to the reported beef between Paul and Jordan, which was supposedly a reason for Jordan's desire to leave Los Angeles, Rivers said it was discussed.
"The stuff I heard ... was so overblown, it was laughable," said Rivers, who watched the team's Summer League games and was "making calls, doing my job" while at Jordan's home. "Everyone was free in their conversations."
#ChrisPaul: Moral of the story ... don't believe everything you hear http://t.co/hWWeyMhNK5 #Clippers #DeAndreJordan pic.twitter.com/SDWy6NGyjD
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) July 9, 2015
The 6-foot-11 Jordan averaged 11.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game for the Clippers, who were eliminated in the second-round of the NBA Playoffs by the Houston Rockets. He was also third in the voting for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
"He's a big piece to what we want to do," Rivers said.
And, with Jordan locked up for at least the next four years and a new shiny logo in tow, the Clippers can now, for real, focus on their future.
