Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan finally was named a Western Conference All-Star on Jan. 26. The only problem with that was he planned on spending his All-Star break in Hawaii.
In an interview with ESPN’s The Undefeated, Jordan discussed his first All-Star selection and his canceled vacation. Jordan left practice Jan. 26 expecting to be snubbed from the All-Star team again and booked his flight to the islands for that weekend, and that’s when he received word that he would need to make the trip another time.
“They said, ‘We just got a text from the NBA,’ ” Jordan told The Undefeated. “They were like, ‘Yo, they think you’re going to make it.’ (I asked) They think I’m going to make it or I made it? What do you mean, ‘they think,’ because I’m about to buy this trip.’
They said, ‘Well, officially you made it.’ And I was like, ‘Oh s—.’ I was super excited.”
Jordan currently leads the league in both rebounds per game and field goal percentage. The defensive-minded center will be the Clippers’ lone All-Star as stalwarts Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were not selected.
The veteran center was most excited about sharing the news of his selection with this mother.
“I called my mom and said, ‘I’m not going to Hawaii,’ ” Jordan said. “And she was like, ‘Why not? What’s going on?’ So I said, ‘I made the All-Star team.’ She said, ‘Oh, my God. For real? Don’t play with me, boy.’ I said, ‘For real.’ She said, ‘DeAndre, stop playing.’ I said, ‘This is what I was told,’ She said, ‘What they say? They better not be bulls—ing, you.’ I said, ‘Mom, I’m telling you what they told me.’ So she was super excited.”
The selection is a long time coming for Jordan, who has developed into one of the best post defenders in the league. In his ninth season out of Texas A&M, Jordan finally will get to rock the rim at the NBA’s marquee offensive showcase.
Hawaii can wait.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
