Poll: Were Clippers wrong to pursue DeAndre Jordan after he committed to Dallas?
The Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan reacts to a call against the Houston Rockets during the Western Conference semifinals in May.
The Clippers violated an unwritten rule Wednesday, when the coach, team owner and star players traveled to DeAndre Jordan's hometown of Houston to persuade the free agent center to back out of his commitment with the Dallas Mavericks and return to Los Angeles.
But, hey, it worked.
Jordan signed with the Clippers on Wednesday, reneging on the verbal commitment he had made to the Mavericks on Friday.
It puts the Mavericks in a terrible position, it's frowned upon, but technically there are no formal NBA rules prohibiting a player from backing out of a verbal commitment. In fact, it has happened to the Mavericks before — when point guard Jason Kidd backed out of a commitment to re-sign with the Mavericks in 2013 to play for the New York Knicks.
In the end, the Clippers got to keep their star center, who led the NBA in rebounding (15 per game) and field-goal percentage (71%) last season, and also averaged a career-high 11.5 points a game.
Were the Clippers' tactics dirty? Or were they within their rights? Vote in the poll and feel free to leave a comment explaining your position.
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
