Dallas Mavericks: Better late than never with DeAndre Jordan

The Dallas Mavericks media day was full of fun and excitement for the players, the media members and the fans that were present. One player that really stuck out was DeAndre Jordan.

When I was headed to the Dallas Mavericks media day, I was really excited to hear what Luka Doncic had to say about his time in Dallas so far and what his goals are going forward. I was excited to listen to Dirk Nowitzki talk about what it means for him to be a Maverick and how great his career has been. I was excited to hear Carlisle talk about the team.

What I did not know I was excited about until after I left, though, was how exciting it is going to be to have DeAndre Jordan as a Maverick. I know there are still a lot of skeptics out there, but it is time to understand that Jordan not only brings size and athleticism to the team, he also brings joy, excitement and a love for the game that is contagious.

No matter what happens with DeAndre Jordan, it is important to note that Dirk is and always will be the funniest player on the team. That said, DJ gave the media some pretty good laughs on media day.

When Jordan walked into the room for his press conference, he opened with “Black Dirk is here” followed by a sea of laughter. That was only one of the many funny and impressive things Jordan said.

Perhaps the most important thing DeAndre talked about during his press conference was the conversation he had with Carlisle ahead of him signing with the Mavs. Jordan fully understands that what he did  to the Mavs a few years ago caused a lot of frustration with the team.

Because of that, he is ready to make amends, not by his words, but by his actions on the court. When asked about whether or not he would have done things differently back when the whole fiasco happened, he made it clear that the results would have stayed the same but the process could have changed.

”I obviously grew as a person mentally. I don’t think I would’ve changed what happened but I think I would’ve changed the way that it was handled.”

The growth and maturity of Jordan is evident. The joy and excitement he gets from the game is evident. And the coachability that he possesses is evident as well.

I am excited for the upcoming season to see DeAndre Jordan redeem himself in front of all the Mavs fans. It won’t be a matter of if, but when. We should all be ready for a great year from DJ.