Center DeAndre Jordan turned his back to the Dallas Mavericks, after signing up for another four years with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, July 10. Jordan issued a public apology to Mark Cuban, the Mavs, and their fans and faced a lot of backlash on Twitter. The 6’11” professional basketball player was defended by his mom.
“I want to publicly apologize to one of the best owners in the world @mcuban, the @dallasmavs and their fans. I am humbled by @dallasmavs & @mcuban kindness and understanding. I am sorry to have a change of heart,” tweeted 26-year-old Jordan on Friday night.
Last week, Jordan made a verbal agreement with the Mavs on a four-year deal that would let him stay closer to his hometown in Texas. He changed his mind after coach Doc Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer knocked on his doorstep in Houston on Wednesday. They were joined by teammates Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Paul Pierce.
The five men did not budge from Jordan’s home until he re-signed with the Clippers. The contract is estimated to be worth $88 million for another four-years with the L.A.-based team. Cuban told ESPN on Friday that Jordan stopped responding to his calls on Wednesday, but all communication “basically stopped” on Tuesday night.
“Let’s get back to talking about basketball and winning games in 2015. Thank You! #ClipperNation @clippersteveb,” tweeted Jordan on Friday. He also posted a photo of him donning his new Clippers’ uniform.
As a result, Jordan received a lot of hateful messages on Twitter. His mom Kimberly fended off the haters by personal reaching out to them and responding to their messages about her son. He left for a 10-day cruise on Thursday, July 9.
