DeAndre Jordan

BIOGRAPHY

the season, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 125-123 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.[64] Later that season, amidst a period of fluctuating playing time and reduced impact on the court, Jordan did not play in the Nets’ four playoff series.[65]

Jordan started his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he was selected in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft as the 35th overall pick. After spending a decade with the Clippers, Jordan briefly played for the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and the Brooklyn Nets. In September 2021, he reached a contract buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons only to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in the same month. However, his time with the Lakers was short-lived as he was waived by the team in March 2022. He then joined the Philadelphia 76ers but didn’t stay there for long either, subsequently signing with the Denver Nuggets in July 2022. It was with the Nuggets that he finally won his first championship in 2023.

On the court, Jordan commands respect with his impressive stats. He made it to the All-NBA team three times and the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. In 2017, he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time. As of July 2023, Jordan holds the NBA record for the highest career field goal percentage at 67.5%, and he holds the Clippers’ franchise record for most games played, rebounds, and blocks.

Before his professional career, Jordan was a star high school basketball player in Texas. He started at Episcopal High School and then transferred to Christian Life Center Academy for his senior year. At both schools, he consistently averaged double digits in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. His outstanding high school career earned him third-team Parade All-American and first-team All-Greater Houston honors.

Jordan was highly sought as a recruit coming out of high school. Ranked as the number-eight overall prospect and the number-one prep player in Texas, he had his pick of universities. Ultimately, he chose to honor his commitment to Texas A&M University even after the head basketball coach Billy Gillispie left for another position. In his only season playing college basketball, Jordan demonstrated his prowess with an average of 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and a spot on the Big 12 All-Rookie Team.

Off the court, Jordan has also represented Team USA at the international level. In the summer of 2007, he played for Team USA at the Under-19 World Championships held in Serbia, where the team secured second place with an 8-1 record.

Throughout his career, Jordan’s extraordinary athletic ability and defensive potential have been widely recognized, but critics have also pointed out areas for improvement, like fundamentals and footwork. Nevertheless, his impressive career stats, coupled with his tenacity and determination, underscore his significant contribution to the sport of basketball.