Fansided

Here’s why the Clippers were fined $250k over DeAndre Jordan

By Josh Hill

May 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) looks up during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Clippers 113-100 to win the series 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) looks up during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Clippers 113-100 to win the series 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NBA has fined the Los Angeles Clippers $250k over the DeAndre Jordan hostage crisis, but not for the reason you’re probably thinking.

When the Los Angeles Clippers basically held DeAndre Jordan hostage until he signed a free agent deal with them last month, the NBA world went nuts over how bizarre this all was. Clippers fans were ecstatic over re-signing the only big man that they could and Mavericks fans were sulking about being burned in favor of the ex-girlfriend.

Many fans wondered how this was all legal — and it turns out it wasn’t entirely so.

The NBA fined the Clippers $250,000 over the DeAndre Jordan incident but not for the reason you’re thinking. Instead of this being about the way the situation was handled as far as backing out of the contract with Dallas is concerned, the NBA got the Clippers on a technicality involving third-party endorsements.

Here’s the official announcement from the NBA over why the Clippers were fined:

It makes sense, but also doesn’t.

On the surface, the fine makes it sound like the Clippers were fined for re-signing DeAndre Jodan, but they were instead fined for how they went about re-signing him. Mavericks fans will have you believe that this is about Jordan ditching his agreed upon contract, but this is all about the Clippers pitch to Jordan that apparently included third-party endorsements.

That’s a no-no in the NBA, as you can’t convince a player to sign with you by using the promise of third-party endorsement deals.

Sure, it was a technicality but this could be seen as some sort of revenge for Mavericks fans still upset over Jordan not signing with them this summer. The Clippers still get Jordan over the long haul, but they were in some form punished for the way things were handled — even if it was on the most technical level possible.

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