DeAndre Jordan
Encyclopedia
Hyland DeAndre Jordan, Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American
professional basketball
player at center
for the Los Angeles Clippers
of the NBA
. He played a year of college basketball
at Texas A&M University
. He was drafted by the Clippers with the 35th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
.
to Kimberly Jordan and Hyland Jordan.
In high school, Jordan averaged 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks as a sophomore; 16.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocks as a junior and 26.1 points, 15.2 rebounds and 8.1 blocks per game as a senior. He was a Parade
All-American, named to the first-team All-Greater Houston squad by the Houston Chronicle
and was a two-time all-state selection. At Christian Life Center, Jordan posted a career high of 37 points in a game and also set the school record for most blocks in a game with 20.
Coming out of high school, Jordan was rated as the number 8 overall prospect, the number 2 center in the country and the number 1-ranked prep player in Texas by Rivals.com
. Jordan was recruited by Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Kentucky and others.
In the summer of 2007, Jordan played for Team USA at the 2007 Under 19 World Championships in Serbia. Jordan played only 9 minutes per game. The team finished 2nd with an 8–1 record.
, Aggies head basketball coach Billy Gillispie
left the school to take the head coaching position at Kentucky. Jordan chose to honor his commitment to the university.
Jordan started 21 of 35 games in his freshman season at Texas A&M. He averaged 20 minutes and 1.3 blocks per game. In those games, he shot a team-high of 61.7 percent in field goals
, but a team-low of 43.7 percent in free throws. Most of his field goals, however, were within a few feet from the basket. He finished the season averaging 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. He made the Big 12 All-Rookie Team for his efforts. After the season, he declared for the 2008 NBA Draft
.
Prior to the draft, draftexpress.com, a third party NBA draft website, listed Jordan's strengths and weaknesses. A few strengths include "incredible physical specimen", "defensive potential", "incredible upside", and "freakish athlete". Some weaknesses include "not productive", "poor fundamentals", "mediocre footwork", and "high bust potential". The website also projected him to be picked at No. 16 by the Philadelphia 76ers
. Other mock drafts had him projected to be picked at No. 10 by the New Jersey Nets
or at No. 11 by the Indiana Pacers
due to his attractive ability to run the floor. ESPN
's Chad Ford
had him going to the Memphis Grizzlies
at pick No. 28 in the first round.
, he was selected at No. 35 by the Los Angeles Clippers
.
Due to injuries among the Clippers' low post players, Jordan was pushed into the starting lineup for the January 19 game against the Timberwolves
. In his first game as a starter, he recorded 6 blocks, 10 rebounds, and 8 points in 34 minutes of game play. In the January 21 game against the Lakers
, he played for 43 minutes and recorded a career-high of 23 points. This included a rare feat of 10 dunks, which had only been accomplished by two players (Dwight Howard
and Shaquille O'Neal
) over the past 10 NBA seasons.
Despite his performance, both games resulted in losses. On January 25th, 2009, Jordan had 20 rebounds in just his 4th career start, joining Shaquille O'Neal
, Tim Duncan
and Aaron Gray
as only the fourth rookie to do so.
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 53 || 13 || 14.5 || .633 || .000 || .385 || 4.5 || .2 || .2 || 1.1 || 4.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 70 || 12 || 16.2 || .605 || .000 || .375 || 5.0 || .3 || .2 || .9 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 80 || 66 || 25.6 || .686 || .000 || .452 || 7.2 || .5 || .5 || 1.8 || 7.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 203 || 91 || 19.5 || .649 || .000 || .414 || 5.7 || .4 || .3 || 1.3 || 5.6
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player at center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He played a year of college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. He was drafted by the Clippers with the 35th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
.
Early years
Jordan was born in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to Kimberly Jordan and Hyland Jordan.
In high school, Jordan averaged 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks as a sophomore; 16.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.0 blocks as a junior and 26.1 points, 15.2 rebounds and 8.1 blocks per game as a senior. He was a Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American, named to the first-team All-Greater Houston squad by the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
and was a two-time all-state selection. At Christian Life Center, Jordan posted a career high of 37 points in a game and also set the school record for most blocks in a game with 20.
Coming out of high school, Jordan was rated as the number 8 overall prospect, the number 2 center in the country and the number 1-ranked prep player in Texas by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. Jordan was recruited by Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Kentucky and others.
In the summer of 2007, Jordan played for Team USA at the 2007 Under 19 World Championships in Serbia. Jordan played only 9 minutes per game. The team finished 2nd with an 8–1 record.
College career
Before Jordan arrived in College StationCollege Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, Aggies head basketball coach Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
left the school to take the head coaching position at Kentucky. Jordan chose to honor his commitment to the university.
Jordan started 21 of 35 games in his freshman season at Texas A&M. He averaged 20 minutes and 1.3 blocks per game. In those games, he shot a team-high of 61.7 percent in field goals
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
, but a team-low of 43.7 percent in free throws. Most of his field goals, however, were within a few feet from the basket. He finished the season averaging 7.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. He made the Big 12 All-Rookie Team for his efforts. After the season, he declared for the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
.
Prior to the draft, draftexpress.com, a third party NBA draft website, listed Jordan's strengths and weaknesses. A few strengths include "incredible physical specimen", "defensive potential", "incredible upside", and "freakish athlete". Some weaknesses include "not productive", "poor fundamentals", "mediocre footwork", and "high bust potential". The website also projected him to be picked at No. 16 by the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. Other mock drafts had him projected to be picked at No. 10 by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
or at No. 11 by the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
due to his attractive ability to run the floor. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chad Ford
Chad Ford
Chad Ford is an Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University – Hawaii and is Director over the McKay Center and is known for his study of conflict resolution with an emphasis on large group ethnic and religious conflict and for his sports journalism with ESPN.-Early life:Ford was born in Kansas...
had him going to the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
at pick No. 28 in the first round.
NBA career
In the 2008 NBA Draft2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, he was selected at No. 35 by the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
.
Due to injuries among the Clippers' low post players, Jordan was pushed into the starting lineup for the January 19 game against the Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. In his first game as a starter, he recorded 6 blocks, 10 rebounds, and 8 points in 34 minutes of game play. In the January 21 game against the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, he played for 43 minutes and recorded a career-high of 23 points. This included a rare feat of 10 dunks, which had only been accomplished by two players (Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
and Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
) over the past 10 NBA seasons.
Despite his performance, both games resulted in losses. On January 25th, 2009, Jordan had 20 rebounds in just his 4th career start, joining Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
and Aaron Gray
Aaron Gray
Aaron Michael Gray is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA.-High school career:...
as only the fourth rookie to do so.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 53 || 13 || 14.5 || .633 || .000 || .385 || 4.5 || .2 || .2 || 1.1 || 4.3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 70 || 12 || 16.2 || .605 || .000 || .375 || 5.0 || .3 || .2 || .9 || 4.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | L.A. Clippers
| 80 || 66 || 25.6 || .686 || .000 || .452 || 7.2 || .5 || .5 || 1.8 || 7.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 203 || 91 || 19.5 || .649 || .000 || .414 || 5.7 || .4 || .3 || 1.3 || 5.6
External links
- College career statistics at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
- Official Texas A&M bio