This summer the Brooklyn Nets traded DeAndre Jordan to the Detroit Pistons for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. Upon the trade being made official, Jordan and the Pistons were able to reach a buyout agreement which allowed him to test the free-agent market and join a contender if he wanted to. Eventually, Jordan struck a 1-year $2.6 million deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
While the franchise may be unfamiliar to him, the city definitely is not as Jordan spent the first leg of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Jordan along with Suns guard Chris Paul and Nets forward Blake Griffin wreaked havoc in the west and were nicknamed ‘Lob City’ because of the unreal dunks they could pull off. As talented as they were, the Clippers were unable to deliver the franchise their first championship.
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DeAndre Jordan Says Lob City Clippers Had ‘Bad Luck’
During his introductory press conference for the Lakers, Jordan detailed why ‘Lob City’ was a failed experiment and why he hopes his stint with the Lakers will be different.
“Obviously, as you get older you start to see different things, and honestly with the Clippers teams that we had, we had some bad luck,” Jordan said per ESPN.
“On the team that I was on last year, we had a little bad luck with injuries and some small things like that. But you definitely don’t want to take it for granted. … I’m excited to be able to be here and jell with these guys and build chemistry and it’s going to be a process, but I think we’re all ready and excited for it.”
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Blake Griffin Details His Decision To Remain With Nets
While Jordan bid his farewell to the Nets during this NBA offseason, his former ‘Lob City’ teammate, Griffin is staying put in Kings County. Griffin joined the Nets midseason last year as a free agent after reaching a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons. After having such a disappointing exit in the 2021 playoffs coming back was an easy decision for the six-time All-Star. For him, the Nets still have unfinished business to handle.
“This was a situation that I was comfortable with. A lot of those other offers didn’t necessarily — just going to make more money, going to a new spot, or maybe a bigger role — wasn’t really a thing,” Griffin said of his decision to stay with Brooklyn per NetsDaily.
“I know this situation. I know what I can do with this team, I know my role with this team, and there’s, you know, still kind of left the season with sort of a bad taste in our mouth.”
“Loved my time in Brooklyn from top to bottom”
Blake Griffin talks about the decision to re-sign with the Nets, and having “unfinished business” to accomplish
Griffin Says KD Played Major Role in His Free Agency Decision
The Nets made a lot of noise in free agency this offseason with the signings of players such as Patty Mills and Paul Millsap. However, the biggest move they made was signing Kevin Durant to a 4-year $198 million contract extension.
Griffin says that knowing Durant was locked in with the Nets long-term played a key role in his resigning with the Nets.
“I mean, obviously, it’s comforting to know that the guy of that caliber is locked in,” Griffin continued. “KD’s kind of like that piece that brought everything together.”
Chris Paul was the first ‘Lob City’ star to make it to the NBA Finals, but he and the Phoenix Suns came up short in 2021. With the Nets and Lakers scheduled to meet in the 2022 NBA Finals Jordan or Griffin could end up being the first member of the former star-studded trio to capture championship gold.
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‘Bad Luck’: Ex-Clipper Details ‘Lob City’ With Chris Paul & Blake Griffin