After falling short in the first round of the 2021 postseason, the Los Angeles Lakers have loaded up with veterans to fill out the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The big man rotation was stocked with former All-Star talent in Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, who will join Marc Gasol in jostling for minutes at the five.
Jordan spent the 2020-21 season with the Brooklyn Nets, playing rotation minutes during the regular season before failing to see the court in the postseason. Introduced by the Lakers on a zoom call, Jordan expressed his excitement about returning to Los Angeles after a long period with the LA Clippers earlier in his career.
OFFICIAL: That's our DJ pic.twitter.com/7iUFwcxHd5
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 9, 2021
"First of all, I'm really excited. I want to thank everybody for this opportunity," Jordan told reporters.
"I'm coming in to defend the basketball, try to challenge shots and alter shots at the rim. Rebound the basketball, get my teammates open as best as possible and keep possessions alive for us and be a great force on both ends of the basketball floor."
Jordan also declared his intent to be a positive presence in the Lakers locker room, which may prove important on a team where minutes could be hard to come by for many veterans who are accustomed to seeing the court.
Set to battle for minutes with Howard, Jordan recalled watching the big man during his early dominant days with the Orlando Magic.
Welcome to the Show, @DeAndre pic.twitter.com/ftrKGo5rq2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 9, 2021
"Obviously as a big, when I was in high school, a guy that I watched all the time was Dwight Howard and obviously we never had a chance to be teammates before.
Along with Howard, the Lakers are stacked with big names and players that Jordan has become familiar with across the course of his 13 seasons in the NBA.
"Obviously guys like LeBron, Russ and AD, being opponents of these guys for so long and especially Russ and AD in the Western Conference, I was there for so long, seeing those guys three or four times a year.
"LeBron has been a winner in this league for a long time while being able to orchestrate offences and defences, being a team leader out there. Now being able to be a teammate with that high of a basketball IQ and that unselfish of a player, I'm excited to be teammates with all of those guys."
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.