Twitter has long been the favored social media platform for breaking news, and yesterday’s DeAndre Jordan moratorium debacle could not be explained with any other platform.
For those that missed it, the week-long NBA moratorium period ended last night at midnight, meaning that NBA teams could finally sign free agents, instead of merely negotiating with them. Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that Jordan had verbally agreed to an $80 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, and the news broke on Twitter.
ESPN sources say DeAndre Jordan is on verge of accepting Mavs' four-year, $80M+ max offer. Dallas firmly in lead and decision likely today
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 3, 2015
Then the free-agent center apparently had some second thoughts about signing with the Mavericks, and reached out to Clippers coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers.
What followed was a slew of Twitter and emoji drama. It all started with a tweet from Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons, who indicated he would be flying to Jordan’s house for some last minute negotiations.
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— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 8, 2015
Clippers players and coaches responded in kind, with emoji’s that jokingly indicated they were taking transportation methods that ranged from a banana boat to swimming to Jordan’s house. Even Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who had just come back from vacation, rushed to Jordan’s house.
The Pursuit of DeAndre Jordan As Told Through Emojis pic.twitter.com/0rp8A1FH5H
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 8, 2015
Eventually, Jordan was surrounded by a contingent of Clippers players and coaches that even included Paul Pierce, who was signed earlier in the free agency. Stein’s twitter feed indicated the hilarious and dramatic events as the Clippers attempted to surround Jordan and not let the Mavericks have a word with him. Apparently, Jordan refused to take calls from Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban, and the Clippers stayed by Jordan’s side until he signed a contract.
Blake Griffin made some light of the situation, by tweeting out a couple of humorous tweets, showing a barred door and his sleeping arrangements for the night.
Don't agree with the furniture layout but I'm not an interior designer. pic.twitter.com/23PNgQB88z
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) July 9, 2015
Alright everybody goodnight! pic.twitter.com/cME0rFR5LC
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) July 9, 2015
Paul Pierce then tweeted out a picture of Jordan finally signing his contract with the Clippers, and the social media drama ended with Cuban throwing a little bit of shade in Jordan’s direction.
That's why they brought me here lol pic.twitter.com/Z64Tkiyp01
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) July 9, 2015
Let it be known that all of this hilarity and messiness is indicative of the times that we are living in. Just one single emoji can set off a hilarious firestorm that continuously updates fans on some of the best NBA free-agent drama in a long time. No news agency was able to keep up with the unfolding action faster than social media.
I guess a picture does say a thousand words. Scratch that—an emoji.