Clippers center DeAndre Jordan is bringing some jitters to All-Star Weekend.
Speaking with the media on Friday, Jordan said that he feels “more nervous” about competing in Saturday’s Dunk Contest than in Sunday’s All-Star Game.
“I just think the worst,” Jordan said, per Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “Getting hung out there, my shorts falling down, trying to do a dunk 20 times. I don’t want the crowd giving me a pity cheer.
“It looks a lot cooler when you see a short guy doing it,” he added. “Big guys don’t get a lot of love for that. They think, ‘Oh, you can dunk easily.’”
It will be Jordan’s first time participating in either competition, but he will only be a reserve for the Western Conference in Sunday’s game, which could partially explain his pre-Dunk Contest butterflies.
“If I expect the worst, then if something good happens, it’s exciting,” Jordan concluded. “I’m super excited. I had a lot of help and a lot of ideas from people. It will be fun.”
It’s quite the contrast from the mindset of this fellow 2017 participant. But considering that Jordan didn’t even expect to be a part of All-Star Weekend, anything he can provide us in New Orleans will just be icing on the cake.
