Watch: DeAndre Jordan says he wanted to be 'the black Dirk'
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
"I wanted to be the Black Dirk."@DeAndre pays tribute to his childhood idol, @swish41. pic.twitter.com/cm73kVZMVt
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) March 10, 2017
Los Angeles Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan described his admiration for Dirk Nowitzki in a video posted on The Players' Tribune on Thursday. Jordan said he wore No. 41 in high school because he was trying to emulate the 7-foot German.
"I'm gonna be the black Dirk," he joked.
Jordan came of age in Houston while Nowitzki was becoming a superstar with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2000s. It's common for one big man to look to another for inspiration, but it's easy to wonder why this didn't help convince Jordan to join the Mavs after all on that crazy summer free-agency day in 2015.