As someone who has worked in hockey for a long time, I can’t tell you what a treat it is to read quotes from NBA players. Ask an NHL player if he’s good, and he will deflect praise onto his teammates. Ask an NHL player if a player on another team is good, they will say nice things.
But if you ask an NBA player the same question, if he thinks he is better, he will tell you that. And it’s wonderful.
Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat was asked about DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers. Did Whiteside say Jordan is a great player that he respects? Did he go on and on about his work ethic and how he gives it his all at both ends of this floor?
No! He said to stop comparing him to Jordan because he’s way better than Jordan!
The quotes from the Miami Herald are superb.
“No,” Whiteside said Thursday when asked about Jordan and whether their games are similar. “He catches lobs. I shoot jumpers, catch lobs, block shots. I do a lot. He just catches lobs.”
“[Jordan’s] got CP3 as a point guard — a great North Carolina point guard, I’d like to add,” Whiteside said.
Translation: Jordan is made to look good because he has Chris Paul, a nine-time NBA All-Star, throwing him easy passes at the rim.
That’s the good stuff right there. Not only am I better than you, but you only look good because of your point guard. Honesty is always the best policy.
That being said, Whiteside thinks the quotes were taking out of context, at least somewhat:
https://twitter.com/youngwhiteside/status/809813246802857985
So which is it? Does Jordan only catch lobs, or is he a top center? I guess maybe he can be both.
The good news is this is pre-game trash talk. Whiteside and Jordan will square off Friday night in Miami. Hopefully one humiliates the other. It doesn’t matter who does it. It will be great.
