{"id":661003,"date":"2026-03-16T10:11:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T10:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/661003\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T10:11:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T10:11:17","slug":"deandre-jordan-embraces-the-many-hats-he-wears-with-pelicans-psychologist-friend-and-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/661003\/","title":{"rendered":"DeAndre Jordan embraces the many hats he wears with Pelicans: Psychologist, friend and mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Derik Queen sat as reporters circled him. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie center had one of the first big performances of his NBA career \u2014 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals in 18 minutes in a November win \u2014 when a voice boomed from just beyond the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cStand up, Queen! Hell no! Hold on. You gotta stand up, Queen! You can\u2019t let them hover around you. You gotta stand up, dawg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran DeAndre Jordan, an All-NBA center and All-Star over 18 seasons, was turning this into a teachable moment for the 20-year-old he\u2019s now charged with backing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig dawg, you had 12-8-7 tonight! Don\u2019t sit down! You gotta stand on that s\u2014,\u201d Jordan yelled as he made his way across the Pelicans locker room. \u201cThere you go, right on!\u201d<\/p>\n

Not so long ago, Jordan would have been the NBA big man fielding questions after a win. A two-time league rebounding leader, a champion with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 and Jordan remains the NBA\u2019s all-time leader in career field goal percentage (67.4). Only Hall of Famers Shaquille O\u2019Neal (10) and Wilt Chamberlain (nine) have led the NBA in that category more often than Jordan (five).<\/p>\n

Still, life comes at you fast in the NBA. For the lucky few who get to choose, you can either adjust or retire. Now, at 37, Jordan finds himself an unofficial coach of the Pelicans\u2019 big men on and off the court.<\/p>\n

In late October, Jordan signed a one-year deal with New Orleans, his eighth NBA team, with the expectation that he would play a little (he has played in 10 games, starting six so far this season) but mostly help their young players develop. He\u2019s already proven good at the latter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a psychologist, he\u2019s a mentor, he\u2019s a friend, he\u2019s a cheerleader, he\u2019s a coach and he\u2019s wearing five to six different hats every night,\u201d Pelicans coach James Borrego said. \u201cThe beauty in DeAndre is, whatever is required in the moment, he\u2019s willing to step and give.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd sometimes that\u2019s an X or O or it\u2019s just love. And that\u2019s not easy to do. That\u2019s what makes him so special.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, making the pivot to mentor when you still have basketball left in you can be harder than it seems. Many players can\u2019t or won\u2019t make that adjustment. For him to get there, Jordan had to do the work internally.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen your career changes, your ego kind of dies a little bit with that in order to reinvent yourself as a person, as a player,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI feel like a lot of times our ego \u2014 which is great at certain times because it got us to where we are \u2014 can be a little on my shoulder telling me \u2018Nah, you need to do more. This is bulls\u2014.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now I\u2019m at a different place in my life where I\u2019m cool with my role. I\u2019m happy, but I still love to compete. I still love to play, but I know that this is the younger generation\u2019s time, and I want to be able to put back into that.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is what he was brought to New Orleans to do.<\/p>\n

In the NBA, being a good vet is about seeing beyond yourself and helping others raise their level. Jordan brings leadership, honesty and authenticity to the Pelicans, Borrego said.<\/p>\n

Understanding that older players like Baron Davis and Marcus Camby were there for him, Jordan wants to pay it forward,\u00a0but he\u2019s not yet passing the torch.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means I\u2019m near the end of my career,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m at peace with that. As a competitor, you want to always get better, and you want to have an impact and imprint on the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if my imprint on the game is being a locker room presence, being able to play every other couple games and have an impact coaching guys on the floor, I\u2019m still bringing something to the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jordan\u2019s presence helps establish culture, keeps spirits high and works as an extension of the coaching staff. He says he would consider coaching after his playing days are through, but it\u2019s something he would need to discuss with his wife and family. Right now, Jordan feels as if he\u2019s already in a player-coach role in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Throughout the early history of the NBA, the role of \u201cplayer-coach\u201d wasn\u2019t an honorary title, but an official one: Dave DeBusschere with Detroit, Bill Russell with the Celtics, Dave Cowens with the Celtics and Lenny Wilkens in Portland and Seattle served as head coach and player at the same time. In today\u2019s league, though, the role of a player as a coach or mentor has become an informal yet influential position.<\/p>\n

Thanks to his NBA journey, Jordan can command respect and communicate and connect with younger players in ways many on the coaching staff cannot. At his peak, Jordan was a valuable cog for arguably the LA Clippers\u2019 most successful stretch in team history \u2014 Lob City, anyone<\/a>? \u2014 during which they logged the league\u2019s fourth-best record from the 2011-12 to 2017-18 seasons. As a member of the 2023 Nuggets, Jordan was the backup to Nikola Joki\u0107, the reigning MVP, on the way to Denver\u2019s first NBA championship. He has a unique understanding of growing up in the NBA, the way the league works and how life can be off the court when you\u2019re one of the elite players. He carries the lessons learned from his own veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always respected the generations before me,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cSo being able to see somebody who I look up to and who\u2019s been a great vet his entire career was (Heat legend) Udonis Haslem.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to see him do that and win three championships was really cool,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cSo if somebody like that can do it, who\u2019s highly respected in the organization then so can I.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haslem, whose NBA career spanned 20 years largely because he provided a late-career on-court \u201ccoach\u201d presence, is often mentioned as one of the most impactful OGs of the league. With his understanding of veteran leadership, players looking to stick around tend to reach out to Haslem.<\/p>\n

Jordan was one of those guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou start to pay attention. You have to be self-aware,\u201d Haslem said. \u201cAnd the thing about DeAndre, and the thing it was about me, is not always that you can\u2019t play or you can\u2019t be impactful on the basketball court.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s the hardest part about it, for a guy like myself or DeAndre, that we can still play, we can go out there and still impact the game.<\/p>\n

For Haslem, investing in young guys and watching them reach their goals is a gift not only to them but to the veteran. Pouring into them keeps the elder player invested in the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou almost have to be willing to go through some tough times and just understand what the main goal is,\u201d Halsem said, \u201cto figure out a way to impact winning no matter what situation you\u2019re put in.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s the way I tried to look at it, whether I was a starter, whether I was coming off the bench as a sixth man, or whether I wasn\u2019t playing at all. I want to figure out a way to help this team win and be impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using a mix of honesty, constructive criticism and jokes \u2014 similar to the approach used by past veteran players \u2014 Jordan has found success in connecting with his teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these guys are coming in, they\u2019re so young now, but they\u2019re ultra-talented,\u201d Haslem said. \u201cThe talent right now is unmatched. So to be able to tap in with those guys and just be there for those guys and gain those guys\u2019 trust, I think that\u2019s the biggest thing you can do for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he\u2019s older, Jordan, 37, is just as playful as the younger Pelicans. When they\u2019re going through tough stretches, he plays pranks to remind them how fun playing basketball<\/a> is supposed to be. And Jordan takes the role seriously.<\/p>\n

During games he hasn\u2019t started, Jordan is quick off the bench at every timeout, moving to offer high-fives and mind melds in the little time afforded them. His years of basketball wisdom allow him to quickly see a mistake and help fix it in real time. When a player is upset, Jordan steps in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s an unselfish spirit, more than anything,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cHe\u2019s got an unselfish spirit that draws you in, that is giving, it\u2019s honest, it\u2019s direct, and it\u2019s loving. That\u2019s who he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Derik<\/p>\n

\n Playing or not, Jordan is often at the center of every Pelicans players huddle. Stephen Lew \/ Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The relationship between Jordan and Queen isn\u2019t just vet and rookie but big brother and little brother and has quickly become something special. There\u2019s an ease in the way they interact that would make you believe they\u2019ve always known each other. They laugh and joke, but there are serious moments. Queen takes Jordan\u2019s constructive feedback to heart and says Jordan gives him advice on his future and financial matters, like making smart investments and navigating his newfound celebrity.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to be a Hall of Famer,\u201d Queen said. \u201cSo him just dropping gems on me and teaching me a lot means a lot. It\u2019s good having him in my corner, because I want to get to where he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

The respect is mutual. Jordan sees a bright future for all of his young teammates, not just Queen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all truly talented,\u201d Jordan said, \u201c(Jeremiah) Fears is 19 years old. He\u2019s supposed to be in college. DQ (Queen) is a starting center in the NBA, in the Western Conference, with a ton of talent. Micah Peavy is 24 years old, a rookie playing a ton of minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re asking a lot of those guys, but their responsibility is to be ready, and we got to be able to hold them accountable. Because in their second year, they\u2019ll be even more prepared and ready to go. So they got a head start.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s pride in Jordan\u2019s voice at helping the young players gain their footing in the NBA. He views what he\u2019s doing in New Orleans as vital to what it means to be an NBA veteran.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you can\u2019t compile our mistakes and let one turn into three,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI\u2019m giving them the same advice and pointers that I got when I was a young player with emotions on my shoulder the entire game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re extremely receptive and at times, we\u2019re competitors, we\u2019re emotional. The game is a roller coaster of emotions, and a lot of times, you know, you may not want to hear that s\u2014, but at the end of the day, we want our team to be better. We want them to be better as individuals, so they know everything that we\u2019re saying to them is for their well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

It takes more than just talent and potential to have longevity in the NBA. Choosing to offer wisdom and leadership is a transition many greats struggle with, but Jordan saw an opportunity with New Orleans to leave a piece of his legacy with each of his rookies and truly live up to the idea that the league is a brotherhood. He\u2019s had a career others look up to, and by coaching up younger players, Jordan is contributing to the game beyond himself in ways both seen and unseen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019re all asking ourselves, or I try to ask myself, and I\u2019m assuming DeAndre is asking himself, what are we doing all this for? What\u2019s the bigger why in all of this?\u201d Borrego said. \u201cThe players and the coaches that I\u2019ve been around that have been able to impact beyond the core are the ones that are able to step back and go, what\u2019s my purpose in all this?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s to give back, to raise others up, to inspire, to grow the game, but to grow young people in basketball and outside basketball. To me, that\u2019s what is the most rewarding piece of this profession, that we get to impact lives. To do that, you got to drop your ego and see the good in others, raise their level, raise their spirits, and have a level of care that is required to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout his NBA career, Jordan has seen, heard and experienced a lot. He\u2019s felt the high of being a key member of a team with championship aspirations and the low of a team not achieving it. And he\u2019s experienced everything in between.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came in, I was 19. I had older guys who poured into me and gave me a lot of advice and guidance,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s only right for me to do the same thing for them and give them the knowledge that I was blessed with and given by my vets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s two generations\u2019 worth of stuff I\u2019ve learned. So then their job, in 15, 18 years, is to give that back to the next generation. And then they get better and better.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Derik Queen sat as reporters circled him. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie center had one of the first…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":661004,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,187,135,6,470],"class_list":["post-661003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-basketball","tag-denver-nuggets","tag-los-angeles-clippers","tag-nba","tag-new-orleans-pelicans"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116238319571236935","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/661004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}