“Deandre Jordan Was On the Street 4 Days Ago”: Joe Mazzulla Is Livid At Celtics Allowing DJ To Dunk On Them

Oct 27, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (9) reacts after a dunk against the Boston Celtics during the first half at Smoothie King Center

Among the players who had to work hard to find a team over the off-season was DeAndre Jordan. He ultimately landed a spot with the New Orleans Pelicans, but his highlight moment against the mighty Boston Celtics was not on anyone’s bingo card, least of all Joe Mazzulla’s.

The Pelicans were battered by the Celtics, who finally looked like they’re finding their grove after losing the first three games of the season. They won 122-92. But Jordan, a former All-Star, made a joke of the Celtics defense not once, but twice.

Mazzulla was not a happy man, and during broadcast, the commentators revealed a scathing remark made by the former Championship-winning coach on Jordan. Seemingly, he targeted the fact that Jordan was unemployed as little as a few days ago.

“Deandre Jordan was on the street 4 days ago, and you let him come in here and dunk on you,” Mazzulla had reportedly said.

It was a wild comment, one that was most likely meant to wake the Celtics team up. The first couple of quarters were close, and Mazzulla could not afford to have a 0-4 start to the campaign. And Jordan was finding it incredibly easy to play bullyball in the Celtics paint.

For his first poster, he rebounded the ball in his own basket and ran all the way down to take it back and slam it home. The second dunk, although not the result of a rebound, was equally impressive. Considering he’s 37, and was majorly overlooked by almost every team in the NBA, it was a statement from Jordan that he can still play a vital role in any team’s rotation.

Jordan is also an ex-NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets. He wasn’t a starter, but was an important part in the team’s system. His presence on the Pelicans could be of huge help to talents like Derik Queen, a center who was drafted at #13 earlier this year.

Good on Jordan, and doesn’t matter if he was on the streets a week ago. He’s now a member of the Pelicans, and there are surely more dunks coming the way of rivals as the season progresses.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
boston celtics DeAndre Jordan Joe Mazzulla New Orleans Pelicans

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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