Four games into the Golden State Warriors’ 2017-18 campaign, Jordan Bell—not Stephen Curry, not Kevin Durant, not Klay Thompson, not Fake Klay Thompson, and (gasp!) not Zaza Pachulia—has the most jaw-dropping play of the season.
And it apparently pissed Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle right off.
With his team up by 25 and under three minutes remaining in the teams’ Monday-night contest, a Bell block on the perimeter led to his speeding down the court on a fast break.
At speed, he lobbed the rock off the backboard, regained possession, and threw down an epic dunk, drawing a foul in the process.
Unnecessary? Oh yes. Freaking awesome? You better believe.
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were feeling it.
Some of the Draymond Green and Kevin Durant reaction to the Jordan Bell alley-oop pass/slam to himself off backboard pic.twitter.com/KVjcc7TRDS
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2017
Carlisle, on the other hand, was not.
Steve Kerr tried to apologize to Rick Carlisle postgame about the Jordan Bell dunk, Carlisle zipped right past, displeased.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2017
He patted his chest and said, “Rick, I talked to him…” as Carlisle stormed to locker room and then said postgame he tried to apologize
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2017
“It caught me off guard,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. “He’s just having fun out there. The main thing he needs to understand is that that’s going to offend some people.”
Mavericks future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was more forgiving of the 2017 second-round pick’s actions.
“Yeah, in old school ball, maybe,” Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News of the team’s fouling Bell hard on the next possession. “But it’s 2018 almost.
“That [play] was a bit much. But that’s just a rookie being a little excited.”
As one might expect, Green was particularly unapologetic for his rookie teammate.
Draymond Green says no one should have an issue with the Jordan Bell backboard dunk
His only message to the rookie: Make the free throw pic.twitter.com/8XQQODrXYn— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 24, 2017
In just 10 minutes, Bell, the 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, scored six points without missing a field goal to go with four rebounds, two assists, and a block in the Dubs’ 133-103 victory.