Los Angeles Clippers news 2015: Jordan chose 'character over smoke and mirrors' — Rivers

Doc Rivers and Steve BallmerReuters

For those who think that the DeAndre Jordan issue has died down, well, guess again.

Mark Cuban has been known to be the fiery Dallas Mavericks owner who doesn't take things lying down and it may take time for the whole issue to settle down. In short, expect an animated season between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers, teams that will first do battle on Oct. 29 in Los Angeles.

They will meet again on Nov. 11, this time in front of the Mavericks' hometown where things are bound to become rowdy, seeing how Jordan gypped the Mavs fans who thought they had him in the bag.

Cuban has taken shots against Rivers, going as far as saying that his career would have been over had the Clippers lost Jordan. The two have been at it and while the animosity may have died down at some point, expect the two to go at it from hereon.

Such could be a psychological warfare, the mental aspect which could, of course, affect Rivers more since he is the one calling the shots when the Clippers take the hardwood. Will it affect his coaching? If it does, it will certainly show and expect Cuban to come firing.

On Jordan, he sees the change in decision as something to what made him grateful being with the Clippers organization. He has high regard for owner Steve Ballmer, someone he says stands for character and substance.

"He is someone who I know will stand with me, even when things aren't always going our way. I think what happened with D.J. was he decided to choose substance and character over smoke and mirrors," says Rivers via the Orange County Register.

Is this the end? Not by any means, so expect a pretty interesting sidelight between the Clippers and the Mavs, or, to be more precise, between Cuban and Rivers.