Clippers' Rivers says rift between Paul and Jordan was 'way overblown'

Chris Paul's nefarious high-five habits were ultimately not enough to dissuade DeAndre Jordan from re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.

That was the narrative during Jordan's five-day verbal commitment to the Dallas Mavericks. Fingers were pointed squarely at Paul as the reason for Jordan's supposed exit, as reports said Paul treated him harshly and didn't hand him enough touches.

But Jordan reneged on his commitment to Dallas, opting instead to return to Paul and the Clippers. The two reportedly worked out their differences, but it still seemed like an odd choice on Jordan's part. If Paul's antics drove him away, what could he have said to convince him to stay?

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers's answer is that the whole controversy was overblown. He appeared on "The Jim Rome Show" on Thursday and downplayed the feud.

It was way overblown, let me just say that. It's funny, at least his agent told me why he was leaving, and then DJ ultimately when I was able to talk to him. Chris Paul didn't come up a lot, especially from DeAndre.

When you're the point guard and when you're one of the other stars you're not going to always be happy, but overall it's a good relationship.

What it did tell me, Jim, you are never done with relationship building and even the whispers that became screams, the fact that there were whispers means we can always get better at it and that's something we need to do.

Rivers's words echo those of swingman Dahntay Jones, who played with the Clippers last season.

"Those guys are brothers, man," Jones said in May. "They sit with each other on the plane, on the bus. If you don't like a guy you stay away from him."

Paul is a notoriously hardheaded competitor who demands a lot from his teammates. It can't be easy to play beside such a tough-minded individual.

But Paul and Jordan managed to coexist for four seasons while enjoying tremendous success in the regular season. Paul assisted on 113 of Jordan's 379 field goals last year, 37 more than from any other player.

The two sides will now work to mend fences, and Jordan's voice will carry more sway after throwing a scare into the Clippers.

Winning is the best mediator, and given their fantastic offseason, the Clippers are poised for yet another campaign atop the Western Conference standings.

- With h/t to Eye on Basketball