When Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell was suspended for the team’s 118-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies due to “conduct detrimental to the team”, it was unclear what exactly the motive was for Golden State to suspend their second-year big man.
It was revealed recently that the suspension came due to Bell purchasing two items but charging assistant coach Mike Brown’s room while the team was staying at a hotel. Bell told NBC Sports Bay Area that his actions were an ‘error in judgment’ and he was simply trying to make a joke that backfired.
I made an error of judgment and I thought I was doing something funny, and it wasn’t. But I apologized to the individuals involved, and I hope to continue to move forward from this mistake.
I think we’re all good. I think everybody knows it was something I thought would be funny, as a joke that turned out not to be the way someone else took it, as a joke. So I have to be respectful of people’s space, and even though I think something’s funny, it might not be funny to them.
Hopefully, Bell’s latest suspension has helped him grow as a player and a man, as it’s not rare for young players to make regrettable mistakes. The important thing is for Bell to apologize to everyone involved as he says he has and move forward from the incident.
The Warriors have quietly struggled during this most recent stretch of the season and off-court distractions such as Bell’s suspension are the last thing the team needs. Still, the Warriors are the top-ranked team out West and should remain title favorites despite their recent woes.
