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CHICAGO – The locker room door swung open. Slowly, Warriors rookie Jordan Bell exited toward the arena hallway, the sound of his crutches and walking boot appearing to give both a visual and audio signal of his physical well-being.
Two hours earlier, Bell landed painfully on his left ankle after unsuccessfully defending Chicago center Robin Lopez as he threw down a one-handed dunk. The moment happened on the first play of the game, giving Bell plenty of time to process his emotions and watch the Warriors’ 119-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in the locker room.
What Bell learned: what he initially felt and what others saw did not match what he and the Warriors eventually learned.
Though Bell needed to be taken to the locker room on a wheel chair, x-rays came out negative and confirmed a sprained left ankle. Bell will take an MRI on Thursday to learn the exact severity of his injury and the projected time table of his recovery. But Bell already knows one thing.
“I’m good. It’s not broken,” Bell said. “I’ve had worse injuries, so that’s good.”
Bell had surgery to treat a broken right foot at the end of his freshman season at the University of Oregon. Though the Warriors will not have definitive answers on Bell’s latest injury until Thursday, it seems safe to say Bell will not need to have surgery again. As Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted, “the initial news we’re getting is half-way decent; so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Warriors guard Stephen Curry missed 11 games this season through nearly a three-week span after spraining his right ankle. He missed two more games after aggravating his right ankle nearly a week later. Does that mean Bell faces a few weeks of recovery?
“Hopefully sooner than later,” Bell said.
When the incident actually happened, neither Bell nor the Warriors reported feeling as optimistic.
Only 24 seconds into the game, Lopez powered through for a one-handed slam and Bell landed what he called “really awkward” on his left foot. Then Bell said he “felt some kind of sharp pain in my ankle.” Bell added he became “concerned at first about a break” after feeling something “way worse than a normal sprain.” So Bell stayed on the ground underneath the Bulls’ basket.
Curry was the first teammate to comfort Bell. Soon enough, the rest of Bells’ teammates and the Warriors’ training staff rushed over. Before that happened, though, Curry held Bell’s left knee to stabilize his movement. Curry also talked to Bell to encourage him.
“He couldn’t really explain what was going on,” Curry said. “I just wanted to make sure he stays as calm as possible in that moment and collects himself. That’s scary. You don’t really know what’s injured or the severity of it.”
Bell said he did not know, either. Shortly after the Warriors’ training staff attended to him, Bell said he “didn’t feel any pain.” Therefore, Bell said he “thought about getting up.”
So Bell did. But as Bell recalled, “then the pain hit me again.” So Bell stayed on the ground some more. The Warriors’ training staff helped Bell stand up. He estimated taking about three steps to put pressure on his left ankle. As Bell noted, though, “I couldn’t walk on it.”
So then the Warriors’ training staff placed Bell on a wheelchair before taking him to the locker room.
“It really sucked because Jordan has been playing so well and we miss his energy out there,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “He’s such a great teammate as far as his hustle and his energy is incredible.”
And it appeared Bell’s energy would produce a lot of wattage heading into Wednesday’s game in Chicago.
With Warriors forward Draymond Green sidelined with a sore right shoulder, Kerr gave Bell his 11th start and his second against the Bulls. When Bell started against Chicago in Oakland in late November, Bell flashed money signs in reference to Golden State giving $3.5 million to Chicago for the rights to its 38th pick that ultimately was used to select Bell. Bell backed up his trash talking with his play that night after posting seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, six rebounds, six blocks, four assists and one steal in 26 minutes
Following morning shootaround on Wednesday, Kerr said he “would hope that’s a thing of the past.” Though Kerr said he did not take offense to Bell’s gesture, Kerr expressed optimism that Bell’s “past that now.” Bell suggested as such, saying, “I don’t care. It’s just another game.”
That did not stop Chicago-based reporters from asking Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg for the team’s rationale to pass up on such a talented player. Hoiberg repeated the thought process, echoed previously by Bulls president of basketball operations John Paxson.
“It gives you an opportunity in the future maybe to use what was in the trade, either to get a piece or acquire a draft pick, something of that measure,” Hoiberg said. “That’s what it’s about. Jordan Bell is a heck of a player. He plays a valuable role on this team. He fits a role with them very well with his ability to roll to the basket and put pressure on the rim. Defensively, he’s a really good rim protector. So a really good pickup for Golden State.”
The talk continued in the Warriors’ locker room.
Danny Parkins, the host of the Chicago-based sports talk show on 670 The Score, approached Bell before the game in the locker room and gave him a Chicago-themed T-shirt that read “$3.5 million” on the back. Bell respectfully declined to to pose for a picture wearing the T-shirt, which proceeds going to charity. But Bell expressed amusement over the gesture and accepted the T-shirt as a gift before taking a photo of it to post on his Snapchat account.
My friend @DannyParkins giving @1jordanbell a Chicago-themed T-Shirt that says $3.5 million on the back. What might have been pic.twitter.com/exFxPuEDXo
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 17, 2018
Nearly an hour later, Bell suffered an injury.
“Man. Oh my god. It’s like a storyline happening,” Bell said. “It’s crazy how that happened. But we still got the win.”
Because of that reality, coupled with Bell’s optimism about his health, the Warriors observed Bell holding up well over the news.
“He was in better spirits once he found out the x-rays were negative,” Kerr said. “He looked like he was in a good mood in there just now.”
Thompson noticed the same thing.
“He seems happy. He doesn’t seem too down,” Thompson said of Bell. “I know he’s upset. He’s going to have to spend some time because he’s competitive. I don’t know if happy is the word, but he’s always upbeat. I don’t think he’s too down. He’s going to come back even stronger.”
After speaking to reporters, Bell continued to move with his walking boot and crutches down the hallway, hoping that he already took steps to begin that process.