Golden State Warriors big man Jordan Bell was not with the team on Wednesday night to assist in a win over the Grizzlies after being suspended for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. The Warriors announced the suspension in a very short press release but did not provide any further details – and coach Steve Kerr told reporters that the punishment was “our business.”
According to The Athletic, Bell missed Wednesday’s game after making a purchase at a hotel earlier in the week and charging the purchase to assistant coach Mike Brown.
Via The Athletic:
“Brown was alerted to the charge. He inquired about it. The staff at The Peabody hotel, where the team stayed, confirmed its purchase. So the Warriors launched a quick investigation and it became clear that Bell is the one who put it on Brown’s bill. There was concern, sources say, that this wasn’t the first time Bell has pulled this maneuver on some unknowing member of the organization.
On NBA road trips, rooms are paid for by the franchise. But hotel incidentals — snacks, drinks, movies, whatever — get charged to a personal card, considered part of the employee’s road per diem. So, prank or not, Brown would’ve been on the hook for Bell’s charge, not the company.”
Bell is on the final year of a two-year, $2.1 million contract, and the suspension certainly isn’t going to help his chances of earning a new deal in the offseason. Bell’s numbers have regressed from last season, and he’s averaging just 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 11.4 minutes a night.
