Six-time All-Star power forward Blake Griffin, best remembered for his high-flying turn as the dunk-happy recipient of Chris Paul's assists during the Los Angeles Clippers' "Lob City" era, has officially called it a career today.
The Oklahoma product enjoyed a borderline-Hall of Fame career that was sadly abbreviated by injuries. He wrote a lengthy post on his official Instagram page explaining his decision.
"I never really envisioned myself as the guy who would have a 'letter to basketball' retirement announcement," Griffin began. "And I'm still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing I wanted to express was thankfulness."
Griffin was the No. 1 pick out of Oklahoma in what ended up being a stacked 2009 draft. He was selected ahead of eventual league MVPs James Harden (the No. 3 pick out of Arizona) and Stephen Curry (the No. 7 pick out of Davidson), plus one additional All-NBA star in swingman DeMar DeRozan (the No. 9 pick out of USC) and two title-winning All-Star guards in Jrue Holiday (the No. 17 pick out of UCLA) and Jeff Teague (the No. 19 pick out of Wake Forest).
None of these players, however, won that year's Rookie of the Year award, which went to then-Sacramento Kings shooting guard Tyreke Evans. In something of an ominous start to his injury-riddled 14-season pro career, Blake Griffin sat out the entire year due to a stress fracture in his left knee. He would, however, go on to become the Rookie of the Year and an All-Star the following season, 2010-11. He was also the NBA Slam Dunk Contest champ in a memorable run with four different franchises.
"I'm thankful for every single moment — not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates, and coaches," Griffin added. "I could continue on about the people in my life who have contributed immensely to my career, but in this short non-letter, I have to acknowledge my parents, Tommy and Gail, and my brother, Taylor, for their unconditional support and guidance. Lastly, my agent Sam Goldfeder, who has been a steadfast voice of reason and my wartime consigliere — thank you."
In his prime, Griffin was an electric, physical presence, capitalizing on his explosive athleticism to make the Clippers into legitimate title contenders thanks to their core of himself, Paul and center DeAndre Jordan, plus beloved sixth man combo guard Jamal Crawford. Those teams never got beyond the second round of the postseason, peaking with a 57-25 record in 2013-14 and the No. 3 seed in the West.
"I am equally thankful for the not-so-good-moments," Griffin wrote. "The losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn't be (a) sports retirement letter without acknowledging the 'haters.' All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can't help but to just feel thankful. "The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn't change a thing. Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory 'I'm excited for my next chapter' part: just kidding, I'm done."
A series of knee and quadriceps injuries eventually took away Griffin's athletic burst, so he began transforming into more of a distributor and jump shooter. After inking a massive maximum contract extension with LA in 2017, he was flipped midseason to the Detroit Pistons, and brought that club (temporarily) back to respectability when healthy. In 2019 while with the Pistons, he was named to what would be his final All-Star team, four years after making his last one with the Clippers.
Griffin's play declined precipitously after he underwent a pair of left knee surgeries ahead of and during the 2019-20 season. He was bought out by Detroit in Feb. 2021, and began title-chasing with the Brooklyn Nets for the end of the year and through the 2021-22 season. Griffin then hopped to the Boston Celtics in 2022-23, though ultimately would end his career without a championship to his name. He failed to find an NBA home this season.
In his 765 healthy career games (including 692 starts), the 6-foot-9 former superstar boasts averages of 19 points on .493/.328/.696 shooting splits, eight rebounds, four assists and 0.8 steals. In addition to his six All-Star berths, he made five All-NBA teams, and made the top 10 in league MVP voting three times. He finished a career-best third in MVP voting during the 2013-14 season.
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