Blake Griffin
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Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. Griffin primarily played with the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) and played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
, where he was named the consensus national college player of the year as a sophomore. Griffin was selected first overall by the Clippers in the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball p ...
, and was a six-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
and a five-time All-NBA selection. In January 2018, Griffin was traded to the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
and played for them until 2021. In March 2021, Griffin signed with the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. In September 2022, Griffin signed with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
, whom he stayed with until his retirement in 2023. Griffin won four high school state titles at Oklahoma Christian School under his father, head coach Tommy Griffin. Griffin played two seasons of college basketball for the Sooners before entering the 2009 NBA draft, when he was selected by the Clippers. During the final pre-season game of 2009, he broke his left kneecap, had surgery, and missed the entire 2009–10 season. Griffin made his NBA debut as a rookie the following season, in which he was selected as an
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
, won the
NBA Slam Dunk Contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was conceived of and started by the American Basketball Associat ...
, and was named the
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
. In 2011, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' called him one of the NBA's 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time.


Early life

Griffin was born in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, to Tommy Griffin, who is of Afro-Haitian descent, and Gail Griffin, who is white.Blake Griffin – SoonerSports.com
. soonersports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
His father was a
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
center and track standout at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.Anderson, Kelli (January 26, 2009)
POST IMPRESSIONIST
''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
''. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
Griffin and his older brother, Taylor Griffin, were home-schooled by their mother from first grade until Taylor was in the tenth grade and Blake was in eighth.O'Neil, Dana (August 6, 2009)
Griffin's return to Oklahoma has Sooners looking for title
ESPN. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
Garcia, Marlen (January 26, 2009)

''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''. Updated January 26, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
George, Brandon (March 21, 2008)
Sooners' Griffin built tough, thanks to folks at home
''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
''. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
SportsNation
Chat with Blake Griffin
ESPN. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
Givony, Jonathan (May 22, 2009)
Blake Griffin: I'm going to work to be a complete player on both ends
''draftexpress.com''.
Growing up, Griffin was good friends with future NFL quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford's father owned a gym where Blake and Taylor played basketball.Jones, Steven (April 6, 2009)
Big Red Royalty: Bradford, Griffin take similar paths to OU
. '' The Oklahoma Daily''. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
Before deciding to focus on basketball, Griffin also played
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
as a
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
as a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
,
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
, and
tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...
.


High school career

In 2003, Griffin followed his brother to Oklahoma Christian School, where they played under their father, head coach Tommy Griffin. They played together during the 2003–04 and 2004–05 high school seasons, winning two state basketball championships. In his freshman year, the Oklahoma Christian Saints posted a perfect 29–0 season and won the Class 3A boys state championship game at the State Fair Arena against Riverside Indian School, 55–50.Ritchie, Heath (March 13, 2004)
OCS beats Riverside in thriller for second title in three years
Coaches Aid. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
In Griffin's sophomore year, the Saints repeated as Class 3A state champions, defeating Sequoyah-Tahlequah 51–34, where he scored 12
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
and grabbed nine rebounds.Farr, Kevin (March 12, 2005)
Griffin boys lead OCS to second straight title
Coaches Aid. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
The team finished the season with a 24–2 record, with Griffin averaging 13.6
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...
. He was later named to the Little All-City All-State team in what was his final high school season with his brother.Helmer, Joey (June 29, 2009)
Scout.com: Blake Griffin Timeline
. Scout.com. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
Taylor went on to accept a scholarship to play college basketball for the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
. During the summer of 2005, Blake was a member of the Athletes First AAU team, where he played against
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
and Ty Lawson's AAU team, the DC Blue Devils. During Griffin's junior season, the Oklahoma Christian basketball team was moved down to Class 2A from Class 3A.Landsberger, Chris (March 11, 2006)
Class 2A finals 3–11–06
'' NewsOK.com''. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
As he began his third season with the Saints, he was quickly developing as a player,JockBio: Blake Griffin Biography
. jockbio.com. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
as he led them to a third straight state championship. He scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and recorded six blocks in the finals as Oklahoma Christian defeated Washington High School, 57–40.Farr, Kevin (March 11, 2006)
OCS dominates Washington to win third straight gold ball
Coaches Aid. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
He was named the state tournament
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
, and the Saints finished the season 27–1, with Griffin averaging 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. For his efforts, he was named ''
The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...
'' Player of the Year and to the ''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...
'' Boys All-State First Team. His play attracted the attention of the new basketball head coach for Oklahoma, Jeff Capel, who first heard of him through his brother, Taylor. That spring, Capel saw him play for the first time and was quickly impressed. Capel liked the fact that Griffin had not yet become a household name among recruiters and felt he was exactly the player whom he needed to rebuild the Oklahoma men's basketball program with. Griffin had been considering
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,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, and
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, but his brother eventually sold him on joining Oklahoma when he raved about the direction of the Sooners and the chance to play together again for his home state.Evans, Thayer (March 8, 2009)
Blake Griffin Follows His Brother, and Others Follow Him at Oklahoma
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
Griffin committed to Oklahoma before the start of his senior season. He went on to average 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per game as a senior while leading the team to a 26–3 record. In a game against Oklahoma City Southeast, he finished with 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 10 assists.Hansen, Scott
Oklahoma: Boys All-State Basketball
MaxPreps.com. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
The Saints advanced through the playoffs, defeating
Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
in the quarterfinals and Foyil in the semifinals to earn a berth in the Class 2A state championship once again.Plumlee, James (March 10, 2007)
2A Boys Championship
'' NewsOK.com''. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
On March 10, 2007, he played his final high school game in the state title game against Pawnee High School. Griffin registered 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks, as the Saints defeated Pawnee 81–50, winning their fourth straight state title. He was named the Class 2A state tournament MVP for the second consecutive year after averaging 26.6 points per game in the tournament. During his four-year run, the Oklahoma Christian Saints posted a 106–6 overall record. Following Griffin's senior year, he was named the Player of the Year by both the ''Tulsa World'' and ''The Oklahoman''. He was also named to the Oklahoma Boys All-State First Team,
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
All-American Second Team and ''Parade'' All-American Third Team. Additionally, he was the
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Oklahoma Player of the Year and was selected to the
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and Jordan Brand All-America teams. At the McDonald's All-American game in
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, he won the Powerade Jam Fest
slam dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as a dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with on ...
contest. He was ranked as the nation's 13th best high school senior by HoopScoop, 20th by Scout.com and 23rd by Rivals.com. HoopScoop also rated him as the country's third-best power forward while Rivals.com ranked him sixth and was seventh according to Scout.com.


College career


Freshman season (2007–2008)

Griffin was one of the highest rated and most decorated recruits ever at Oklahoma. As a freshman at Oklahoma, he averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and led the
Sooners Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands illegally in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbyi ...
to a 23–12 record. He ranked ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding and third in field goal percentage in the
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
. In a game against the Kansas Jayhawks, he suffered a sprained
medial collateral ligament The medial collateral ligament (MCL), also called the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL) or tibial collateral ligament (TCL), is one of the major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial (inner) side of the knee joint and occurs in ...
(MCL) in his left knee five minutes into the game. Less than two months after injuring his left knee, he injured his right knee in a home victory against
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
.Swisher, Michael (March 2, 2008)
Scout.com: Griffin Out Until Postseason
. Scout.com. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
The injury this time was torn
cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. Semi-transparent and non-porous, it is usually covered by a tough and fibrous membrane called perichondrium. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints ...
, and he had
arthroscopic surgery Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgery, surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted in ...
on March 2, 2008. He missed the following game, a victory over in-state rival Oklahoma State Cowboys, but was back on the court a week after the injury with 14 points and eight rebounds in a win versus
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
. Griffin was a first-team all-district pick by the USBWA and NABC, and was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and to the first-team All-Big 12 selection by league coaches and
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. He became the first Sooner to make the conference All-Rookie team since Wayman Tisdale in 1983 for the
Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored American football, football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate ...
. He was expected to be a lottery pick in the
2008 NBA draft The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008, at the The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this NBA draft, draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took t ...
but decided to return to college to give himself time to mature physically and try to help Oklahoma win the NCAA championship.


Sophomore season (2008–2009)

In Griffin's sophomore season, the Sooners started out the season winning their first 12 games before falling to the
Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...
. In the third game of the season, in a win against the Davidson Wildcats, he scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. The very next game, he had 35 points and 21 rebounds against Gardner–Webb, becoming the first player in Big 12 history to record back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. This earned him three consecutive Big 12 player of the week honors and finished the season with a record-tying six player of the week honors. In a home victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he set career-bests for both points and rebounds with 40 points and 23 rebounds, becoming the only player in Big 12 history and the third player in the history of the University of Oklahoma men's basketball program to record at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game, joining Wayman Tisdale (61 points and 22 rebounds in 1983) and Alvan Adams (43 points and 25 rebounds in 1975). On February 21, Griffin received a concussion in a loss to the Texas Longhorns, when he caught an inadvertent shot to the face from the open hand of Texas center Dexter Pittman. He sat out the second half during the Sooners loss with a bloody nose. It was the Sooners' first loss of their conference schedule for the season.Helsley, John. "OU loses Blake Griffin, game". ''
The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...
''. February 22, 2009.
After sitting out the next game, a loss to Kansas Jayhawks, he was cleared by the medical staff and returned a week later to get 20 points and 19 rebounds in a victory over Texas Tech. Oklahoma finished second in the conference with a 13–3 record but fell short in the first game of the Big 12 tournament to
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
. In the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma was seeded No. 2 in the South Region with a 27–5 record. In a second-round win over the
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division I, Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except wo ...
, Griffin scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and became just the second player in the 2000s with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game. The Sooners ended up losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the South Regional final. Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and earned All-American First Team honors. He led the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
in rebounding and was also the Big 12 scoring and rebounding leader. Griffin recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds 15 times, which is a Big 12 record. He also set school and Big 12 single-season records for most rebounds (504), rebounding average (14.4), and double-doubles (30), and his free throw attempts (324) were the most by a Sooner in a single-season. With 30 double-doubles during the season, he was one short of the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
record of 31 set by David Robinson in 1986–1987."Blake Griffin Wins Oscar Robertson Trophy As USBWA Player of the Year"
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
. Big12Sports.com. March 30, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
His total of 504 rebounds were the most in a season by an
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
player since Indiana State's
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
had 505 in 1978–79 and his rebounding average of 14.4 was the highest since Wake Forest's
Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...
averaged 14.7 in 1996–97. For his sophomore year performance, Griffin swept all six of the national player of the year awards. He was a unanimous choice by voters in all nine geographical districts for the
Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division I men's basketball player by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), first presented in 1958–59 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, 19 ...
and was named Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, receiving 66 of the 71 national media panel members' votes.Associated Press (April 3, 2009)
Griffin first OU player to win AP award
ESPN. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
Griffin was announced as the
Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. It is named in honor o ...
on April 5 in Detroit.ESPN.com (April 6, 2009)
Griffin caps season with Naismith Award
ESPN. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
Three days after announcing that he would turn pro, he won the John Wooden Award as college basketball's top player.Associated Press (April 10, 2009)
Griffin, Moore pick up more hardware
ESPN. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
He became the first Oklahoma player in school history to win the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, John Wooden Award, and the Associated Press player of the year. He was also named Player of the Year by the
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Okla ...
, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' and FoxSports.com.


Professional career


Los Angeles Clippers (2009–2018)


Draft year injury (2009–2010)

On April 7, 2009, Griffin announced that he would give up his final two years of eligibility and declared for the NBA draft after his sophomore year. A press conference announcing his decision was aired nationally on
ESPNews ESPNews (pronounced "ESPN News," stylized ESPNEWS) is an American multinational digital cable and satellite television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hear ...
. He was selected as the first overall pick by the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
in the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball p ...
. Griffin's college jersey number of 23 was already taken by
Marcus Camby Marcus Dion Camby (born March 22, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading ...
, so he swapped the digits and wore No. 32 with the Clippers. Griffin played for the Clippers' Summer League Team and was named Summer League MVP. In their final preseason game, he injured his kneecap as he landed after a dunk. The day before the 2009–10 season started, it was confirmed that Griffin had a stress fracture in his left knee, delaying his NBA debut for seven weeks. After resting the stress fracture for several weeks, tests revealed that his knee was not recovering properly. In January 2010, Griffin had surgery on his broken left kneecap, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2009–10 season.


Rookie of the Year (2010–2011)

Since he missed the entire 2009–10 season, Griffin was still considered a rookie during the 2010–11 season. In his NBA debut, against the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
, Griffin registered 20 points and 14 rebounds. In a home game against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
, he set a franchise record for most consecutive double-doubles, with 23. His streak of consecutive double-doubles, which ended at 27 games on January 19 in a win against the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
, was the longest rookie double-double streak since 1968. On November 11, 2010, Griffin scored a then career-high 44 points against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
and on January 17, 2011, against the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
, he scored a career-high 47 points and set a Clippers franchise record for most points by a rookie. He became the first rookie to have two 40+ point games since
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...
during the 1996–97 season. Griffin was voted to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game by coaches as a reserve on the Western Conference squad, becoming the first rookie to play in the All-Star game since
Yao Ming Yao Ming ( zh, c=姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Baske ...
in
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
and the first rookie voted to the game by coaches since
Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...
in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
. He also participated in the 2011 Rookie Challenge and won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star break. On March 23, 2011, in a double-overtime win over the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
, Griffin recorded his first career triple-double with 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. He recorded his second triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the final game of the season against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. During the season, Griffin captured all six of the Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors, the first time a rookie has swept an entire season of Rookie of the Month awards since
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
during the 2005–06 season. He played in all 82 regular season games and became the first rookie to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand did it in the 1999–2000 season. He led all rookies in points, rebounds, and double-doubles, earning him the Rookie of the Year award, and was the first unanimous winner for the award since David Robinson in
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
. He was also the only unanimous selection to the
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...
. Following his phenomenal rookie season, ''Sports Illustrated'' listed Griffin as one of the "NBA's 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time".


First playoff and division title (2011–2013)

Griffin was voted to play as a starter for the first time in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game along with new teammate
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
. He was also selected to participate in the inaugural Rising Stars Challenge in which teams were a mix of the top rookies and sophomores. Griffin was selected first by Team Shaq. Griffin averaged another double-double on the lockout-shortened season with 20.7
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...
and 10.9
rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
. He and teammate
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
helped lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 40–26 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. In the first round of the
2012 NBA Playoffs The 2012 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2011–12 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Th ...
, Griffin helped the Clippers eliminate the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
in seven games. However, the Los Angeles Clippers were quickly swept by the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in the next round. Afterwards, Griffin was named to the
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
for the first time in his career. Before the
2012–13 NBA season The 2012–13 NBA season was the 67th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA champions Miami Heat started the season by hosting the Boston Celtics. The 2013 NBA A ...
, on July 10, 2012, Griffin signed a contract extension reportedly worth $95 million for 5 years. The deal would keep him under contract until the end of the 2017–18 season. He was also selected to compete for Team USA in the 2012 London Summer Olympics, but was removed after he injured his knee during a practice. Griffin was again voted by the fans as a starter for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. On March 6, 2013, Griffin recorded his third career triple-double by scoring 23 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to victory over the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. Griffin led the NBA in total dunks in 2011-12 (192) and 2012-13 (202). Griffin finished the 2012-13 season averaging 18.0 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game in 32.5 minutes per game. He and Chris Paul led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 56–26 record as the Clippers won their first Pacific Division title in franchise history. The Clippers went on to lose to the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
in six games in the first round. Griffin was named to the All-NBA Second Team once again.


New coach and owner (2013–2015)

After a disappointing first round exit in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers sought new leadership and hired head coach
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
. In his first season with Rivers at the helm, Griffin averaged a career-high 24.1 points per game. He was voted as a starter in the
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
, making it his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and third consecutive start. From January 20 to March 26, Griffin recorded 20+ points in a franchise-record 31 straight games. On April 2, 2014, Griffin and Chris Paul led the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
to a 112–108 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
to clinch their second franchise division title. The next day, Griffin recorded his fourth career triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 107–113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Los Angeles Clippers finished with a franchise-best record of 57–25 and earned the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They would be matched up with the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
in the first round. On April 21, 2014, Griffin scored a playoff career-high 35 points in a win over Golden State. The Clippers would eventually beat the Warriors in seven games in the midst of the
Donald Sterling Donald T. Sterling (born Donald Samuel Tokowitz; April 26, 1934) is an American attorney and businessman who was the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 2014. ...
controversy. They would then lose to the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
in the conference semifinals. Griffin was named to the
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
for the third straight year, while also finishing the season third in the
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
voting. After controversial remarks by Clippers owner
Donald Sterling Donald T. Sterling (born Donald Samuel Tokowitz; April 26, 1934) is an American attorney and businessman who was the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 2014. ...
, NBA commissioner
Adam Silver Adam Silver (born April 25, 1962) is an American lawyer and sports executive who is serving as the fifth and current commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined the NBA in 1992 and has held various positions within the ...
banned Sterling from the league for life and forced him to sell the Clippers. Former
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
CEO
Steve Ballmer Steven Anthony Ballmer (; March 24, 1956) is an American businessman and investor who served as chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He i ...
later bought the Clippers for $2 billion, the largest amount paid for a franchise in NBA history. On December 8, 2014, Griffin scored a season-high 45 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, as the Clippers beat the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
in overtime 121–120. This was Griffin's first career game-winning
buzzer beater In timed sports, a buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or at the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In b ...
. It gave the Clippers their eighth straight win. On February 8, 2015, he was ruled out for four to six weeks due to a staph infection in his right elbow. He returned to action on March 15 after missing 15 games to record 11 points and 11 rebounds in a 100–98 loss to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. Griffin finished the regular season averaging 21.9 points, a career-low 7.6 rebounds, and a career-high 5.3 assists in 67 games. On April 22, Griffin recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a first-round Game 2 series loss to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. Four days later in Game 4, Griffin recorded a playoff career-high 19 rebounds, and with 20 points, helped the Clippers even the series at 2–2. In the series' Game 7 victory that moved the Clippers into the second round, Griffin recorded his second career playoff triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Two days later, in Game 1 of the Clippers' semi-final match-up against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
, Griffin recorded 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double to lift the Clippers to a 117–101 victory. The Clippers ended up losing the series to the Rockets in seven games.


Injury-plagued seasons (2015–2018)

On November 25, 2015, Griffin recorded season-highs with 40 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Utah Jazz, with the Clippers dropping to 7–8 after starting the season 4–0. On December 26, he was ruled out indefinitely with a partially torn left quadriceps. While expected to return to action on January 26, Griffin was instead ruled out for an estimated four to six weeks due to a right hand injury he sustained on January 23 from hitting a member of the team's equipment staff, who was also his friend, during an argument at a restaurant in Toronto. The Clippers were sternly critical of Griffin, and indicated that further punitive action would follow. According to the Toronto Police Service, a police report was not filed. Griffin missed 45 games in total due to injury and suspension, returning to action for the Clippers on April 3 against the Washington Wizards. He played 24 minutes as a starter and recorded six points and five rebounds to help the Clippers clinch home-court advantage in the playoffs with a 114–109 win. He appeared in five of the Clippers' final seven games of the regular season, and managed to appear in the first four first-round playoff games against the Portland Trail Blazers before aggravating the left quad injury in Game 4, which ruled him out for the rest of the postseason. On November 5, 2016, Griffin scored a season-high 28 points in a 116–92 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, helping the Clippers start the season 5–1. He helped them improve to a league-best 7–1 with 22 points and 13 rebounds against the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
on November 9. With his fifth rebound of the night, Griffin reached 4,000 in 417 career games, the second-fastest player since 1983–84 to reach 8,500 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists;
Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973), nicknamed "C-Webb", is an American former professional basketball player. Webber played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with the largest portion of his career sp ...
did so in 408 games. On November 11, he helped the Clippers improve to a franchise-best 8–1 with 25 points against the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. The following day, in a win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
, Griffin joined an exclusive club with 9,000 career points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists. He became the fastest player to reach that plateau since
Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
. On December 19, 2016, he was ruled out until some point in January after requiring minor surgery on his right knee. He returned to action on January 24, 2017, scoring 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting in a 121–110 loss to the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. On February 6, in just his sixth game since minor knee surgery that had him sidelined for 20 games, Griffin recorded his fifth career triple-double, and first of the season, in three quarters, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high-tying 11 assists in a 118–109 loss to the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. Two days later, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 119–115 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. On February 26, 2017, he set a new season high with 43 points in a 124–121 overtime win over the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. On April 1 against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, Griffin reached 10,000 career points. He became the second player in franchise history to reach that mark, joining Randy Smith, who scored 10,467 of his club-record 12,735 points when the team was known as the Buffalo Braves. On April 22, 2017, Griffin was ruled out for the remainder of the 2017 NBA Playoffs with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe suffered during the Clippers' 111–106 win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
in Game 3 of their Western Conference first round playoff series the night before. On July 19, 2017, Griffin re-signed with the Clippers to a five-year, $173 million contract. On November 22, 2017, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 116–103 win over the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
, helping the Clippers snap a nine-game losing streak. Three days later, he made a 10-foot jumper with 3.2 seconds remaining and had a season-high 33 points to lead the Clippers to a 97–95 win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
. On November 28, 2017, he was ruled out for approximately two months after sustaining an MCL sprain against the Los Angeles Lakers the previous night. He returned to action earlier than expected on December 29 against the Lakers, scoring a game-high 24 points in a 121–106 win. On January 22, 2018, he had a triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists in a 126–118 loss to the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. Griffin notched his seventh career regular season triple-double, and second of the season. It was his third 30-point game of the season, and he was one point shy of his season high.


Detroit Pistons (2018–2021)


New team and career highs (2018–2019)

On January 29, 2018, Griffin, along with Willie Reed and Brice Johnson, was traded to the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
in exchange for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović, a future protected first-round draft pick, and a future second-round draft pick. With the Pistons, he returned to his college jersey number of 23, as No. 32 was retired for Rip Hamilton in Detroit. He made his debut for the Pistons three days later, recording 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 104–102 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. Griffin became the first player with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a debut with the Pistons since
Grant Hill Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a part-owner of Orlando City SC of Major League ...
(25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists) in 1994. On March 20, 2018, he had a near triple-double with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in a 115–88 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. Two days later, he recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100–96 overtime loss to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. On March 26, he suffered a bone bruise in his right ankle against the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. He subsequently missed the final eight games of the season. On October 23, 2018, Griffin scored a career-high 50 points, including the game-winning free throw, in a 133–132 overtime win over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. He became the first Pistons player to score 50 points in a game since Richard Hamilton scored 51 points in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, and the first NBA player to score 50 points during the 2018–19 NBA season. Griffin's point total was the seventh-highest in Pistons history and he became the fifth different player to score 50 for Detroit. On December 15, he scored 27 points in a 113–104 win over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. He had at least 20 points for the ninth straight game, becoming the first Detroit player to do so since Hamilton in 2008–09. Griffin also surpassed the 12,000-point mark for his career. Two days later, he had 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but also had 10 turnovers, in a 107–104 loss to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On January 12, he scored 44 points in a 109–104 win over his former team, the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
. On January 23, he scored 20 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter of Detroit's 98–94 win over the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
. On January 31, he scored 24 points in a 93–89 victory over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. He finished the month of January scoring 445 points, the most in a single month in Pistons franchise history, surpassing the previous record held by
Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...
who had 442 points in March 1983. On February 25, he had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113–109 win over the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. On April 5, after missing the previous three games with left knee soreness, Griffin made 11 of 15 shots and had 44 points the first three quarters, including nine of 14 3-pointers, before missing all five of his field goal attempts in the fourth quarter and scoring just one point as the Pistons lost 123–110 to the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. After sitting out four of the final six regular season games due to his ailing left knee, he missed the first two games of the playoffs. Following the playoffs, he underwent left knee surgery.


Dealing with injuries (2019–2021)

Griffin missed the first 10 games of the 2019–20 season recovering from the left knee surgery. After playing 18 games with the Pistons, Griffin had a second surgery on his left knee on January 7, 2020. Griffin missed the remainder of the season as a result of the injury. Despite the injury, Griffin returned to action at the start of the 2020–21 season. Throughout the early part of the season, Griffin struggled, averaging near career lows of 12.3 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game in just 20 games. On February 15, 2021, Griffin played his last game for the Pistons as he was looking to be traded or bought out by the team. On March 5, Griffin's contract was bought out by the Pistons.


Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)

On March 8, 2021, Griffin signed with the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. On March 21, Griffin made his debut for the Nets, logging two points, two rebounds and a block in a 113–106 win over the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. On May 6, Griffin logged his first double-double as a Net with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 113–109 loss to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. On August 9, 2021, Griffin re-signed with the Nets on a one-year deal. After starting 17 games early in the season, Nets head coach
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
removed Griffin from the starting lineup and the rotation entirely in favor of LaMarcus Aldridge. On February 6, 2022, Griffin scored a season-high 19 points in a 104–124 loss to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
.


Boston Celtics (2022–2023) and retirement

On September 30, 2022, Griffin signed a 1-year deal with the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
for the veteran's minimum salary. Due to the Celtics having many retired jerseys, Grifffin had difficulty selecting a jersey number; he eventually chose No. 91 in honor of
Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Renowned for his defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding forw ...
. On April 16, 2024, Griffin announced his retirement from professional basketball.


Player profile

Standing at and weighing , Griffin plays mostly as a
power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
. In his rookie year, he averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, becoming just the 20th rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game in the shot clock era. He was an exceptional athlete that was known for highlight dunks from
alley-oop In basketball, an alley-oop is an offensive play in which one player passes the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and dunks or lays it in before touching the ground. The alley-oop combines elements of t ...
s, similarly to his former teammate
DeAndre Jordan Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball ...
, which were integral to the Clippers during the era dubbed " Lob City". Rob Mahoney, in a January 2011 post in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' basketball blog, singled out Griffin's playmaking abilities stating, "The overtly dominant aspects of Griffin's play have made him one of the season's greatest delights, but his game clearly stretches beyond the scoring and rebounding columns...his passing aptitude should serve as a reminder of the substance in his game. The dunks are great, but it's his multiple-layered impact that has paved his early road to stardom." Later into his career, Griffin attempted fewer dunks and less physically demanding play due to knee issues. In the 2014–15 season, he developed a jumpshot which yielded his career-high 40 percent from three-point range, continuing to extend his scoring to the perimeter in following seasons. Brooklyn Nets coach
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
commented on Griffin's transformation, "...He's adapted and become a guy that handles the ball very well. He passes very well, he's making 3s. He's adapted and changed his game."


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 38.0 , , .506 , , .292 , , .642 , , 12.1 , , 3.8 , , .8 , , .5 , , 22.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , style="background:#cfecec;", 66* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 66* , , 36.3 , , .549 , , .125 , , .521 , , 10.9 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .7 , , 20.7 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 80 , , 80 , , 32.5 , , .538 , , .179 , , .660 , , 8.3 , , 3.7 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 18.0 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 80 , , 80 , , 36.1 , , .528 , , .273 , , .715 , , 9.5 , , 3.9 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 24.1 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 67 , , 67 , , 35.2 , , .502 , , .400 , , .728 , , 7.6 , , 5.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , 21.9 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 35 , , 35 , , 33.4 , , .499 , , .333 , , .727 , , 8.4 , , 4.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , 21.4 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 61 , , 61 , , 34.0 , , .493 , , .336 , , .760 , , 8.1 , , 4.9 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 21.6 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 33 , , 33 , , 34.5 , , .441 , , .342 , , .785 , , 7.9 , , 5.4 , , .9 , , .3 , , 22.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 25 , , 25 , , 33.2 , , .433 , , .348 , , .784 , , 6.6 , , 6.2 , , .4 , , .4 , , 19.8 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 75 , , 75 , , 35.0 , , .463 , , .362 , , .753 , , 7.5 , , 5.4 , , .7 , , .4 , , 24.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 28.4 , , .352 , , .243 , , .776 , , 4.7 , , 3.3 , , .4 , , .4 , , 15.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 31.3 , , .365 , , .315 , , .710 , , 5.2 , , 3.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 26 , , 10 , , 21.5 , , .492 , , .383 , , .782 , , 4.7 , , 2.4 , , .7 , , .5 , , 10.0 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 56 , , 24 , , 17.1 , , .425 , , .262 , , .724 , , 4.1 , , 1.9 , , .5 , , .3 , , 6.4 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 41 , , 16 , , 13.9 , , .485 , , .348 , , .656 , , 3.8 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , .2 , , 4.1 , - class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 765 , , 692 , , 31.9 , , .493 , , .328 , , .696 , , 8.0 , , 4.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , 19.0 , - class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 5 , , 3 , , 25.0 , , .750 , , .375 , , .500 , , 5.6 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .2 , , 19.4


Playoffs

, - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 11 , , 11 , , 35.7 , , .500 , , .000 , , .636 , , 6.9 , , 2.5 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , 19.1 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 6 , , 5 , , 26.3 , , .453 , , , , .808 , , 5.5 , , 2.5 , , .0 , , .8 , , 13.2 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 13 , , 13 , , 36.8 , , .498 , , .143 , , .740 , , 7.4 , , 3.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 23.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 14 , , 14 , , 39.8 , , .511 , , .143 , , .717 , , 12.7 , , 6.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 25.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 4 , , 4 , , 31.8 , , .377 , , .500 , , .760 , , 8.8 , , 4.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , 15.0 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 3 , , 3 , , 33.1 , , .490 , , .667 , , 1.000 , , 6.0 , , 2.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , 20.3 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 29.0 , , .462 , , .462 , , 1.000 , , 6.0 , , 6.0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 24.5 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 12 , , 12 , , 26.5 , , .532 , , .389 , , .714 , , 5.9 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .5 , , 9.0 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 2 , , 0 , , 12.5 , , .286 , , .400 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , 4.0 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;",
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , .000 , , , , , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 68 , , 64 , , 32.6 , , .492 , , .377 , , .731 , , 7.7 , , 3.5 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 18.2


College

, - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, 33 , , 33 , , 28.4 , , .568 , , .000 , , .589 , , 9.1 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 14.7 , - !scope="row" style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, 35 , , 35 , , 33.3 , , .646 , , .375 , , .590 , , 14.4 , , 2.3 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 22.7 , - class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 68 , , 68 , , 31.4 , , .618 , , .300 , , .589 , , 11.8 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.1 , , 18.8


Awards and honors


NBA

*
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*
All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
: 2012, 2013, 2014 * All-NBA Third Team: 2015, 2019 *
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
: 2011 *
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...
: 2011 * NBA Slam Dunk Champion: 2011 * Western Conference Player of the Month: March 2014 * Western Conference Rookie of the Month: November 2010,Official Release (December 1, 2010
Knicks' Fields, Clips' Griffin named Rookies of the Month
. nba.com. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
December 2010,Official Release (January 3, 2011

. nba.com. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
January 2011,Official Release (February 1, 2011

. nba.com. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
February 2011, March 2011, April 2011


College

* 2009
Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is "the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year," as chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors. It is named in honor o ...
* 2009
NABC Player of the Year The NABC Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top player in men's college basketball across the three largest college athletic associations in the United States. Th ...
* 2009 AP National Player of the Year * 2009 AP All-American First Team * 2009 John Wooden Award * 2009 Adolph Rupp Trophy * 2009
Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division I men's basketball player by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), first presented in 1958–59 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, 19 ...
* 2009 ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' Player of the Year * 2009 ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year * 2009 NCAA rebounding leader * Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards(March 8, 2009)
Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards Announced
Big 12 Sports Retrieved on February 11, 2022.
** 2009 Big 12 Player of the Year ** 2009 All-Big 12 First Team ** 2008 All-Big 12 First Team ** 2008 Big 12 All-Rookie Team


High school

* Class 2A State Championship: 2006, 2007 * Class 2A Tournament MVP: 2006, 2007 * Class 3A State Championship: 2004, 2005 *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers ...
* 2007 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Champion * 2007
EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...
All-American Second Team * 2007 ''Parade'' All-American Third Team * 2007 ''
Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the sta ...
'' Player of the Year * ''
The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...
'' Player of the Year: 2006, 2007 * 2007 Oklahoma Boys All-State First Team * 2006 ''Tulsa World'' Boys All-State First Team * 2005 Little All-City All-State Team


Off the court


Television pursuits

Griffin made his acting debut in 2016 in the ''
Broad City ''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...
'' episode "B&B-NYC". Griffin also appeared in the
Whitney Cummings Whitney Cummings (born September 4, 1982) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, writer, producer, director, and podcaster. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004, Cummings moved to Los Angeles. She appeared in the lo ...
comedy '' The Female Brain''; of his performance, critic
Christy Lemire Christy A. Lemire (née Nemetz; born August 30, 1972) is an American film critic and host of the movie review podcast ''Breakfast All Day''. She previously wrote for the Associated Press from 1999 to 2013, was a co-host of '' Ebert Presents at ...
wrote, "Griffin especially impresses with his deadpan delivery and timing. He may have a whole 'nother career waiting for him if this whole NBA thing doesn't work out." On October 1, 2020, it was announced that Griffin would host and present '' Double Cross with Blake Griffin'', a hidden camera television series. It premiered on March 19, 2021, on
TruTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...
. In 2020, Griffin appeared on the 10th episode of season 5 of '' The Eric Andre Show'' alongside
Stormy Daniels Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford (born Stephanie A. Gregory; March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress, Film director, director and former stripper. She has won many industry awards and is a ...
. In 2025, Griffin, Andrew Luck, and
Megan Rapinoe Megan Anna Rapinoe (; born July 5, 1985) is an American former professional Association football, soccer player who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. She spent most of her career playing for Seattle Reign FC, OL Reign of the National Wom ...
voiced themselves in ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
''s "Full Heart, Empty Pool", as a trio of retired athletes competing in Homer Simpson's "noodleball" tournament.


Comedy

Griffin's interest in stand-up comedy developed during his stay in Los Angeles, and after a stint on Funny or Die, he made his comedy debut hosting the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in July 2016. In December that same year he hosted his own show, ''Comedy by Blake''. He appeared as a roaster in the Comedy Central Roast of
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
in 2019.


Endorsements

In 2011, Panini America signed Griffin to an exclusive long-term deal that will feature his autographs and memorabilia in their products. Griffin was on the cover of '' NCAA Basketball 10'' and was also on the cover of '' NBA 2K13'' alongside fellow
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
stars
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
and Derrick Rose. He has appeared regularly in commercials for
Kia Motors Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, ...
, Subway, Vizio, and
GameFly GameFly is a privately held American online video game rental subscription service that specializes in providing games for Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft systems starting from the sixth generation onwards. The business model of GameFly is simil ...
.


Legal issues

Griffin was charged with misdemeanor battery as a result of an October 2014 Las Vegas encounter. He allegedly seized a cell phone from its owner, Daniel Schuman, grabbed Schuman's neck twice and slapped him, after he took a picture of a group of Clippers players. The charges were dismissed in March 2015 for lack of evidence.


Philanthropy

Griffin started a
fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
called "Dunking for Dollars", in which he donates $100 to fight childhood obesity for every dunk he makes during the season. The Kia sedan that Griffin jumped over to win the Slam Dunk Contest was donated for a charity auction on AutoTrader.com with proceeds benefiting
Stand Up to Cancer Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a charitable organization that was established as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). In 2022, SU2C was separately incorporated and was recognized by the IRS as a Section 501(c)(3) public charit ...
.Dillman, Lisa (May 5, 2011)
Blake Griffin donating Kia to benefit charity
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
Stand Up to Cancer also has a fund-raising site called "Team Blake" in honor of Griffin's close friend Wilson Holloway, who died after a three-year fight with
Hodgkin's lymphoma Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the lymph nodes. The condition was named a ...
. On March 13, 2020, Griffin pledged to give $100,000 to the staff of the Little Caesars Arena who were unable to work during the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season because of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.


Personal life

Blake is one of five children, and is the younger brother of professional basketball player Taylor Griffin. Griffin has two children with his ex-
fiancee An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
, Brynn Cameron, who is the sister of
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
player Jordan Cameron.


See also

* 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans * List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders * List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders *
List of first overall NBA draft picks The first overall pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during NBA draft, the league's annual draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins the NBA d ...
* List of NBA rookie single-season scoring leaders


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Blake 1989 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen African-American Christians All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players American philanthropists American sportspeople of Haitian descent Basketball players from Oklahoma City Boston Celtics players Brooklyn Nets players Detroit Pistons players First overall NBA draft picks Los Angeles Clippers draft picks Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans NBA All-Stars Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Power forwards Sportspeople from Manhattan Beach, California