Blake Griffin retires after 14- year high-flying NBA career
WASHINGTON, April 17, (AP): Blake Griffin announced his retirement after a 14-year career that included six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and a dunk contest victory.
Griffin said in a social media post that he’s “thankful for every single moment” of his career. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers out of Oklahoma in 2009. He missed his first season with a knee injury, but rebounded to earn the Rookie of the Year award in 2011, when he also won the All-Star Game dunk contest.
Alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, Griffin’s high-flying plays rejuvenated the Clippers franchise and earned it the nickname “Lob City.” He was traded to the Detroit Pistons during the 2018 season as his ability to soar dwindled and injuries piled up.
“Blake was a big part of the turnaround here,” said Tyronn Lue, the current Clippers coach who was an assistant on the staff early in Griffin’s LA career. “Blake was one of the most dynamic players we’ve seen in this league for a long time as far as athletic-wise. One thing he doesn’t get credit for is his passing ability. He had a great career.”
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Griffin was able to reinvent his game in Detroit with a reliable 3-point shot and was selected for his sixth AllStar Game in the 2018-19 season. He averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds that season.
Griffin, 35, also had stints in Brooklyn and Boston. He did not play in the 2023-24 season.
He averaged 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in his career. He finished third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the 2013-14 season.
“I’m thankful for every single moment - not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates and coaches,” Griffin said in his Instagram post, thanking his family and agent, Sam Goldfeder. “I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn’t be sports retirement letter without acknowledging the ‘haters.’
“All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can’t help but just feel thankful.”
❑ ❑ Kawhi Leonard’s
status for the Los Angeles Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks remains murky.
Leonard missed the final eight games of the regular season with right knee inflammation. The Clippers were 4-4 in that stretch, having clinched their first Pacific Division title in 10 years. They earned the fourth seed in the West.
Coach said Tuesday that Leonard was participating in “a quarter” of practice.
“Just bring him along slowly,” Lue
Tyronn Lue ❑
said.
Asked if Leonard will play Game 1 on Sunday, Lue said, “We’ll see.”
Leonard hasn’t played since the end of March. The All-Star forward averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists during the regular season, when he was mostly healthy.
❑ Will Bynum, ❑ ❑
who played for the Detroit Pistons for six season, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison for his conviction in a scandal involving NBA insurance fraud.
Bynum, 41, of Bensenville, Illinois, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court, where a jury convicted him in November of conspiring to make false statements related to NBA players who submitted false dental and medical claims to the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan.