Griffin says decision to remain with Clippers a “no-brainer”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin was back in his usual place, front and center on a Clippers stage.
After opting out of his contract, Griffin didn’t spend the offseason toiling over whether to sign with another team — like his teammate DeAndre Jordan famously did. For Griffin, it was an easy decision to sign a max five-year deal to stay with the only NBA team he’s played for in his seven-year career.
“I want to say how excited I am to be back. This has been my home since I was drafted. A lot went into this decision,” Griffin said Wednesday. “In the end, I realized this was a no-brainer for me. This is the place where I want to start and finish my career. . This next chapter and next season for the Clippers and myself, I’ve never been more excited about an opportunity.”
Griffin, 28, is undoubtedly the star of the Clippers with Chris Paul gone in the trade with the Rockets that sent Pat Beverley to Los Angeles.
Griffin said he and Paul talked about his decision to want to leave the Clippers.
“No hard feelings,” said Griffin, a five-time AllStar. “I think we’re all professional enough to know and we’ve all been in the situation now to know sometimes you have to do what’s right and what’s best for yourself and your family. I’ve never had hard feelings with any of my teammates who decided to leave or felt like it was best to leave. I wouldn’t start now.”
For the Clippers, the prospect of Griffin leaving as well made for a nervous stretch but it didn’t last long. Griffin quickly made a decision to re-sign for about $175 million. Doc Rivers avoided a possible rebuilding effort.
“This is a great day in Clipper history, when you get a guy of Blake’s ability to say, ‘I want to be a Clipper,’” Rivers said. “I think that messaging for us is amazing. You know about his talent. We wanted to bring him back because of what he had done, his body of work. He’s one of the best passing, best scoring, best defending big men in our history of our franchise. The fact we can get him and keep him and build around Blake, it’s phenomenal for us. Our goal doesn’t change.”
Griffin, the No. 1-overall pick in 2010, is the only player to reach the 10,000 career point mark all in a Clippers uniform.
Last year, Griffin averaged 21.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He’s dealt with injuries throughout his career and is rehabbing from a toe injury.
Los Angeles also suits Griffin and all of his non-basketball ventures. So his summer wasn’t filled with meetings with other teams. He canceled those after he met with the Clippers.
“I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time,” Griffin said. “Once I met with the Clippers, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to have them fly in and sit through what I’m sure was going to be an awesome presentation but those teams needed to be able to have time to make decisions. I didn’t want to tie anybody up and make them go through the process when I already knew what I was doing.” BASKETBALL
Even though their marquee name has played sparingly, the founders of the Big3 are happy that the quality of play is getting better as the league reaches the midpoint of its season.
The 3-on-3 league featuring former NBA players, which was founded by rapper/actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, heads to Chicago on Sunday after drawing 12,435 fans in Philadelphia last weekend.
“We always said if this became a league about nostalgia, then it would be a flash in the pan. If it became a league about credible and competitive sports, it would stand the test of time and only get better,” Kwatinetz said Wednesday during a conference call. “You are seeing a huge emphasis on defense. These teams are not letting people walk to the hoop and score.”
While all four games in Philadelphia were decided by seven points or fewer, the first time that has happened this season, Allen Iverson’s decision not to play remained one of the focal points. The onetime Sixers great said a few hours before the game that his doctor advised him not to play for unspecified reasons.
Most of the fans did not know about Iverson’s decision until they got to the Wells Fargo Center. Cube, who said he is hopeful that Iverson can play this week, said the league hoped to do another event in Philadelphia in the future where Iverson can play.
The former NBA MVP has been more coach than player for 3’s Company the first four weeks. In the first three games, the 42-yearold had six points on 3-for13 shooting from the field.
“I don’t think our league hinges on Allen Iverson as people see,” Cube said. “We think it is better for the fans and league if he does play, but if he doesn’t, we’re still going to have great basketball that people want to see.”
Trilogy, which is coached by Rick Mahorn, remains the league’s only unbeaten team (4-0). Captain Kenyon Martin, who has missed three games because of a hamstring injury, is set to return this week.
This week will also see the debut of Joe Smith, the first overall pick in the 1995 draft. Cube said it might take a couple weeks for Smith, who will play for the Ghost Ballers, to get a feel for the league’s style.
“A lot of people think they can just walk out there and get on the court with these dudes, I don’t know about that,” Cube said. “Week 1 maybe, but by now guys are into what they are doing.”
The eight-team league’s season culminates with the Aug. 26 championship in Las Vegas.