On Tuesday, Blake Griffin announced his retirement from professional basketball after a successful 14-year career that included six All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year award and a dunk contest victory.
Griffin shared the news through a social media post where he expressed his gratitude for every moment of his career. The player, selected as the first overall option by Los Angeles Clippers in 2009 out of the University of Oklahoma, he had a challenging start, missing his freshman season due to a knee injury. However, he managed to recover and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2011, the year he also won the All-Star Game dunk contest.
Next to Chris Paul y DeAndre Jordan, Griffin revitalized the Clippers franchise with his spectacular style of play, earning them the nickname “Lob City.” However, during the 2018 season, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons as his ability to fly diminished and injuries piled up.
In Detroit, Griffin managed to reinvent his game by developing a reliable three-point shot, which allowed him to be selected for his sixth All-Star Game in the 2018-19 season, averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds that season.
In addition to his time in Los Angeles and Detroit, Griffin had stints in Brooklyn y Boston. However, he did not participate in the 2023-24 season.
Griffin’s message
Throughout his career, he averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds per game, finishing third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant y LeBron James in the 2013-14 season.
“I am grateful for every moment, not just the good ones: the victories, the awards, the dunks and the memorable moments shared with my family, friends, fans, teammates and coaches,” Griffin said in his Instagram post, where he also he thanked his family and his agent, Sam Goldfeder. “I’m also grateful for the not-so-good times: the losses, the injuries, the excessive surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and I couldn’t write a retirement letter from sports without acknowledging the ‘haters.'”
“All of these moments made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can’t help but feel grateful.”
2024-04-16 19:26:29
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