High-flying six-time All-Star Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday.
Griffin, who played 14 seasons with four NBA teams, was picked first overall by the Clippers out of Oklahoma in 2009. He missed the 2009 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury in preseason. He returned the following season and was named Rookie of the Year. The Oklahoma native also made his first All-Star team in 2010.
“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, fan, teammates and coaches,” Griffin said in a statement posted on social media.
Griffin was most known for his soaring dunks and alley-oop finishes. He often caught lobs from Chris Paul after the star guard’s arrival to Los Angeles in the 2011-12 season. Center DeAndre Jordan also made viral highlight finishes during the Clippers era known as Lob City.
Fin pic.twitter.com/OCFAuAt0sl
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) April 16, 2024
Despite the team’s star power, postseason success eluded the Clippers during the Lob City era as L.A. never made it past the conference semifinals.
A series of injuries in Griffin’s career hindered the star’s athleticism, which forced him embrace more distributing and jump shooting roles. After being dealt to the Pistons during the 2017-18 season, he averaged a career-high in assists (6.2) in his 25 games in Detroit.
“I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy to many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn’t be a sports retirement letter without acknowledging the ‘haters,’” he said.
Griffin made five All-Star teams as a Clipper and averaged 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in eight seasons with the team. He played four seasons with the Pistons and two with the Nets. He played just 41 games with the Celtics last season.
The 2013-14 season was Griffin’s best season. He finished third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James after averaging 24.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
“The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “Last but certainly not least, here come the obligatory ‘I’m excited for my next chapter’ part: just kidding, I’m done.”
