Blake Griffin: From Oklahoma Sooner to NBA Star

Blake Austin Griffin, born on March 16, 1989, is an American former professional basketball player. Griffin primarily played with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, 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, and was a six-time NBA All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection. In January 2018, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons and played for them until 2021. In March 2021, Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets. In September 2022, Griffin signed with the Boston Celtics, whom he stayed with until his retirement in 2023.

Early Life and High School Career

Blake Griffin's basketball journey began under the guidance of his father, Tommy Griffin, who served as his high school coach at Oklahoma Christian School. Reflecting on his early years, Griffin expressed gratitude for his father's influence: "My dad was a huge basketball influence in my life on and off the court. Playing for him and having him around, having him push me harder than maybe another coach would have was a huge blessing for me".

In 2003, Griffin followed his brother, Taylor, 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 the process. He was named to the Oklahoma Boys All-State First Team and Parade All-American Third Team.

During Griffin's sophomore year, the Saints repeated as Class 3A state champions, defeating Sequoyah-Tahlequah 51-34, where he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The team finished the season with a 24-2 record, with Griffin averaging 13.6 points per game. He was later named to the Little All-City All-State team in what was his final high school season with his brother. Taylor went on to accept a scholarship to play college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners.

During Griffin's junior season, the Oklahoma Christian basketball team was moved down to Class 2A from Class 3A. As he began his third season with the Saints, he was quickly developing as a player, 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. He was named the state tournament MVP, 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 Player of the Year and to the Tulsa World Boys All-State First Team.

Read also: Blake Bortles: College Days

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 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. The Saints advanced through the playoffs, defeating Crescent in the quarterfinals and Foyil in the semifinals to earn a berth in the Class 2A state championship once again. 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. Following Griffin's senior year, he was named the Player of the Year by both the Tulsa World and The Oklahoman.

College Career at Oklahoma

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 in 28.4 minutes per game and led the Sooners to a 23-12 record. He ranked ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding and third in field goal percentage in the Big 12 Conference. In a game against the Kansas Jayhawks, he suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee five minutes into the Sooners game. Less than two months after injuring his left knee, he injured his right knee in a home victory against Texas A&M. The injury this time was torn cartilage, and he had arthroscopic surgery 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 8 rebounds in 28 minutes versus the Missouri Tigers, a win for the Sooners on their home floor.

He 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 andAssociated Press. He became the first Sooner to make the conference All-Rookie team since Wayman Tisdale in 1983 for the Big Eight Conference. He was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft but decided to return to college for a second season to give himself time to mature physically and make Oklahoma a contender for the NCAA championship.

Sophomore Season: A National Sensation

In his sophomore season, the Sooners started out the season winning their first 12 games before falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks. In the third game of the season against the Davidson Wildcats, he scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, after which he scored 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 honor 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 score 40 points and get 20 rebounds in the same game, joining Wayman Tisdale (61 points and 22 rebounds in 1983) and Alvan Adams (43 points and 25 rebounds in 1975).

On February 21, he 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. 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 the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Oklahoma finished second in the conference with a 13-3 record but fell short in the first game of the Big 12 Tournament to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma was seeded No.

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 in rebounding and was also the Big 12 scoring and rebounding leader. For his sophomore year performance, Griffin swept all six of the national player of the year awards. 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.

NBA Career

Los Angeles Clippers (2009-2018)

Griffin was selected as the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft. Griffin's college jersey number of 23 was already taken by Marcus Camby, 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.

Injury and Delayed Debut

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.

Rising Star and All-Star Selection

Griffin was voted to play as a starter for the first time in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game along with his new teammate Chris Paul. 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 averaged another double-double on the lockout-shortened season with 20.7 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. He and teammate Chris Paul 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, Griffin helped the Clippers eliminate the Memphis Grizzlies in seven games. However, the Los Angeles Clippers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the next round.

Read also: Exploring James Blake's work

Before the 2012-13 NBA season, 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. 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 in six games in the first round.

Coaching Change and Career-High Season

After a disappointing first round exit in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers sought new leadership and hired head coach Doc Rivers. 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, 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 to a 112-108 win over the Phoenix Suns to clinch their second franchise division title. 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 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 controversy. They would then lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semifinals. After controversial remarks by Clippers owner Donald Sterling, NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling from the league for life and forced him to sell the Clippers.

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 in overtime 121-120. This was Griffin's first career game-winning buzzer beater. Griffin missed 45 games in total due to injury and suspension, returning to action for the Clippers on April 3 against the Washington Wizards.

On November 5, 2016, Griffin scored a season-high 28 points in a 116-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs, 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 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 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 following day, in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 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.

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. 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. Two days later, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 119-115 win over the New York Knicks. On February 26, 2017, he set a new season high with 43 points in a 124-121 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets. On April 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Griffin reached 10,000 career points.

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, 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. 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. Griffin notched his seventh career regular season triple-double, and second of the season.

Detroit Pistons (2018-2021)

On January 29, 2018, Griffin, along with Willie Reed and Brice Johnson, was traded to the Detroit Pistons 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.

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. He became the first Pistons player to score 50 points in a game since Richard Hamilton scored 51 points in 2006, 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. 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. On January 12, he scored 44 points in a 109-104 win over his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. 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. On January 31, he scored 24 points in a 93-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

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. 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.

Brooklyn Nets (2021)

In March 2021, Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets.

Boston Celtics (2022-2023)

On September 30, 2022, Griffin signed a 1-year deal with the Boston Celtics for the veteran's minimum salary. Due to the Celtics having many retired jerseys, Griffin had difficulty selecting a jersey number; he eventually chose No. 91.

Player Profile

Standing at 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) and weighing 251 lb (114 kg), Griffin played mostly as a power forward. Rob Mahoney, in a January 2011 post in The New York Times 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 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.

Beyond Basketball

Griffin made his acting debut in 2016 in the Broad City episode "B&B-NYC". Griffin also appeared in the Whitney Cummings comedy The Female Brain; of his performance, critic Christy Lemire wrote, "Griffin especially impresses with his deadpan delivery and timing. 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 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 stars Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose. Griffin was charged with misdemeanor battery as a result of an October 2014 Las Vegas encounter.

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