Blake Griffin announced his retirement Tuesday after that included six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and a dunk contest victory.
Griffin that he's 鈥渢hankful for every single moment鈥� 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 鈥淟ob City.鈥� He was during the 2018 season as his ability to soar dwindled and injuries piled up.
鈥淏lake was a big part of the turnaround here,鈥� said Tyronn Lue, the current Clippers coach who was an assistant on the staff early in Griffin's LA career. 鈥淏lake was one of the most dynamic players we鈥檝e seen in this league for a long time as far as athletic-wise. One thing he doesn鈥檛 get credit for is his passing ability. He had a great career.鈥�
Griffin was able to reinvent his game in Detroit with a reliable 3-point shot and was selected for his sixth All-Star 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 thankful for every single moment 鈥� not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates and coaches,鈥� Griffin said in his Instagram post, thanking his family and agent, Sam Goldfeder. 鈥淚 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鈥檛 be sports retirement letter without acknowledging the 鈥榟aters.鈥�
"All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can鈥檛 help but just feel thankful.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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