After 13 high-flying seasons in the NBA, six-time All-Star Blake Griffin officially announced his retirement Tuesday.
“I’m thankful for every single moment,” Griffin said in a statement. “Not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks and the memorable times spent with family, friends fans, teammates and coaches. … I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries.”
Fin pic.twitter.com/OCFAuAt0sl
— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) April 16, 2024
Griffin, 35, was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, though he didn’t make his debut until the 2010-11 season due to injury. He broke his left kneecap during the Clippers’ final preseason game leading into the 2009-10 regular season, and was sidelined for all 82 games.
The following season in 2010-11, Griffin managed to play every single game, was a walking highlight reel and earned the 2011 Rookie of the Year. Not to mention, he earned an All-Star selection as well. Griffin averaged 22.5 points, a career-best 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a career-high 38 minutes per game as a rookie.
Griffin spent the first seven and a half seasons of his career in Los Angeles, effectively helping rebrand the Clippers into “Lob City,” while earning All-Star selections during the first five years of his career, before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2017-18.
He had his highest-scoring season as a professional with the Pistons in 2018-19 while leading Detroit to the playoffs for just the second time since 2008-09. Griffin was good for 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists a game. After the Pistons Griffin made stops with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
He has career averages of 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists over 765 regular-season games and 68 in the postseason.
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(Photo: David Butler II / USA Today)
