Blake Griffin Announces Retirement After 15-Year NBA Career

Six-time All-Star forward Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday after a 15-year career. Griffin, 35, was selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2009 draft.

During the 2009-10 preseason, Griffin suffered a season-ending left knee injury. Griffin came back the following season and won the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year Award and made the first of five straight All-Star appearances.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Clippers hold third-best odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.

 

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The 6-foot-9 wing won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2011 after dunking over a parked car. Griffin was also selected to the All-NBA First Team after averaging 22.5 points, 3.8 assists, and career highs of 12.1 rebounds and 38 minutes per game.

The Oklahoma native repeatedly said in his Instagram post that he was “thankful” for his NBA career.

“The game of basketball has given me so much in life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can’t help but to just feel thankful,” Griffin said.

Blake Griffin finished third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant, LeBron James in the 2013-14 season

In 765 career NBA games (692 starts), Griffin averaged 19 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 31.9 minutes per game while shooting 49.3% from the field, 32.8% from 3-point range, and 69.6% at the free throw line.

Griffin’s best NBA season was the 2013-14 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 24.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and career-best-tying 1.2 steals per game. He finished third in MVP voting behind Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

Additionally, Griffin played almost eight seasons (2010-18) with the Clippers, nearly four (2018-21) with the Detroit Pistons, about two (2021-22) with the Brooklyn Nets, and his last with the Boston Celtics in 2022-23.

Griffin has the most NBA points by any player from the University of Oklahoma: https://t.co/yLiG7pRHFO https://t.co/f2r6tBzWnp pic.twitter.com/hpSG8ZtDY3

— Stathead (@Stathead) April 16, 2024

The Clippers traded Blake Griffin to the Pistons during the 2017-18 season, just months after he signed a five-year, $171 million extension with the team.

After the Clippers drafted center DeAndre Jordan in 2008 and traded for Chris Paul in 2011, the team became title contenders with Griffin, making the era the most successful in franchise history.

Under then-coach Doc Rivers across seven seasons (2013-20), the Clippers went 356-208, winning 63.1% of their regular-season games — the fifth-best record in the NBA then and the best by any team without a conference finals appearance.

However, the Clippers still have yet to win a championship.