{"id":73614,"date":"2024-04-16T15:07:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T19:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=73614"},"modified":"2024-04-16T15:07:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T19:07:01","slug":"former-no-1-nba-draft-pick-announces-retirement-blake-griffin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/04\/16\/former-no-1-nba-draft-pick-announces-retirement-blake-griffin\/","title":{"rendered":"Former No. 1 NBA Draft Pick Announces Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/griffbl01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blake Griffin<\/a>, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, has officially announced his retirement, according to a post on his Instagram account.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C51A4abrJxl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C51A4abrJxl\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A post shared by Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Griffin played 14 total seasons in his career, most notably with the &#8220;Lob City&#8221; Los Angeles Clippers. The 35-year-old also had stints with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics, who he spent his final season with in 2022-23. In his career, Griffin averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Furthermore, Griffin retires as a six-time NBA All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and the 2011 Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n<p>In February, Celtics guards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pritcpa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Payton Pritchard<\/a> revealed <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/02\/26\/nba-rumors-celtics-players-begging-former-all-star-to-return-blake-griffin\/\" target=\"_self\">the team wanted Griffin to return to Boston<\/a>. However, Griffin made it clear he was not interested in returning to the court.<\/p>\n<h2>Former No. 1 NBA Draft Pick Announces Retirement<\/h2>\n<h3>Blake Griffin Was an Exciting Player to Witness Before His Retirement<\/h3>\n<p>For the first few years of his career, Griffin was arguably the most exciting NBA player to watch. He developed a reputation as one of the league&#8217;s best in-game dunkers and expanded his offensive game later in his career. Furthermore, Griffin retires as one of the greatest Clippers players in franchise history. In 2019, former Clippers head coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/riverdo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doc Rivers<\/a> said that Griffin, alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jordade01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DeAndre Jordan<\/a>, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/sports\/clippers\/la-sp-clippers-report-20190111-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">started the birth of the Clippers<\/a>.&#8221; Additionally, Rivers believes the Clippers should retire their jersey numbers as well.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThose two, I think they should go in the same day, I really do,\u201d Rivers told the Times following the Clippers\u2019 121-100 loss Thursday in Denver. \u201cBlake was great for us, he really was. It didn\u2019t end great because we traded him but at the end of the day, Blake and D.J. started the birth of the Clippers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Griffin also left an impact off the court. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horfoal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-04-16_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al Horford<\/a>, who played with Griffin on the Celtics last season, spoke about having the former Clippers star as a teammate. Simply put, Horford called him a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nba\/boston-celtics\/al-horford-shouts-out-blake-griffin\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">great teammate.<\/a>&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cGreat teammate. Everybody here, we love Blake,\u201d Horford said, per Bobby Manning\u2019s X account. \u201cThere was like a hope that he would be around in some way. Just a lot of good memories with him. The year that he was here, he made it enjoyable for me. It was just fun to come into work with him every day. Getting to talk to him and getting to know him with some of the things off the court, and as a person, just a great guy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Is Blake Griffin on His Way to the Hall of Fame?<\/h3>\n<p>According to Basketball Reference, Griffin has a 54.8% chance to make it to the Hall of Fame. Griffin had a good career with many accolades. However, he retires without having won a championship or an MVP award. Regardless, Griffin was one of the most skilled players in the league during his prime. Additionally, Basketball Reference does not factor in non-NBA success, which Griffin has plenty of throughout his college and Olympic career. It is a close call, but Griffin certainly has a case for the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, has officially announced his retirement, according to a post on his Instagram account. &nbsp; View this post on Instagram &nbsp; A post shared by Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) Griffin played 14 total seasons in his career, most notably with the &#8220;Lob City&#8221; Los Angeles [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4631,"featured_media":73623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,5,6,10,2,27,62,3],"tags":[250,226,228,1090,190,2614],"class_list":["post-73614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-celtics","category-nets","category-pistons","category-featured","category-clippers","category-nba","category-news","tag-al-horford","tag-blake-griffin","tag-deandre-jordan","tag-derrick-white","tag-doc-rivers","tag-payton-pritchard"],"modified_by":"Elie Deglaoui","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4631"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}