The Los Angeles Clippers once broke the NBA rules for their then-franchise icon, Blake Griffin. They retired the jersey of their then-active player in front of him as a sign of respect for his service to the organization. Well, at least that’s what the Clippers made Griffin believe right before trading him away to the Eastern Conference.
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Early into the 2017/18 season, the franchise displayed their gesture right before tying the 6x All-Star to get him to sign a contract that would give them his rights for five more years. However, everything is a business in the NBA, something that took only six months and multiple injuries to reveal its ugly head.
During Griffin’s latest appearance on Run It Back, he reflected on how everything unfolded, saying, “We walked into the Staples Center and they did a whole ceremony. I watched the jersey go up in the rafters and then four months later, I was buying winter clothes”.
Did the #Clippers really have a fake retirement ceremony for @blakegriffin23?
Yes. Yes they did. pic.twitter.com/OkeU1RXhxj
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 16, 2024
Despite the seeming absurdity surrounding the situation, it probably happened just as Griffin described. In fact, during his 2021 interview with Graham Bensinger, the NBA star even revealed further details of the scenario. On this occasion, he outlined how the Clippers even made him recollect his journey, mentioning,
“They had like different phases of my life, like my childhood with big giant blown up pictures. They had certain things from my childhood like this green bike, a basketball, a little tike goal, then you turn a corner and it’s high school with my high school state championship trophies, and medals, and pictures again”.
Undoubtedly, the Clippers had no qualms about remembering the business side of things, despite appealing to the star’s emotional side. Remembering the departure of Chris Paul from Los Angeles a few months earlier, it became even more important for them to retain their then-biggest star by any means possible.
However, their plans eventually had to meet an unexpected yet absurd ending. It prompted them to opt for rebuilding, and so, it heartlessly traded Griffin away from the city.
It marked the end of an era, severing the NBA star’s 9-year-long connection with the franchise.
Despite all the past happenings, Blake Griffin continues to hope for the best
During the recent show, Griffin admitted holding onto the hope of seeing his jersey being retired by the Clippers. This time around, for real. Outlining his viewpoint on the situation, the Oklahoma-born mentioned,
“It would be a huge honor. I wouldn’t turn that down. But in my mind, I don’t know that I do necessarily deserve it, I haven’t had any conversations about it….If it happens, it’s awesome. It’s a huge honor and I greatly appreciate it”.
“I don’t know that I do necessarily deserve it, I haven’t had any conversations about it.”@blakegriffin23 on the possibility of the #Clippers retiring his jersey pic.twitter.com/BogXPA4vXS
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 16, 2024
Despite his humility, the 2011 ROTY has undoubtedly earned his stripes. During his time at the Clippers, the forward showcased immense consistency, averaging 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 504 games. He spearheaded a revolution for the franchise, helping them register a 309-195 record under his supervision.
So, Griffin has a major role to play in the organization’s recent surge in status. To a large extent, he turned them into a competitive force in a city dominated by their arch-rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. Keeping this in mind, retiring his jersey is the least the Clippers can do to make up for their past mistakes.
