Blake Griffin and his career decline will go down as one of the most tragic deteriorations in quality sustained by an NBA All-Star in league history.
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The 33-year-old was once presumed to be a luxurious commodity to possess and was placed and promoted as the poster boy for multiple franchises.
Griffin was picked first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 draft. The American’s staggering athleticism combined with his breathtaking dunks made him the ideal marquee acquisition for the franchise.
With the six-time ‘All-Star’ at the helm, the franchise experienced its most successful period in over two decades. Along with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, Griffin was a part of the legendary ‘Lob City’.
The trinity would impose their high IQ and immaculate athleticism on their opponents, through their breathtaking dunks and alley-oops. Fast forward to 2022, and the five-time ‘All-NBA star, has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Blake Griffin’s staggering drop in pay!
The former Detroit Pistons luminary, signed with seventeen-time NBA champions, Boston Celtics, this past off-season, having seen little to no playing time in his last stint with the Brooklyn Nets.
His current scenario is reminiscent of that of his time at the Barclays Center, given the fact that he has averaged just about nine minutes of game time this season so far.
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That isn’t the appalling fact. Griffin has currently taken a substantial pay cut to join the 2022 NBA Finalists, the Boston Celtics. Heck, the disparity is so enormous, that the 33-year-old is $30 Million.
In 2021, ‘High Griffination’, was earning a cosmic $32 Million in 2021-2022. In contrast, the 2011 ‘Rookie of the Year’, is currently earning just $2 Million. Historic.
Blake Griffin and the taxing past couple of years!
In 2021, Blake Griffin and the Pistons parted ways, mutually, with the player being bought out by the franchise.
This paved the way for him to cherrypick his next destination, and cherrypick he did. Griffin elected to join the star-studded cast of the Brooklyn Nets, aligning himself with the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
Having joined the Nets with the aspiration of finally clinching an NBA title, Griffin would soon find out the honeymoon period was over.
The roster would within the span of a year implode internally before being broken up for good. Their playoff annihilation at the hands of the current franchise, the Boston Celtics, proved no help either.
The worst part about the Nets’ sweep was that the team could have utilized the skillset of someone like Griffin, during their hour of need. Considering the wages he was on, it’s a shame he wasn’t provided a concrete opportunity to display his expansive arsenal.
