Blake Griffin is a former professional basketball player who primarily played for the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons in the NBA.
He was selected first overall by the Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft and was a six-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection.
Griffin played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he was named the consensus national college player of the year as a sophomore.
Griffin was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on March 16, 1989.
During his career, he averaged 19.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He is currently a free agent after playing for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23.
Off the court, Griffin partnered with WinView Games to enhance TV viewing enjoyment for sports fans.
Siblings
Blake has two siblings.
Blake’s older brother, Taylor Griffin, also played college basketball at Oklahoma. Taylor went on to play professionally in the NBA G-League and overseas.
Blake’s younger sister, Tayanna Griffin, played college basketball at Oklahoma State University. Tayanna helped lead the Oklahoma State Cowgirls to the NCAA Tournament in 2015.
Both of Blake Griffin’s siblings were involved in basketball growing up, following in his footsteps.
Taylor played at the college and professional level, while Tayanna played at the collegiate level for Oklahoma State.
The Griffin family has a strong athletic background, with Blake becoming the most successful professional basketball player out of the three siblings.
College career
Griffin had a highly successful college basketball career at the University of Oklahoma.
He was named the consensus national college player of the year as a sophomore in the 2008-09 season.
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Griffin led the Sooners to the 2009 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, averaging 28.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in four tournament games.
Despite playing just two seasons at Oklahoma, he ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including career field goal percentage (.618), rebounds per game (11.8), double-doubles (40), points per game (18.8), rebounds (805) and points (1,278).
In his sophomore season, Griffin swept all six national player of the year awards, including the Naismith Award, Wooden Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy.
His college career was highlighted by his dominant sophomore season, in which Oklahoma finished 30-6 and ranked 7th nationally.
Senior career
Griffin had a successful 14-year NBA career, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics.
Selected 1st overall by the Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft, he was a 6-time NBA All-Star (2011-2015, 2019) and the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Griffin won the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest and averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in 765 regular-season games.
He helped the Clippers become consistent winners despite never reaching the Western Conference Finals due to injuries.
Griffin was traded from the Clippers to the Pistons in 2018, then bounced around to the Nets and Celtics later in his career.
He announced his retirement on April 16, 2024 at age 35, leaving the NBA with millions of social media highlights but no championships.
Griffin’s high-flying dunks and highlight-reel plays made him a YouTube legend, but injuries ultimately prevented him from leading the Clippers to postseason success or winning an NBA title.
He retired as a cautionary tale of basketball’s unpredictable fame machine.