Celtics
The six-time All-Star played for the Clippers, Pistons, Nets and Celtics during his 14 years in the NBA.
Blake Griffin announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday. (Erin Clark/Globe staff)
Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin, whose last NBA appearance came with the Celtics in the 2022-23 season, announced his retirement from the league on Tuesday.
Griffin revealed his decision in an Instagram post, where he also expressed his gratitude to those who made his 14-year career possible.
“I am grateful for every moment, not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks and the memorable moments spent with family, friends, fans, teammates and coaches,” Griffin wrote.
After being selected first overall by the Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft, Griffin missed his freshman season due to a broken kneecap. However, the 6-foot-9 forward bounced back the following year, winning the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year award.
The 2010–11 season also marked the first of Griffin’s five consecutive All-Star appearances (not to mention he won the slam dunk contest by jumping over a car).
The veteran forward enjoyed his most productive years alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, during which he averaged 21.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists between 2010 and 2015.
However, Griffin was traded to the Pistons in 2018 after another playoff failure in Los Angeles. During his first season with Detroit, he earned his sixth and final All-Star selection. But despite his career-best stats (24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game), injuries sidelined Griffin, limiting him to just 20 games during the 2019- 20 next.
Griffin was traded to the Nets during the 2020-21 season, where he stayed for nearly two seasons before signing a one-year contract with the Celtics ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Despite occupying a deep bench position on the team, Griffin made an immediate impact on the Celtics locker room. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White called Griffin the “best” teammate and even begged him to return to Boston for one last season.
And although Griffin has never won a championship, he helped support his last team to win Banner 18 this year.
“They’re my favorites,” he said of the Celtics’ title chances in February. “I don’t want to give them any bad juju, but they are the big favorites in my mind.”
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