May 4, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) shouts directions to his teammates while playing against the Houston Rockets in the second half in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Los Angeles Clippers won 117 to 101. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Blake Griffin is already one of the best players to ever represent the Los Angeles Clippers, and at just 26 years of age with three more years under contract, he certainly won’t be leaving L.A. any time soon. However, to take things one step further and make Clippers fans even more excited that Griffin is here, he shared in a recent interview with Basketball Insiders that he’d like to finish his career as a Clipper.
Or, to be precise, he would “love” to finish his career as a Clipper.
Griffin talked about a wide variety of topics, ranging from how hard he works on developing his game during the offseason to how highly he ranks the Clippers’ current team. It was an insightful interview by Basketball Insiders, and Griffin ended the talk on an extremely promising note for fans who like to keep the future of their franchise in mind.
When asked if he thought he’d like to finish his career in L.A., Blake gave a realistic and honest answer as to how he’d like to see his future pan out:
"Basketball Insiders: Los Angeles seems perfect for you given your interests and laid-back personality. Could you see yourself finishing your career with the Clippers?Blake Griffin: “Yeah, I mean L.A. is my home now. This is where I got drafted and I’ve been here since the beginning. I’ve been with this franchise during some bad times. You know, it hasn’t always been like it is now; anytime you have a chance to go from that to this, you feel invested. I’m not looking to go anywhere. With that being said, you never know [in this business]. But I’m happy here, I love it here, and I would love to finish my career here.”"
From the moment Griffin joined the Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft as the first overall pick and emerged as Rookie of the Year in 2010-11 after averaging 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, the high-flying power forward has always looked like the future of the team next to Chris Paul. Griffin’s been an All-Star every season of his five year career and that trend won’t be changing as long as he’s healthy.
With CP3’s arrival in 2011, the Clippers clearly had a duo that would be capable of rescuing them from the bottom of the Western conference. And sure enough, they’ve now won at least 56 games over the last three seasons. Blake has been a pivotal part of that recent success, but in order for the Clippers to go to the next level and actually contend for a title, they need their five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA power forward to take them there.
Although, after diversifying and evolving his game every season, he never ceases to amaze with how he’s adding to his already elite skill-set. So, there’s really no way to doubt what he brings to the future of the Clippers.
Griffin wasn’t unrealistic by jumping to the conclusion that he can easily stay in L.A. for the entirety of his career, though. The NBA is a business, and all sorts of unexpected changes can occur; just take this offseason and the sudden return of DeAndre Jordan, for example.
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However, the way Griffin emphasized how invested he feels after seeing the Clippers improve during his time with them, to stating that he’d love to finish his career with the team, gives fans and the organization alike a great deal of reassurance that their star isn’t keen on weighing-up his options elsewhere in the near future.
He continued to showcase his expanding range and stellar playmaking in the playoffs last season by averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, which reminded everyone that he can change the game in a variety of ways that almost no other player can.
If he doesn’t change his mind about wanting to retire with the Clippers, we can expect Blake Griffin and his triple doubles to be the cornerstone of the franchise for many years to come.
Few statements about the future could sound better than that.
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