Thank You, Blake Griffin

Oct. 29, 2010

Hope, restored.

In your first career game, you went for 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. And just like that, questions turned into answers, and you were officially a Clipper.

A rookie season unlike any we’ve ever seen before.

Everyone remembers when you had your dunk fest versus the Knicks. They remember where they were when they saw what you did to Timofey Mozgov. You created a word for crying out loud. ‘Mozgov’d’

You were taking the NBA by storm. Arenas were filling up by the masses. Fans were piling in, with hopes of seeing who your next poster victim would be. And you delivered. Night after night, dunk after dunk. For the first time ever, people were excited about the Clippers. LA would sell out games at home, and on the road. How could this dream get any better?

Yeah, you went and jumped over a car.

You went and jumped over a freaking car. A memorable slam-dunk contest that we still haven’t forgotten.

The season finished, and once again, the Clippers failed to reach the playoffs. But this time, there wasn’t remorse after another let-down of a season. There was excitement. More than the season before. You won Rookie of the Year. Ending the season averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds a game, it appeared as if you were the star we had been so desperately coveting for so many years.