Blake Griffin still gets some love from Detroit fans
Former NBA superstar Blake Griffin announced his retirement from basketball earlier this week, calling it a career after an incredible run. A six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA team member, Griffin also had one of the most impressive career transformations in recent history.
Entering the league as an incredibly athletic power forward with little to no perimeter game, Griffin transformed himself into an elite point-forward towards the end of his prime. While Griffin’s athletic prime never fully aligned with his basketball prime, his 2018-19 campaign with the Detroit Pistons was his peak form.
Not quite the athlete he was in his early years with the LA Clippers, Griffin was still plenty athletic that year in Detroit, and at that point had fully developed an off-the-dribble three-point game to go along with his elite handle and playmaking ability for somebody his size.
Griffin’s All-NBA campaign in 2019 was enough to drag an abysmal Pistons roster to the playoffs, which is still Detroit’s most recent postseason appearance. Doing all he could for the Pistons fanbase, Griffin played two games on a torn meniscus in this series, ending his days as a star player.
During a recent appearance on Pardon My Take, Griffin said he still gets love from Pistons fans, but believes most hate him.
“Yeah, that was fun,” Griffin said of his time in Detroit. “I get some nice love from Pistons fans. I think maybe the majority probably hate me, but I’ll tell you what, I gave it – quite literally almost tried to give it my all.”
Griffin was booed every time he played in Detroit after agreeing to a buyout with the Pistons and signing with the Brooklyn Nets. While there was this perception that Griffin wasn’t giving full effort in his final games in Detroit, since he tallied a few dunks in Brooklyn shortly after arriving, the discussion is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
Never more than a role player after leaving Detroit, even the very best version of Griffin in 2021 would not have gotten any team to deal for his massive contract, which is why he gave back $13.3M in the buyout agreement with Detroit.
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