As 6x NBA All-Star Blake Griffin contemplates his basketball future, the possibility of a reunion with his former team seems like an increasingly plausible scenario.
In eight seasons with the Clippers, Griffin was one of the NBA’s best power forwards, averaging 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 51% shooting. But following his trade to the Pistons in 2018, Blake burned the Clippers, and team owner Steve Ballmer, for what he saw as the ultimate betrayal.
With Blake Griffin's days with the Pistons nearing the end, I'm reminded how the Clippers raised his jersey in a mock retirement ceremony, signed him to a max extension & 7 months later, traded him to Detroit. A year later, Steve Ballmer wanted a handshake pic.twitter.com/adCuoZf5Xw
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 15, 2021
Years later, and Griffin has the opportunity to go back. The question is, is he willing to shove aside his pride and give Ballmer an apology, or has that bridge already been burned?
In a segment on Firsts Take, Stephen A. Smith spoke on the subject.
“Me, personally, I think he could go back to the Clippers and help. But guess what? In order to do that, you know what he needs to do? Apologize to owner Steve Ballmer. Because when a man stands there mid-court, waiting for you to finish shootaround just to shake your hand and to say hello to you, and you just run off and disrespect him — that was completely uncalled for, completely unprofessional.
Do I think that Blake Griffin could go back to the Clippers and help the Clippers? Yeah, I think he could do it. I think he can. I don’t wanna see him on the Lakers, I don’t think that’s the right way to go.”
Blake has been put on the sidelines by Detroit as they secure his exit from the team.
If he gets bought out, he will have his pick of any team in the league. No doubt, a return to Clipper-land, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, would be the most poetic choice.
