This Day in Black Sports History: February 20, 2011

When Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich called his number in the first quarter of the 60th NBA All-Star Game, Blake Austin Griffin became a part of black sports history at the tender age of 21.

After his participation in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, in which he scored 14 points, and his rousing victory in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Griffin’s entry into the annual showcase marked the first time in league history a player has taken part in all three events during All-Star Weekend.

The historic achievement was merely another highlight reel in what has been a memorable rookie season for the Los Angeles Clippers superstar power forward, who’s averaging 22.8 points and 12.6 rebounds in the first 56 games of his blossoming career.

But even in high school, where he was integral in Oklahoma Christian School winning four consecutive state championships, Griffin appeared to be destined for greatness.

During his junior season, Griffin averaged 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and as a senior, he posted 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per contest, which resulted in scholarship offers from college basketball powerhouses such as Duke, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

When push finally came to shove though, the Oklahoma City, Okla. native chose to stay home, accepting a scholarship to play for the University of Oklahoma as one of the highest-rated and most decorated recruits in state history.

In his freshman season at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game, becoming the first Sooner to earn Big 12 All-Rookie Team honors since Wayman Tisdale in 1983. And although he was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Griffin decided to return to Oklahoma for a second season to mature physically and lead the team to the NCAA Championship.

Griffin failed to accomplish the latter, as Oklahoma fell to North Carolina in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, but flourished individually, posting 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game. Griffin’s standout year would garner him a myriad of Player of the Year awards, including the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.

Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Griffin with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after he announced he was giving up his final two years of eligibility two months earlier.

Unfortunately, Griffin would not play a single game during the 2009-10 campaign due to season-ending surgery on his broken left kneecap, which he injured during a preseason game.

Nevertheless, Griffin worked vigorously to rehabilitate his knee, and get himself into playing shape, to fulfill the tremendous promise he exhibited as an amateur.

Since he missed all of last season, Griffin was still considered a rookie entering the 2010-11 season, where he has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December and January.

In addition, Griffin has set Clippers’ franchise records for most consecutive double-doubles (23) and most points scored in a game by a rookie (47).

Griffin also became the first rookie since the 1996-97 season (Allen Iverson) to have two 40+ games, as well as the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game by the coaches since San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan in 1998.

One can only imagine what Griffin will do for an encore.

Black Sports History Honorable Mention

Kobe Bryant (37 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals) tied Bob Pettit for the most All-Star Game MVP Awards (four).

LeBron James (29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) became only the second player (Michael Jordan) in All-Star Game history to record a triple-double.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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Blake Grifin Jumps Over Car, Wins 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

After a rather lackadaisical Slam Dunk contest last season, this year was expected to pull out all the stops.

Last night, Clippers rookie sensation Blake Griffin pulled out all the stops and won the event with this dunk over a car:

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Three Nasty Dunks From 2011 NBA All Star Rookie-Sophomore Game

With the NBA All Star festivies kicking off yesterday, the Rookie-Sophomore game decided to test the boundaries of the air.

Here are the three best dunks of the night:

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Spotlight For NBA All-Star Weekend In LA Will Be On A Clipper, Not A Laker

It’s that time of the year again where the NBA’s most talented will showcase their skills to the world for one weekend. The city of Los Angeles will host this year’s All-Star festivities that kicks off tonight.

Although the Staples Center is more known as the home of the Lakers, this year’s big weekend will focus on a player who plays on that very same court but sports a different color jersey than the usual yellow and purple.

That man is this season’s new sensation and is taking the public’s breath away after each game: the Los Angeles Clippers’ high flying power forward Blake Griffin.

He will be the only player that will be involved in at least one component for each day of the weekend. Griffin will be one of the headliners for the Rookie/Sophomore game, a favorite for the Slam Dunk challenge, and a reserve for the Western Conference All-Star team.

It’s truly amazing how the first few years have unfolded for the former Oklahoma Sooner. After being drafted first overall by the Clippers, Griffin suffered a huge setback by hurting his knee in the preseason. This injury forced him to be a spectator for his first season in the NBA and a forgotten entity as an unproven rookie prior to entering the 2010-11 campaign.

Now it is the defense that wishes he was still an unknown as he has been a dizzying head case, flying by his opposition with rim-rocking dunks and finishing off ally-oops. His continuous highlight real plays have been plastered all over SportsCenter and that ability is the main reason why he will be the biggest draw over any Laker this weekend.

It is shocking to think that Griffin will be a bigger draw than Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, mainly due to their team’s performances up until the break. The Clippers are the third worst team in the West and would not even qualify for the playoffs at this point. The Lakers are third best team in the West and are a strong favorite to win their third straight title.

Yet, it’ll still be all about Griffin from Friday to Sunday.

The spotlight shinning on him will be a new vision in comparison to what is commonly popular at the Staples Center. Bryant is undoubtedly one of the most popular players in the league and has been for over a decade now. He is a consistent name that pops up in every debate about who the best player in the league and sets the bar for greatness in the NBA.

The “Black Mamba” though will be taking a back seat this weekend as Griffin’s every move will have the public’s eyes stuck to their high definition, flat screen televisions.
This is due mainly to his unique ability that has captured the public’s attention: dunking.

During the Rookie Challenge, the high-speed, high-octane guard John Wall will keep his eyes open to throw lobs in the direction of Griffin as often as possible. The first pick of the 2010 draft loves to be on the passing end of climactic plays and will have the first pick of the 2009 draft and the best finisher in the NBA completing those highlight alley-oop tosses.

He will then be the centerpiece of the Skills Challenge as he tries to resurrect the luster and attraction of the Slam Dunk contest. Recently many unknown, young stars have been participants of this event. This has lowered the standard of the exhibition and the buzz it builds in the days prior. Griffin will hope to inspire other great stars to bring this event back for the future, as he will put on display his creativity and unique jumping ability before millions of viewers.

Finally, in the Sunday All-Star game, he will become the first rookie to be a part of the game since Tim Duncan was selected back in 1998. He will be a breath of fresh air, along with fellow youngsters and first timers Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, to an event that’s been dominated by the usual, multiple selection stars like Bryant, Duncan, and Kevin Garnett. He will try to show that he is more than a high-flying acrobat against some of the greatest players in the league.

Staples Center will be jumping and bubbling with excitement when the Celebrity Game kicks off as the opening event for the next three days. For a stadium that features banner after banner of Lakers championships, it will be a lone Clipper that will be the center of attention for the 2011 All-Star weekend.

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NBA Future Under A Great Insurance Policy

The NBA sure sounds like an all-state insurance company commercial: meaning that they are in good hands.

For many of the big superstars the league has leaned upon since the mid to late 1990s, it appears there ability is waning. Shaquille O’Neal has played sparingly over the past few years, former high school draft picks Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are starting to break down, and former franchise stars like Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis are now relegated as role players.

Those players listed above (as well as others who fit that criteria) have been supplanted by the youngsters during their prime, who are now the superstars and marquee names they used to be. The faces of Lebron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are plastered everywhere when it comes to headlining games and promotions for the league.

Yet, with all the promise of their current talent, the NBA faces the issue (as all sports do) about the next generation and if they can maintain the popularity when your stand out players near the end of their career?

The NBA faced that problem after Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson left, but were lucky that the next line of players picked up where they left off (that group is the one first discussed with headliners like O’Neal, Bryant, and McGrady). Now that torch is passed on to James and his fellow comrades.

So who will be next in line when that group nears the end of their route and need to pass the baton?

Here’s a look at the next line of stars (all 25 years old or younger) in the NBA that have potential to represent the next generation:

Blake Griffin – Forward – Age: 21

It’s the evolution of the big men: Darryl Dawkins to Shawn Kemp to Amar’e Stoudemire to the next one – Blake Griffin.

The top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Griffin was unable to showcase his talents in his inaugural season after he had to sit out with a knee injury. A devastating blow to a Los Angeles Clippers organization known for its bad luck, it actually became a blessing in disguise when the 2010-11 year got under way.

As the season progressed, it has become “the Blake Griffin Show” with the way the former Oklahoma Sooner has been playing. He is the talk of the NBA and fans come out to see his extraordinary combination of strength and quickness. He dunks the ball with such ferocity, that rims appear to quake when he rises up towards them. He also has a strong knack for swallowing up rebounds like a vacuum sucking dirt off the carpet.

He continues to develop his overall game and gives opposing coaches nightmares when they imagine how great of an inside presence he could become.

Monta Ellis – Guard – Age: 25

Sometimes, evolving into the greatness a player could be takes trials, tribulations, and time to reach. When they finally begin to meet that criteria, it is definitely bitter sweet.

Monta Ellis is the epitome of how tough life can be for an NBA player who wants to become elite. After being drafted out of high school as a second round pick in 2005, his career has been like an ocean: sporadic waves that hit highs and lows.

First, he was named the most improved player in his second season, then signed a big multi-year deal to be the face of the Warriors after his third season. He would then get into a moped accident that kept him out for most of his fourth season, and was thrown around in numerous trade talks during his fifth season.

Now in his sixth season, Ellis is finally becoming an all-around player and a leader for the Golden State Warriors. He is the fourth leading scorer in the NBA and is becoming a dangerous shooter from all spots on the court. Match that with his deceptive quickness and his boldness for attacking the rim for a man of his stature, and you’re looking at the rise of one of the best guards in the league.

Kevin Love – Forward/Center – Age: 23

For many of the new, youthful faces that join the NBA, they enter as a high draft pick that usually means playing for a small market and/or an inferior.

Add former UCLA big man Kevin Love to that list. The 23-year-old phenom is one of the best kept secrets in the league primarily because he plays for a franchise that has been in the doldrums of the NBA for years.

That hasn’t stopped the combo forward/center from playing at a lights out level this season. While he’s not the freakish athlete that Griffin is, Love’s toughness and high basketball IQ allows him make the right play and be in the right position all the time. This uncanny ability is the reason he is currently the NBA’s leading rebounder over others with flabbergasting leaping ability like Stoudemire or Dwight Howard.

He’ll probably never win a high jump or a 100-yard dash match, but Love makes the game look easy and will continue to do so in the future.

John Wall – Guard – Age: 20

A dance isn’t the only way the public will know about this young sensation after a few more NBA seasons.

Just on the very of growing up at the young age of 20, John Wall is quietly making the jump from collegiate leader of the Kentucky Wildcats to the savior of the Washington Wizards.

The reason for the silence is mostly attributed to Griffin, who is the hottest rookie that people are talking about this season. Despite that, the speedy point guard is deserving of equal accolade with how his play this season. He’s currently fifth in the league in assists and is completing that task with little support on a rebuilding team.

Along with his vision running the offense, the speed and quickness he possess is remarkably frightening. Sometimes he looks so fast that it seems as if he’ll never be able to stop himself right when he approaches the rim. The problem for those defending him is that he’s so strong and composed, even with that breakneck velocity, he’s always able to score or make a great pass.

After some refining and polishing, Wall won’t be just dancing for the fans, but by every defender in the NBA as well.

There will always be new and promising players that enter American professional sports outlets; it is the NBA, though, that appears to have the edge in the hopeful outlook for the future. There are even current superstars that are extremely young, such as Howard (25), Kevin Durant (22), Derrick Rose (22) and Rajon Rondo (24) that will only get better in time.

The public’s got to feel a great assurance with the future of pro basketball; because like a good neighbor, the NBA will be there.

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Blake Griffin Goes Coast To Coast For Poster Dunk

It seems like only a matter of time until Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin makes another great play that hits this website.

During last night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he went coast to coast with this impressive dunk:

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Blake Griffin Kisses the Rim on Alley-Oop Dunk

During last night's Clippers/Rockets affair, Clippers Blake Griffin threw down a nasty-dunk off of an alley-oop pass from Eric Bledsoe.

Griffin gets up so high that he nearly kisses the rim:

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Blake Griffin Brings the Thunder, One Handed Put-Back Jam

While the #1 overall pick for this year's NBA draft John Wall will play tonight, we got to see the debut of 2009 #1 pick in Blake Griffin last night.

After ending his night with 20 points and 14 rebounds, let's just say that Mr. Griffin didn't disappoint us one bit and this jam might be on the Clippers highlight film for awhile:



(Courtesy of The Big Lead)

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Blake Griffin And DeAndre Jordan Unveil The New L.A. Clippers Jerseys

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan show off the Clippers new uniforms for the 2010-11 season. Blake shows off the home white, while Jordan sports the away red.

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NBA Top 50: Blake Griffin (No. 32)

2009 - Blake Griffin, originally uploaded by espnphotos.

OtB is counting down the days 'til the NBA 2009-10 season tips off by ranking the top 50 players in the league. On Friday there are 32 days left.

Around the time of the draft, there was debate over whether a first overall pick in a solid draft was worth more or less than a solid vet who'd been in the league say seven to ten years. Obviously, it depends entirely on the specific players you're comparing. However, when it comes to Blake Griffin, the choice seems obvious. Okay, you wouldn't give up your best guy on your roster to get him, but your second guy? Hell's yeah. There's nowhere to go but up for Griffin, and that's not assuming a low starting position. He even has people talking about the Clippers and Baron Davis as relevant again. I don't know that he'll be that good, but he certainly looks to make an impact right away.

Playing for Oklahoma, Blake was a beast, averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds. He may be a bit undersized, but that's a tired criticism to begin with. The inexorable work ethic he's already displayed to get to this level make Griffin as near a sure thing as there is. And it all comes together to make him as interesting as any Blake coming out of Oklahoma this year. Maybe it's a good thing he got out of the Sooner state...

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Playing It Close: Griffin and the NBA taking the Sub

There are signs all over that money is tight even for organizations that cut million dollar contracts regularly. Wednesday, New York was singing, "Five Dollar Six-Foot-Nine Long!" as Blake Griffin played a Subway version of H-O-R-S-E. We kid, but perhaps someday down the line, we'll see NBA players dining at Subway more often than they do at the Cheesecake Factory, taking the sub to work, or even riding a bike like Lou. Okay, that's also a shot at giggles, but seriously, NBA teams are skimping on scouting opponents. The New Jersey Nets released Paul Cormier last week. The Spurs and Wizards are trying the same thing. Other teams are cutting back on the number of assistant coaches they carry. The idea is that teams are paying for the ridiculously huge contracts they're giving head coaches...or players.

(big mahalo to NBA Fanhouse for the Griffin sighting)

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Era-ta: With Ferocity and Skill

A little time to think now (and if you're keeping score at home, that's two semi-pop references already: the title comes from an Atmosphere lyric, and the opening is all White Stripes), but not really time to write. Thus, a single shot of Era-ta for tonight. (Right off the bat, sorry for all the parentheticals. I'm in a mood. And where do these pics come from?)

I was thinking about two seemingly dis-contiguous things tonight and found a connection which I'd like to share. The first thing I've been mulling over was, of course, the Lakers' loss at the hands of the wily Nuggets Thursday night. Sigh. Sometimes it sucks being the fan of the underacheiving mega-force. Well, mostly because of the underachieving part. But I was thinking about this in the background while I front-lobally (never confuse me for a brain surgeon, but because it was this kind of cranial crack-shot work, I differentiate between it and the deep thinking that usually occurs in the background, and instead I call this) processed thoughts about who would be fun to share a locker room with (more actual/deep/not-pretentious...okay, not really thoughts on locker room chemistry at some future date). As my thoughts became mixed with my processes (and maybe I'm still mixing, maybe this melting pot is combusting towards implosion...), I centered on Kenyon Martin.

Nevermind what I think/process about him as a potential locker room presence. (And is my eventual discussion of such a topic further removed from reality as it is something that might actually be reported and not simply written upon conjecture?) The Kenyon Martin re-collection schema burst into my second under-grounded-(thought) stream and I realized the connection I'd been slowly mulling towards. See, the second subterranean water source had been welling up from the recesses of lottery fall-outs and after-maths. That's why/how I realized: oh, Blake Griffin reminds me of Kenyon Martin.

At first I thought he was somehow reminding me of Marcus Fizer, but that was too disparaging (that 2000 draft really was terrible). Look, it's not like Griffin is a highly touted defender (and enforcer) like Martin was coming out of college. And it's certainly not a dispositional thing. But perhaps it is a positional thing. The Fizer tell perhaps suggests I still have a tweener-phobia-era hang-up. Okay, they play the same position. And they're the same height. But I think what's really doing it for me is the slow trickle of whispers.

Yes, that's former commanderin-chief Bill Clinton and Hillary too

When I first peeped the inkling that Griffin wasn't the sure thing (edit: sure thing super star, and I can't find that link anymore...what's happening to me?) he's been cracked up to be, gears got set into motion. What did this remind me of? It was nine years ago, and...well, you get the picture. I'm not saying Griffin won't have a solid career, I'm just cautioning my giddily young internal fan against putting too much stock. (not wise anyway, in recession) Griffin could have as strong a showing as Derrick Rose, he could actually do something for that Clippers org., or he could have a career more similar to that of Martin. He could have his nickname stolen by a Sacramento guard half his size. He could play alongside someone who makes you think, "Wait, who was the number one pick? Not Carmelo?" Just saying.

One last note. Despite Griffin's suavette (pls. pron. as in naivette, i.e. soo-AHV-eh-tay), general dapperness, and charisma (the word, btw, taken out of the Atmosphere line that heads this post), his lineaments, or the epidermis thereupon, cannot help but reveal a certain boyishness in him. Almost a bookishness. I'm reminded of a comment I think FD made about Rondo vs. Rose. Rondo is the chiseled from (paradoxical-) primordial rock, smooth criminal. Rose is the acne blushed savant. Okay, not savant, but there again we have that naivette lingering around the edges of I don't know what. Anyway, with Rose and Griffin leading the charge for baby-faced, prepubescent athletes of the future, maybe my call for dorkier ballers will not go unheeded.

And maybe this is all stupid. I know practically nothing about college ball. Still, I wouldn't want to die Robert Zimmerman. I'm not satisfied just wading through the Reed Sea and the Egyptians' vanity, I want to part the Red Sea. Milk and honey for anyone who <3s all of this.

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Windfalls (and Flubs)

Aloha. I have about 15 minutes to get up a lottery post (if Hawai'i hasn't moved in time-relation to the world again) before all the silt hits the river floor and the conspiracists start rolling. Thus, no time for advanced non-analysis. Just a little side-spit. The NBA Lottery is the ugly step-sister that you have to dance with before you get to marry whichever cinderella-man you eventually want to end up (or trade along with cash considerations). But it's also where a lot of the drama for the draft is set up.

With this in mind, I wanted to take a quick look at some of the memorable lottery windfalls and flubs. First, the obvious ones. The inaugural set the tone. Ewing to New York. In those days there were seven envelopes. No ping-pong balls. Other notables were Shaqtus & Penny/C-Webb to Orlando, Duncan to San Anton, and Rose to The City of Wind. Most of those "windfalls" did not actually lay far outside of reasonable reason. They were within the top five teams likely to snab that prized young'n. It's not that much of a reach for any of the top five teams in the lottery to win, as they have at least 9% chance to win. That second Orlando pick was the real doozy of this lot, as the Magic were the least likely in the bunch to land the top pick. Too fast, too young, as evident by the so soon after immolation. The other notable lottery windfall? New Jersey in 2000. They were seventh most likely to win the top pick, which may not seem like much of a slide from top five. However, it represents a probability drop from ten or more percent to less than five percent likelihood. What they did with their windfall? Kenyon Martin.

Anyway, I'm not much of a statnik, and I didn't write my undergraduate research on the topic, but I thought it was at least mentioning. By my observations, no other team has won the lottery with less of a percentage besides that 1994 Orlando prestidigitation feat. For New York to win this year's lottery, a much blog-o-touted desire of David Stern's? They have less than 3% chance. Blake Griffin, I hope you like small town dining. Or perpetual losing at the hands of Mike Dunleavy, Sr. and Donald Sterling. Speaking of flubs, what are the big ones? We all know the many draft flubs that seem inavoidable. Olowakandi, Kwame Brown, Joe Smith, Sam Bowie, and Andrea Bargnani come to mind (though not without reason or redemption). The only real name-recognition lottery flub, however, is the one where Boston was highly thought about to land Tim Duncan, but instead wound up with the third pick and Chauncey Billups (not such a bad looking pick now, huh?). Cheers!

EDIT: 8:30 EST is when it goes down? Oh well, I have a meeting anyway.

UPDATE: Sacramento drops to fourth and the Wiz to fifth (updated live). This effectively crushes Sacto's future hopes and Oklahoma's dreams of doing like Chicago and Cleveland and keeping their native son.

Oh man, astronomical groan. Clippers get another first pick. So put three years (and a month) on the clock for Blake Griffin's eventual trading to his real team. Although Griff and Boom Dizzle is not without a little intrigue. It also makes the number two pick debatable, because Memphis doesn't necessarily need another guard like Rubio.

Chicago sent an exec last year, and the Clips sent one this year. C-Webb, DJ Augustin, and a Sacramento fan recently failed to pull the first pick for their teams. Apparently gimmicks are not the way to go for lottery luck.

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Blake Griffin - Oklahoma Sooner, Terminator

Blake Griffin of the Oklahoma Sooners recently went for 40 points and 23 rebounds against Texas Tech, his 22nd double double of the season. Pretty impressive right?

More impressive, to me at least, is the amazing opinion Knight gave on Griffin's play in this incredible quote:

“Have you guys ever seen the movie, ‘The Terminator?’ That’s what that kid is like,” Knight said. “That kid has no facial expressions. He just plays and it’s like every kid out there on him is like Sarah Connor, and he’s just going to take his time and kill him."

Shame Kyle Reese wasn't available for the game. If anyone could cover Griffin in the low post, it'd be him.

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