Blake Griffin Gave A Heartfelt Statement Of Gratitude To Clippers Fans After Being Traded

When Blake Griffin re-signed with the Clippers this summer, he did so following an over-the-top recruitment from the L.A. brass that included a mock jersey retirement at Staples Center, complete with a choir, as they tried to sell him on being a Clipper for life.

Seven months later, Griffin found himself being traded to the Detroit Pistons in a stunning, blockbuster deal that sent the Clippers a package headlined by Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris and a 2018 first round pick. After inking Griffin to a near-max contract, all signs pointed to the Clippers being all-in on building around him, but a sputtering start to the season clearly changed the Clippers’ course as an organization.

Now, the rebuild is on in L.A. and most anticipate DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams to be next to get moved before the Feb. 8 deadline. Griffin is headed to Detroit to pair with Andre Drummond and help their playoff push in the East, but with both teams out of action on Monday night he was able to reflect on his 8.5 years in L.A. and release a more full statement on his time there than his initial reaction of surprise.

It’s a nice statement from Griffin that comes off as genuine. What may be the most incredible part of all of this is that it’s going down almost exactly how he described it in a stand-up routine he performed back in 2016, noting the awkwardness of getting traded.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/958122263798304769

On the inside, you can bet Griffin is frustrated and hurt by the move, but he’s doing the right thing with his public statements. He signed with the intention of staying in L.A., where he’s found himself with a budding film career along with all of his various commercials, and now has to uproot that to go to Detroit, which is a very different place.

That said, as LeBron’s manager put so eloquently earlier this year, in this day and age, guys can have sponsorship and film opportunities no matter where they live because they can only film during the offseason anyways. Griffin’s L.A. residence will likely become his offseason home and his Detroit pad will be for in-season living.