At its apex, the Lob City era in Los Angeles was truly something to behold. When Chris Paul teamed up with a young and springy Blake Griffin and an equally formidable athletic specimen in DeAndre Jordan, the results were exactly what you’d expect. They gave us highlight reel plays every night and vaulted a reeling franchise back to relevance.
And for a brief window, they were legitimate title contenders, boasting a trio of All-Stars and head coach with championship pedigree. Yet, they never quite reached their potential. They only sniffed the conference finals once when they lost to the Rockets in seven games in the second round in 2015.
It’s tempting to look back on their time together and see it as a disappointment, that a team with so much talent should’ve achieved so much more. Though a bit of that is inevitable, Griffin has a much healthier perspective on it these days.
Via Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN:
“I’m not saying that what I accomplished with the Clippers is my legacy or my success — I don’t mean all that,” Griffin says. “But what was expected of me or of that situation, it was surpassed. So I don’t care. I really don’t. That’s how I look at — that’s as honest as I can put it. There are things that I wish went differently, of course. But I learned a lot and I got to play with a lot of great players. I got to play in some really awesome games — fun games, big games. I had some big experiences.
“Now I’ve moved on.”
Griffin will make his return to Los Angeles to face his former team on Saturday, during which he’ll likely receive a warm reception from the home crowd.
Both sides have indeed moved on. The last remnant of the Lob City trio dissolved this summer as Jordan left for Dallas, and the Clippers have been a pleasant surprise again this season with a young and scrappy group of guys who have catapulted their team to No. 4 in the West.
The Pistons, on the other hand, are still a work in progress, but Griffin has seen a resurgence this season as he’s shown the world why he was once a perennial All-Star and widely considered one of the best big men in the game.
(ESPN)
