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"I'm thankful for every single moment -- not
just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the
memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates, and
coaches," he wrote.
He continued: "I'm equally thankful for the not-so-good moments:
the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the
lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn't be [a] sports
retirement letter without acknowledging the ‘haters.' All of
these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly
unforgettable, and I can't help but to just feel thankful."
Griffin, 35, was a six-time All-Star forward who won the 2010-11
Rookie of the Year Award with the Los Angeles Clippers, who
selected him first overall in the 2009 draft. Griffin missed the
2009-10 season due to a knee injury.
Griffin also made the first of five straight All-Star
appearances in 2010-11 and won the Slam Dunk Contest, leaping
over a car for a dunk.
Despite the addition of Chris Paul in 2011-12, the Clippers
never got past the Western Conference semifinals during the
Griffin era and traded him to the Detroit Pistons during the
2017-18 season. Griffin had signed a five-year, $171 million
extension with the Clippers a few months earlier.
After stints with the Pistons and Brooklyn Nets, Griffin played
last season for the Boston Celtics but did not play in the NBA
this season.
His best season came in 2013-14, when he finished third in MVP
voting after averaging 24.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.9
assists.
For his career, Griffin averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and
4.0 assists in 765 games (692 starts). He received second-team
All-NBA honors three times and third-team All-NBA twice.
--Field Level Media
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