Blake Griffin retires from NBA

Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin announced his retirement from professional basketball Tuesday after a 14-year NBA career.

Griffin last played in the league on a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics during the 2022-23 campaign. He suited up in 41 games, including 16 starts, averaging 4.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 13.9 minutes.

The 2011 Slam Dunk champion is arguably best remembered for his eight-and-a-half years with the Los Angeles Clippers, who drafted him first overall in 2009. Though he missed what would've been his rookie campaign with a fractured kneecap, he made an immediate impact in 2010-11, playing in all 82 games and averaging 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists en route to Rookie of the Year honors.

One of the most explosive athletes in the league during his prime, Griffin dominated highlight reels with vicious poster dunks, the most famous of which was arguably his rookie-year throwdown over then-New York Knicks big man Timofey Mozgov.

Alongside fellow rim-runner DeAndre Jordan and later, veteran guard Chris Paul, Griffin helped usher in the Clippers' "Lob City" era, which peaked with a 57-win season in 2013-14 and a conference semifinals appearance under Doc Rivers.

Despite re-signing in L.A. on a five-year, $173-million deal, the Clippers shipped Griffin six months later to the Detroit Pistons, where the five-time All-NBAer remodeled his game after persistent injuries took a toll on his athleticism. In 2018-19, he averaged a career-best 24.5 points along with 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the Motor City. He also stretched out to the 3-point line as a shooter, putting up a personal high of seven attempts per contest while shooting 36.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Following a buyout in March 2021, Griffin joined the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the season before re-upping on a one-year deal that summer. The 6-foot-9 forward first transitioned to a reserve role with the Nets but still made the occasional start, including in his first 17 games of 2021-22.