Blake Griffin is officially calling it a career.
The 35-year-old former All-Star announced on social media Tuesday that he’s retiring from the NBA after being out of the league this season.
“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,” Griffin said in a statement.
“I am 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 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.
“The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory ‘I’m excited for my next chapter’ part: just kidding, I’m done.”
The five-time All-NBA player and 2011 Rookie of the Year had playoff runs with the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics.
He was last seen on the court with the Boston Celtics in 2023 and players on the team had been clamoring for Griffin to return to the team in a bench role.
Griffin was recruited by guards Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White back in February when the team “begged him” to return.
Coach Joe Mazzulla had been told that Griffin wanted to be a full-time father.
“When he told me at the end of last year that his family was the most important thing, I stopped talking to him about it,” Mazzulla said, “because I know what it’s like to be away from your kids and away from your family.”
Griffin has two young children: Ford Wilson, who was born in 2013, and Finley Elaine, born the following year.
Griffin told GQ in 2014 that he felt “changed” by fatherhood after his daughter Finley was born.
“I wish I was able to be around more,” Griffin said. “The thing I hate the most is being gone for like two weeks and only seeing him on FaceTime. I missed the first time he rolled over, which isn’t a huge thing, but at the time I was like, ‘Man.’ I had—not a breakdown, but I just had a moment where I was like, ‘This sucks!’ You know, just missing stuff like that. But at the same time, it makes the stuff that I don’t miss that much more special.”
