Blake Griffin by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATT]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / Basketball, Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Sports & Recreation, Juvenile Nonfiction / Sports & Recreation / General
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2015-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

2009–2010

NBA: YEAR ONE

Blake thought about his future for a long time after his sophomore season ended. He talked to his mom and dad, Coach Capel, and his brother. Taylor was a senior and had used all four years of eligibility, meaning he had to either go pro or stop playing altogether. Even knowing Taylor wouldn’t be on the team, Blake still had a tough time making his decision.

If Blake stayed, it would be to complete another academic year as well as to challenge for a title and bring home trophies to Oklahoma. On the other hand, perhaps with his brother leaving and his prospects as bright as they would ever be, it was time to move on.

He thought about it and thought about it, and in the end, he was too excited about the chance to play in the pros. He decided he would declare for the NBA draft. At his press conference in early April, Blake talked about why he had made the choice.

“This past week, I have been going over in my mind what I should do,” said Blake. “I sat down with Coach Capel and my family, and I think it is time for me to move on and take my game to the next level. It was tough. I love playing here—this is my home state. This is the school I wanted to come to.… It is tough to walk away from something like this, but at the same time, this is a big opportunity. I felt like I was ready for it this year, as opposed to last year.”

It was a sad day for Coach Capel. He was clearly proud of his star player as he sat next to him at the press conference, but now he had some big shoes to fill. “[Blake] is probably one of the top two people I have ever been around and coached,” Coach Capel said. “That is why I know he is going to be incredibly successful.”

With the announcement out of the way, Blake’s only focus was preparing for the NBA Draft Combine. The combine is where the top potential NBA draftees come together in one place to prove their skills and have their measurements officially taken. At the combine, Blake measured in at six feet ten inches and 248 pounds, with a six-foot-eleven-inch wingspan.

Also coming out that year was Arizona State’s James Harden, Memphis’s Tyreke Evans, and Spain’s best prospect Ricky Rubio, as well as Jonny Flynn, Tyler Hansbrough, and Stephen Curry. It was a talent-heavy draft, and still Blake was the consensus best player in the draft year. Every mock draft had him as the first pick, and at the time, many pundits saw Blake as the only sure-fire prospect.

It is a great honor to be the first pick in the NBA draft. It means that player is the best one that year. However, it also means the player will be selected by one of the previous season’s weakest teams, since the system allows the teams with the worst records to pick first.

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