Former Net Blake Griffin Named Hall of Fame Finalist

Blake Griffin was recently named one of the finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The No. 1 pick of the 2009 NBA Draft was named an All-Star six times and to five All-NBA teams during his electrifying career.

Though the Oklahoma product was mostly known for his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, he found some success in other stops throughout his journey.

Griffin relied less on his athleticism and reinvented himself as an all-around player during his time with the Detroit Pistons, helping the team reemerge as playoff contenders.

However, the Pistons' ceiling hit a limit, so the two parties agreed to a buyout in 2021, clearing the way for the high flyer to join the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden-led Brooklyn Nets.

On paper, the Nets essentially boasted an All-Star team when Griffin first came aboard, with DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge rounding out the roster.

However, Aldridge was forced to retire after a handful of games in his first go-around with the Nets due to a rare heart condition.

Because of that and Jordan's declining defense, Griffin was thrust into the Nets' starting lineup as their small-ball center, a role he learned to embrace.

Griffin excelled as a lob threat and cutter with Harden setting him up for easy looks, and he routinely pushed the pace and helped set Durant and Irving for clean looks behind the arc as cutters.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward also wasn't afraid to get on the floor, fight for loose balls, and get after it on defense, serving as an enforcer on a team in desperate need of some physicality.

Griffin also stepped up when Harden and Irving went down in the Nets' 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Milwaukee Bucks, helping Brooklyn nearly escape with the series win while Durant's lanky frame carried most of the weight.

Seeing the potential the Nets had, Griffin signed up for another season with largely the same crew, with Aldridge rejoining the team in the offseason, though Jordan was traded away. However, multiple factors prevented the Nets from building off the success they had the previous season.

Though Griffin wasn't the same walking highlight he was earlier in his career, he still provided a ton of excitement during his short stay in Brooklyn, including a pass that began a highlight that defined just how unfairly talented this team was.

BASKETBALL IS MAGIC!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/hN16MoEVUC
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) May 17, 2021