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Six-time NBA All-star Blake Griffin is now officially a member of the Boston Celtics. After spending the first 12 years of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, and Brooklyn Nets, Griffin will spend his 13th year with the Celtics.
After his signing was official, Griffin spoke with Celtics reporters during his first day of practice with his new team. Griffin revealed that he and President of Basketball of Operations Brad Stevens had developed a rapport dating back to when he was leaving the Pistons back in 2021.
“I talked to Brad two years ago when I leaving Detroit,” Griffin said. “(We) had a great conversation. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him, so that sparked back up.”
Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported that Griffin has asked a Celtics player about joining the team after being waived by the Pistons in 2021, but he was told to stay away.
“According to a source, Brooklyn’s Blake Griffin asked a Celtics player if he should join the team midseason and was told not to come to Boston because of the apparent dysfunction.”
It’s fair to say that much has changed since then, with the Celtics coming off a finals run and Griffin now being the Celtics’ latest addition.
Griffin Says Boston is a Free Agent Destination
While talking to reporters, Griffin admitted that NBA players agree that Boston has become a free agent destination among players, and not just because of their history as a franchise.
“Beyond the history that this franchise has, Boston has always been one of those places that, as an NBA player, I feel like guys are like, ‘It’d be a pretty cool experience to play there,'” Griffin said.
He then went on to explain that everything from top to bottom, including players, coaches, and the front office, made the Celtics appealing for him to join.
“Beyond that, the core they have, having Brad in the front office now, the coaches they have. I actually played against Joe (Mazzulla) in college. It’s this young core. The foundation they laid last year, I think, sets the table, so this is the kind of opportunity you couldn’t pass up.”
Boston as a Free Agent Destination
There is some validity to Griffin’s words. Since 2016, the Celtics have managed to sign some of the best players that had been available in their respective free agency classes – Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, and Kemba Walker. If that’s not enough, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported that Danilo Gallinari turned down more money from the Chicago Bulls to join the Celtics during 2022’s Free Agency period.
As Gallinari looked for a new home after the Hawks traded him to the Spurs and he agreed to a buyout, coming to Boston felt like a golden opportunity. He turned down more money in Chicago to take the Celtics’ $13.3 million offer over the next two seasons, which isn’t too hard a choice considering the 33-year-old will still hit $200 million in career earnings when his deal expires in 2024.
The Celtics had signed all-star players in the past like Rasheed Wallace, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jermaine O’Neal, but by the time they signed with the Celtics, their heyday as players were gone. Griffin may fall into that same category too, but those three came to Boston expected to play a role much like Griffin is too.
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