Blake Griffin 's NBA career was nothing short of spectacular. Although the six-time All-Star came up short in his attempts to win the NBA title, Griffin made a name for himself as one of the most versatile forwards of his generation while also being one of the most explosive dunkers in NBA history.
Blake Griffin's professional career spanned 13 years, during which he ended up playing on four different teams, namely the Los Angeles Clippers , the Detroit Pistons , the Brooklyn Nets , and the Boston Celtics . While he was most impactful during his days with the Clippers and the Pistons, his tenure with the Nets and the Celtics was also noteworthy.
Although he was a superstar in every sense, having been a part of championship-contending rosters, Blake Griffin had the opportunity to play alongside some immensely talented players. Hence, when asked to create his starting lineup of former NBA teammates , Griffin's picks didn't disappoint.
"I'm going with Chris Paul at point guard," he began. "James Harden at the two, Kevin Durant at the three, DeAndre [Jordan] at the five… and I'll go Al Horford at my power forward."
Blake Griffin joked about including himself in this list but opted to keep himself out. However, even with this exclusion, Griffin's starting lineup looks quite impressive. With five All-NBA players, boasting a combined 45 All-Star appearances, Griffin's roster looks solid. Still, the former Clippers' superstar wasn't convinced by this lineup.
"Oh, man. LaMarcus [Aldridge]. I forgot about LaMarcus," he added. "I'll go with LaMarcus Aldridge with my power forward… Oh my gosh, I forgot Jayson Tatum!"
After a brief pause, Blake Griffin shared his amended list, stating:
"Can I get Chris Paul at the point? I'm going to put Jayson Tatum at my two. I'm going to put Kevin Durant at my three. I'll go LaMarcus at my four and DeAndre at five. That was tough. I had to leave off Kyrie and James Harden. Whatever. It's no good answer."
Even after making some adjustments, Blake Griffin wasn't satisfied with his list. However, one could argue that his swaps may have marginally boosted his overall roster strength.
For starters, selecting Chris Paul as his starting point guard makes perfect sense. Considering that Griffin considers Paul one of the top five point guards in NBA history , with career averages of 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game, the 11-time All-Star was bound to earn a mention on this list.
Another former Clippers' teammate who earns a spot in this rotation is DeAndre Jordan . While not the most gifted center from a technical perspective, Jordan's impact as a rebounder, lob threat, and rim protector earned him two All-Defensive and three All-NBA selections. Given his career averages of 8.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, he was impactful .
Aside from the Clippers, Griffin mentioned two former teammates from his brief tenure with the Brooklyn Nets in his starting lineup: Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge .
Mentioning Kevin Durant seems to be a no-brainer. With career averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, Durant is one of the greatest offensive players to ever play the game. When also noting his 16 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA selections, four scoring titles, two NBA championships (with two Finals MVPs), and one MVP award, he is easily one of Griffin's most noteworthy teammates.
LaMarcus Aldridge was a late mention, eventually earning the nod over Al Horford , but in some ways, this seems justified. Before his injury, Aldridge was an elite power forward. Although Griffin only played with him in the final years of his career, where he averaged 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, in his prime, Aldridge was one of the most effective power forwards in the game .
Although none of his teammates from his time with the Pistons were mentioned in this list, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum found himself getting the nod ahead of James Harden. Blake Griffin was part of the Celtics the year before the franchise won their 18th title. While unfortunate, the 2022-23 season was arguably Tatum's best from an individual standpoint.
That season, the Celtics' superstar averaged 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field and 35.0% from three-point range. Although Boston's playoff push was cut short in the ECF by the Miami Heat , Tatum's individual brilliance could not be overlooked.
In all fairness, given that Blake Griffin was forced to exclude himself, Kyrie Irving , and James Harden , there is reason to believe that this lineup could see more adjustments. But aside from the sheer strength of this roster, it simply goes to show the quality of talent Griffin has played with during his career.
