The Lake Show can step aside. The Blake Show is on.
Blake Griffin is quickly usurping the throne of Kobe Bryant as most entertaining athlete in Southern California. With his endless spree of YouTube-able dunks, eye-popping scoring numbers and relentlessly energetic play on both ends of the floor, the 21-year-old former No. 1 draft pick is letting Los Angeles know that he’s here to stay.
Soon, he’ll get his chance to let the rest of the world know, too.
Griffin will undoubtedly be the star of next month’s slam dunk contest at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. With the usual suspects from past years out of the way, the coast is clear for Griffin to take the stage and dominate with America watching.
And if there’s any justice at all in the world, Griffin will be front and center for the All-Star Game on Feb. 20 as well.
The time has come for Griffin to be anointed as the future of the NBA. He’s the perfect blend of hard worker, competitor, entertainer, and — even though he’s barely old enough to drink — leader. The league is his oyster. It’s time for everyone to see what he can do.
Griffin scored 47 points in a single game on Monday against the Indiana Pacers, a new Clippers rookie record. He did it on only 24 shots, making an absurd 19 of them, and he did it with only one dunk. The performance was one of remarkable efficiency, and it was enough for a 114-107 victory over a legitimate playoff team, the Clips’ fifth win in six games.
Griffin is an All-Star on merit alone. He’s proven that. Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol have all had great seasons, but Griffin’s inclusion at the Staples Center next month is more important than any of them. Not only does he have the numbers (22.5 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, 33 double-doubles), but he’s a rising icon in the game and needs to be recognized.
The Clippers began the season 1-13, considered hopelessly out of the race for a West playoff spot even before Thanksgiving. But now they’re relevant, and Griffin is the reason why.
It may sound strange, but Blake Griffin has been mired in obscurity despite playing in the second-largest city in America. It’s time for his coming-out party. How’s four weeks from Sunday sound?
Is Blake Griffin the future or the NBA? Should be an All-Star this season? Share your thoughts below.
