L.A. Clippers forward Blake Griffin was quick to dismiss free agency rumors involving him and the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of their matchup Friday in OKC.
The five-time All-Star said that even his close group of friends know that he's focusing solely on this season and this team.
“People that I talk to and my friends and family from back home, I think they're… I would say true friends and family, where they know that my main focus is this season and this team,” Griffin told Andrew Han of ESPN after the Clippers blew out the Portland Trail Blazers 111-80 on Wednesday night. “And they know that I enjoy playing here and I love this team, coaching staff, everybody. So they know that that's my main focus. So I think they pretty much know not to bring that up.”
Griffin was raised in Oklahoma City and attended the University of Oklahoma, along with his brother, Taylor Griffin. He was drafted first overall by the Clippers in 2009 and became a focal part of the shifting of the franchise from a bottom-dweller to a consistent threat in the Western Conference.
The 6-foot-10 forward has no reason to move at the moment, as his Clippers sit at the top of the league standings with a 7-1 record and the best defensive efficiency, holding opponents under 88.3 points per game.
“It's honestly nothing I even really think about,” Griffin said to SiriusXM NBA Radio during the preseason. “Haven't had a conversation with anybody. That includes friends, family, agents, coaches, teammates… It's not a conversation I have. I got a lot of basketball left to play this year. I got a full season, postseason, still got some preseason. So that's on the back on my mind. I'll deal with that when the appropriate time comes. But right now isn't the time.”
Blake Griffin is in the fourth year of a five-year max extension he signed with the team during the 2012-13 season. He has an early termination option to enter free-agency after this season comes to a close.
Follow Us
Subscribe