While history might not remember Zach Randolph versus Blake Griffin as one of the best rivalries of all time, the two big men had their fair share of run-ins over the years. From the time Griffin threw Randolph to the floor with a hard foul in Game 7 of their playoff series in 2012 to the time Z-Bo appeared to get a little too “personal” with Blake in 2013, the matchups between the centers rarely lacked for fireworks.
Perhaps most famously (infamously?) was a play late in the fourth quarter of their game in November of 2012. With the two fighting for a rebound, Randolph not only body slammed Griffin to the ground but then appeared to wrap his arm around Griffin's neck and choke him.
Appearing on a podcast to discuss his career, Randolph hilariously recalled the run-in:
“You know Blake is so strong and he tries to clips you and do all sorts of dirty [stuff] that the refs don't see” Randolph said. “Our arms got locked, and I thought he was going to break my arm, so what I did is I put my weight on him and fell on him. And then…I dont know, somehow my hand got around his throat” Z-Bo explained laughing.
Though the altercation was intense in the moment, requiring both players to be separated by their teammates, Zach Randolph quickly said that both he and Griffin had patched things up. Referring to the current Detroit big man as his friend, Randolph said he looked back on Griffin's matchup as being some of the funniest moments in his career.
While Blake isn't likely to hold any grudges against Z-Bo, it's doubtful he would look back on being choked as a particularly good time.
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