David Griffin has been the picture of poise since taking over as the New Orleans Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations in early May, but you wouldn't have known it on Friday night – and understandably so.
During the second half of Friday's highly-anticipated game between the New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks in Las Vegas, a massive earthquake hit in nearby Southern California, rocking Thomas & Mack Center back and forth. Griffin, sitting court-side with deputy front office executive Trajan Langdon to catch Zion Williamson's introduction to NBA basketball, was caught on camera reacting to the earthquake in real time.
Summer League games have been postponed for the rest of the night. pic.twitter.com/dJghRRAj8u
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 6, 2019
Scary.
The earthquake, which hit in Ridgefield, CA, measured a 7.1 on the Richter Scale. Thursday's Southern California earthquake was magnitude 6.4, the biggest in the state in the last two decades.
Griffin has pulled the strings on one of the most rapid offseason turnarounds in league history. Though lucking into the No. 1 pick and drafting a generational talent like Williamson certainly made his job easier, Griffin managed to get a fantastic return in the Anthony Davis trade, acquiring Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers, and then doubled down on his haul by dealing the Lakers' 2019 first-rounder to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for even more future draft assets. The Pelicans have been a major player in free agency, too, trading for Derrick Favors and signing J.J. Redick.
David Griffin, evidently, has been prepared for everything lately. But even he wasn't ready for the shock of Friday night's earthquake.
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