The most decorated basketball player in Oklahoma high school history returns home to be the guest of honor at The Oklahoman’s Best of Preps All-City Sports Awards Banquet on June 3 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City.
But before heading to the awards show, Blake Griffin made a quick stop at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center to pay a few lucky patients a special visit. He was accompanied by his older brother Taylor Griffin, who is a retired NBA star himself.
The Griffins met with a total of five patients. Two kids at INTEGRIS Children’s, twins in the neonatal intensive care unit and a former basketball referee who actually used to officiate some of Blake’s high school games.
Blake Griffin attended Oklahoma Christian School, where he played under his father, head coach Tommy Griffin, winning four state basketball championships.
Blake was named to The Oklahoman’s All-City team three straight years (2005-2007) while twice being named the Little All-City Player of the Year. In 2007, he was selected as a McDonald’s All-American and named the Gatorade Player of the Year.
Griffin played two seasons of college ball for the Sooners before entering the 2009 NBA draft, when he was selected by the Clippers. He made his NBA debut as a rookie the following season, in which he was selected as an All-Star, won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Sports Illustrated called him one of the NBA’s 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time.
Griffin has enjoyed an impressive professional career that has made his home state very proud. After a few injury-plagued seasons, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons in Jan. 2018. We look forward to what the future holds for this amazing home-grown athlete.
