After 13 years of playing in the league, Blake Griffin announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 35-year-old entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Oklahoma and quickly rose to stardom for his heroics at the rim, dunking on anyone and everyone for the better part of the decade, thus, adding countless feathers to his hat.

On the 16th of April, Griffin wrapped up his career with a Rookie of the Year Award, six All-Star selections, and five All-NBA second and third team placements. The Clippers’ star forward took to Instagram to announce his retirement with a heartfelt gratitude note to the sport of basketball and his close ones in his typical humorous way. “The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory I’m excited for my next chapter part: just kidding, I’m done,” his concluding note carried.

Following the announcement, fellow players and supporters flooded the comments section to bid farewell to the “Lob City” star. Former shooting guard Jamal Crawford penned an emotional note for his former teammate, expressing, “Um fam, A star who left the stars star struck. Left me in awe every single day- there was no show like a BG show. Thank you for being one of the best teammates ever, and a better person than all of that. Next stop Springfield. Love you Geezy. @blakegriffin23 💪🏾”

Memphis Grizzlies’ guard Luka Kennard wrote, “Great career brother. Was a pleasure🫡.” Youtuber Marques Brownlee commented, “Thank YOU for lob city and pure entertainment.” Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas kept it simple with three finish lines and GOAT emojis.

Blake Griffin’s NBA journey

Blake Griffin last played in the league in the 2022–23 season for the Boston Celtics. However, his role on the team was limited, as he averaged a career-low 4.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 13.9 minutes per contest in 41 games (including 16 starts). But his legacy is best defined by his “Lob City” era.

The former Los Angeles Clippers forward teamed up with Chris Paul and Deandre Jordan to form the “Lob City” core, which led the team to six playoff appearances. Known for his high-flying dunks, Griffin has an uncanny ability to rise up anywhere on the court and go straight to the rim. He was not afraid to take on defenders, posterizing on shot blockers from Serge Ibaka to Kendrick Perkins to, perhaps most famously, Timofey Mozgov.

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In his eight seasons with the Clippers, he averaged 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 504 games. He was then traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he put together one of his best statistical seasons in 2018-19, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists before injuries took a toll on him. The injuries limited him to just 18 games in 2019–20, and he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets shortly after in the 2020–21 season, where he spent two seasons before finishing his career with the C’s.