This Took Blake Griffin Aback Upon Joining Celtics As Free Agent

Blake Griffin probably isn’t surprised by much in the NBA anymore. After all, the 2022-23 campaign will mark the Celtics newcomer’s 14th season in the league.

With this in mind, Griffin’s review of his transition to Boston is pretty telling.

After a season-plus in Brooklyn, Griffin last week joined the Celtics, the team that swept the Nets in the first round of the playoffs this past April. Boston on Monday announced the official signing of the six-time All-Star, who spoke glowingly about the Celtics in his first media availability with the local media. Among the more noteworthy soundbites from Griffin was the veteran forward explaining how he was taken aback by “the amount of maturity and welcomingness” he encountered in the Boston locker room upon joining the storied franchise. Griffin, who’s now played on four teams since the 2017-18 season, noted he’s not accustomed to that kind of treatment, per Celtics reporter Marc D’Amico.

Recent comments from Marcus Smart suggested Boston was going to welcome Griffin with open arms. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year admires the 33-year-old for his willingness to be a selfless player who does the dirty work despite his diminished playing time.

Griffin almost certainly will not be a game-changer for the Celtics. But between his buy-in, experience and veteran leadership, he very well could be a valuable asset to a team with legitimate Finals aspirations.