The Nets organization has seen a number of veteran superstars leave over the years. Vince Carter after five seasons, Jason Kidd after seven, Brook Lopez after nine and… apparently, Blake Griffin after a grand total of 96 games.
All of these Nets legends ended up moving on to greener pastures after their time in New Jersey/Brooklyn, meaning it’s only right to pay them tribute once they eventually find their way back. At least that is what Brooklyn must have thought when it shared a tribute video for Griffin when the Celtics visited Barclays Center on Sunday night.
To be fair, Griffin was a superstar at one point in his career. He averaged 21 points and 8.5 rebounds per game over the course of his first six seasons in the NBA, making five-consecutive All-Star appearances. That all came with the Los Angeles Clippers, however. His numbers with the Nets were not only miniscule, but came over the course of a season and a half.
In 96 total games with the Nets, Griffin averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game — mostly being used as a bench piece to a pair of teams that won a total of seven playoff games. It could be argued that the six-time All-Star has already provided the Celtics with more than he ever did the Nets.
The Nets did also show a tribute video to Bill Russell, the former Celtics and NBA icon who did just as much as a civil rights activist as he did on the court. That has become standard for teams as Boston continues to visit different cities over the course of the season.
Nevertheless, we’re sure Griffin was appreciative of his tribute video. Whether it was a bit ludicrous or not.
