Blake Griffin not coming back for a second season in Boston was not due to a lack of interest from the Celtics.
Griffin wasn’t a major on-court factor for the C’s in the 2022-23 campaign — he posted a career-low 13.9 minutes per game — but the veteran forward provided intangibles the organization greatly valued. In fact, a pair of Celtics guards admitted they “begged” Griffin to end his NBA hiatus and put the Boston uniform back on.
But the six-time All-Star never returned after the Celtics came within one win of the 2023 NBA Finals, and he officially announced his retirement Tuesday. Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, Griffin shed light on his recent contact with Boston and why he didn’t commit to a second campaign on Causeway Street.
“I kind of left it open for a while,” Griffin said, as transcribed by MassLive. “I did have a sort of standing offer to go back to Boston. I remember end of December hit, and I called Brad Stevens and I was like, ‘Man, I really appreciate it.’ I had communication with him the whole time. I wasn’t there, man. I don’t know. Something changed. And I knew when something changed like that, it was time to be done.”
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Griffin added: “If I had gone anywhere, I would’ve gone back to Boston. I love those guys. I’m pulling for them, and they have a great shot. But it was just time for me to be done. I wouldn’t have been able to give what I should give to a team if my heart truly wasn’t in it.”
The 35-year-old also was in contact with Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics head coach a few months ago revealed he spoke with Griffin about potentially coming back but moved off those conversations once he realized the 14-year veteran was prioritizing family time over everything else.
As for the Celtics, their postseason journey will begin Sunday afternoon with a series opener against either the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
