Blake Griffin says he wants to finish career with Clippers
Blake Griffin has no intention to leave the sunny confines of Los Angeles.
The five-time All-Star told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders on Friday he wants to stay put with the only NBA franchise he's ever known.
"LA is my home now," Griffin said. "This is where I got drafted and I've been here since the beginning."
He added, "I'm not looking to go anywhere. With that being said, you never know (in this business). But I'm happy here, I love it here, and I would love to finish my career here."
The Clippers snagged Griffin with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. After sitting out his first season with a broken kneecap, Griffin took the league by storm, putting up averages of 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds as a 21-year-old rookie.
Griffin's meteoric ascent to superstardom single-handedly revived a seemingly hopeless franchise. In five seasons with Griffin on the team, the Clippers made four playoff appearances with a combined regular-season record of 241-153. Compare that to just one postseason run and a record of 158-252 in the five seasons prior to Griffin's arrival.
"I've been with this franchise during some bad times. You know, it hasn't always been like it is now; anytime you have a chance to go from that to this, you feel invested," Griffin said.
More success will likely follow the Clippers, as their core of DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, and Griffin are all signed through two more seasons. With Griffin declaring his intention to stay for the long run, they'll have a superstar to build around for years to come.
Aside from team success, Los Angeles features an abundance of marketing opportunities. The exposure and proximity to Hollywood yielded several national media campaigns for the gregarious Griffin.
So really, there aren't many reasons for Griffin to leave LA.