Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Cameron Tabatabaie

Report: Brad Stevens hints Blake Griffin is considering retirement from NBA

The Boston Celtics may look to add depth in the front court after sending big man Robert Williams III to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that landed Jrue Holiday in the Hub. Fan favorite and former Celtic Blake Griffin has been a popular name in the NBA rumor mill all offseason, but according to team president Brad Stevens, the 34-year-old is considering hanging it up.

In a conversation with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, Stevens revealed he initially had to convince Griffin to join the Celtics last season. After a few persistent phone calls, Stevens eventually landed the six-time All-Star in green. Griffin was a helpful contributor off the bench and a leader in the locker room for the Celtics.

Buy Celtics Tickets

Stevens told Washburn he valued Griffin’s contributions greatly in his first season in Boston and is hopeful Griffin looks to sign up for another stint.

“I’m not blowing smoke, it was as good as it gets,” Stevens said of Griffin. “He was unbelievable when he played and even better when he didn’t. He has a fan for life from everybody in our organization. You know, if he decides to keep playing, he wants to come back out East, he knows we’re a phone call away.”

Griffin has been open with his praise for the Celtics during the summer offseason period but has yet to indicate his plans for the coming year. It has been widely speculated he would wait until later into the preseason to ink a deal, be it with Boston or elsewhere.

The Celtics have a list of invitees to training camp this year, but there is still enough flexibility on the roster to accommodate Griffin if he chooses to return.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.