Blake Griffin wins Rookie of the Year award - NBA update
Blake Griffin won the first unanimous National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie of the Year award in 21 years on Wednesday. The last person to do so was David Robinson back in 1990. Blake is only the third player in NBA history to achieve the feat.
The award completes a fairy tale comeback for Blake after fate dealt him a poor hand last season. Griffin was the number one pick out of Oklahoma in 2009. However, tragedy struck when he broke his kneecap in the Los Angeles Clippers last pre-season game. Consequently, Griffin was ruled out for the entire season.
The Oklahoma native did not let the set-back destroy his spirit. Rather, he used it as motivation to come back stronger than ever. What happened next, as they say, is history. Griffin exploded onto the scene this year and proceeded to record one of the most impressive rookie season’s ever.
"To miss my entire first year and then be able to be up here today is definitely satisfying," Griffin said. "When I got injured, I just decided I had to come back even better. I had to keep improving even while I couldn't play, and I dedicated myself to that."
Blake has become a household name in just one year. He won the NBA Slam Dunk contest with a wicked final dunk after leaping over a car. Blake was also the first Rookie All-Star since Yao Ming in 2003. His comeback and first season in the NBA has now culminated with the unanimous win for Rookie of the Year award.
Griffin, 6-foot-10, was top of the scoring and rebounds' charts for all rookies. He averaged a double-double in the regular season and his stats of 22.5 points, 12th overall in the NBA, and 12.1 rebounds, 4th overall, are those of a seasoned veteran rather than a first year novice.
Griffin’s all action style and particularly his dynamic dunking have often drawn people away from the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers forward is a well rounded player and strives to improve all aspects of his game. A fact that is not lost on his coach Vinny Del Negro, "He's a highlight at any second of the game, but he's also smart enough to know that the fundamentals are the part that will make him better and help this team," Del Negro said. "He handles it very well. He has great humility and great character."
Griffin, who received a maximum 590 points in the voting, was also won six Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, the first player to do it since Chris Paul five years ago. His coach is adamant that Griffin is destined to become a great player, one that will lead the Clippers franchise to glory. Blake has accepted his individual accolades with great humility and he is fully focused on his team. Blake stated his belief that the franchise will soon turn things around and bring success that its fans deserve,
"We're excited about where the Clippers are headed," Griffin said. "We just laid the foundation, and we can't wait until next year."
Clippers fans will be hoping that their new star can lead them to the success they desperately await.
Tags: