Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin to New York Knicks Jeremy Lin: Take it easy – NBA Update
Los Angeles Clippers star has given some advice to New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin. Lin, in a very short span of time, has become the hottest story not only in the NBA, but in the wider sporting world. His popularity has seen a meteoric rise after dazzling
crowd’s with sublime play despite being an unknown reserve just a month ago.
Clippers’ star Griffin, who was the story last season in the NBA, a rookie who took the league to storm with his awe inspiring plays, believes Lin should slow things down before they get to him.
"Enjoy it. For sure, be able to say no to things," Blake told ESPN radio. "It's going to be extremely hectic for him, so he should pace himself. Everyone's going to be pulling at him different ways and as quickly as they build you up, they're going to try
to tear you down, so don't get too caught up in all that."
Griffin was of course speaking from experience. Last season, when he set records in the NBA as a rookie, the player was selected for the Rookies vs. Sophomores game, then featured in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which he won, and finally played in the NBA
All-Star Game during the All-Star weekend.
All of that was great for Blake’s image and popularity, but it affected his performances in a negative way. The player caught flu after his exertions in the week and took around a month to completely get back into rhythm.
He has learned his lesson well, and made things a lot easier for himself this time around. He was part of the NBA Rising Stars Challenge but played only limited minutes in the game. He also did not take part in the events on Saturday and then featured in
the All Star Game on Sunday night.
Since exploding onto the scene, Jeremy Lin has been playing pretty much non-stop. The Asian-American has had to carry the Knicks in the absence of stars Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, so the strain on him started to show already.
Blake spent a lot of time with Lin at the All-Star Weekend and apparently the point guard took Griffin’s advice, playing limited minutes in the Rising Stars Challenge game, for which he was only selected after intense pressure on the NBA because of his new
found stardom.
Griffin meanwhile has set a clear direction for himself and knows what to focus on next.
“I still need to work on my shot and be a confident shooter,” he said. “I've got to make sure I go straight into and I’m not hesitating, at the same time, it’s not something I want to force as a player.”
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