“Blake is unbelievable to show that patience” – CP3 on one of the most ‘selfless things’ Blake Griffin demonstrated for the Clippers originally appeared on Basketball Network.
A few weeks before the 2014-15 NBA regular season tipped off, Chris Paul was already singing the praises of his Los Angeles Clippers teammate Blake Griffin.
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Having shared the court in sunny California for two seasons, Paul had long noticed Griffin’s selflessness, but it hit him hard during that preseason just how much of a team-first mindset his fellow superstar displayed.
Patience on display
In the NBA, selflessness usually shows up in different ways. It can be through a star voluntarily taking fewer minutes or even accepting a bench role. Or it can come through him toning down his gameplay by passing up shots or giving away offensive touches.
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Griffin, however, revealed his selflessness differently. One prime example came during the aforementioned preseason clash with the Utah Jazz.
For a long time, he — a top pick from the 2009 Draft — had shown unbelievable athletic plays, including highlight-reel dunks. While the NBA world was in awe, opposing players certainly weren’t. In fact, frustrated by being on the wrong end of those poster plays, some eventually retaliated.
In that game, Jazz forward Trevor Booker did exactly that, pushing Griffin midair on a dunk attempt. It was a hard and unnecessary foul, especially by postseason standards. Blake naturally saw it the same way and responded with heated words.
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Yet, what the Clippers star didn’t do was fight violence with violence. Maybe it helped that teammates pulled them apart, but according to Paul, Griffin had shown that same restraint after taking hard fouls multiple times.
“Blake is unbelievable to show that patience,” said Chris, per ESPN. “I think that’s one of the most selfless things that he does all season long because even though he wants to react personally, he sacrifices for the team.”
Restraint over retaliation
Paul was right. Griffin admitted in the postgame interview that he wanted to react.
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“I was going to, but then I thought, ‘It’s preseason,'” the 2011 Rookie of the Year explained. “It’s not worth it. That’s not the person I want to waste it on.”
The Point God, no stranger to on-court confrontations, praised the mindset.
“I’m glad [he didn’t retaliate] because we need him,” he noted. “A lot of times in those situations, we need him a lot more than the other team needs the person that usually [aggravates him]. It’s tough.”
It was indeed a tough call. Like in real life, sometimes you have to stand up when treated unfairly, but going too far carries consequences — a paradox Blake recognized.
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“On one hand, everybody tells me to do something; on the other hand, people tell me to not complain and to play ball,” he reflected. “You’re not going to please everybody, but I just got to do whatever I think is right and use my judgment.”
Still, for the Oklahoma native, one line was clear: repeated hard fouls would demand a stronger, nonverbal response.
“There are times when hard fouls are part of the game, and there are times when they go a little too far,” he said, adding that in the latter cases he would start “standing up” for himself.
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Ultimately, Griffin finished his 13-year NBA career with 114 technical fouls, and it’s safe to say a fair share of those came after showing exactly that — retaliation.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.