When forward Blake Griffin came to the Brooklyn Nets in the middle of the 2020-21 season, he was well past his prime during his days with the Los Angeles Clippers. While Griffin wasn’t able to jump over cars like he did in his younger days, Brooklyn still had the privilege of having a player on the roster that would one day be worthy of the highest honor in basketball.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Friday the eligible candidates for the class of 2026 and Griffin was among those members that could be voted into the hall. Along with Griffin, key figures within basketball history like former WNBA greats Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team were among the first-time candidates.
Griffin, 36, averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 32.8% from behind the three-point line across his 13-year NBA career. During his 1-and-a-half seasons with the Nets, Griffin averaged 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game on .450/.305/.748 shooting splits in 82 games played for the franchise.
Griffin signed with Brooklyn in March of 2021 after being bought out of his contract with the Detroit Pistons and his time with the Nets was as a reserve role player in the frontcourt. In the playoffs, while Griffin’s veteran presence was a key resource for the Nets, his averages were similar to those in the regular season as he averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the postseason.
Ultimately, Griffin’s resume of being a Rookie of the Year, a six-time All-Star, and a five-time All-NBA selection is what makes him a candidate for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the first place. While whether he gets in or not depends on what the voters think of his career in comparison to his peers, Nets fans potentially watched a Hall-of-Famer play two seasons for their team towards the end of his career.