Blake Griffin Isn't Fooling Me, He is Bitter
By Bobby Burack
You know that guy who was dumped by his girlfriend and tells everyone how great his new one is, but can’t stop talking about the previous? Or the plant manager who was transferred out of state claiming he loves the new atmosphere but keeps bashing his old factory? That is Blake Griffin.
Griffin opened up to The Undefeated about playing in Detroit and discussed how happy he is to be in a Pistons’ uniform:
"“If I wasn’t happy with where I was at or excited to be here, it would take a little bit longer,” Griffin said. “But as soon as I got here to Detroit, the franchise, the way they go about taking care of the players, the way they do everything, is first-class. So, that makes the transition much easier. [Coach] Stan [Van Gundy] and the whole staff has been awesome. I’m not looking back."
But is he really not “looking back”? His later comments suggest otherwise, and I am not buying it:
"“I never want to be in a place where I’m not wanted. Coming here made me realize what a franchise looks like.”"
That is what you call a shot at your former team. Griffin appears still upset that he wasn’t “wanted”. If Griffin was so happy in Detroit why would he be saying the Clippers didn’t show him what a franchise looked like? He wouldn’t, he is just extremely hurt and bitter.
Clearly, if he was so happy in Detroit, he would not need to bash his former franchise. He instead desperately wants the Clippers to feel he is better off when in reality, he is going to miss the playoffs in the pedestrian East, while his former team is in position to join the postseason in the much harder West.
Hard to imagine a salesman who is happier with his new employer dwelling on promises:
"“It’s so much different when you have had a relationship with a certain amount of people for so long and been at a place for so long. Someone always promises you this is what we are doing and six months later …” says Griffin."
Or his previous employer’s “true colors”:
"“It shows people’s true colors. Other than that, at the end of the day, you have to realize it’s a business.”"
This is not to say Blake Griffin wants out of Detroit, but I am not buying for one second he is not still dwelling on being traded like he claims. This is the same Blake Griffin who felt he was entitled to being traded differently.
Griffin, at this point in his career, is an extremely expensive, injury-prone player that has shown he isn’t exactly a player that can turn a team into a winning success.