Griffin was a starter on the varsity basketball team for Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, as a seventh- and eighth-grader in 2015–16 alongside senior and future NBA player Obi Toppin.[1] Griffin played basketball for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.[2] As a freshman, he played with his older brother, Alan, and helped his team win its first Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Archdiocesan title since 1984.[3] In his sophomore season, he and R. J. Davis formed one of the top backcourts in the nation.[4] Griffin averaged 20.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game.[5] As a junior, he averaged 17.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game, missing most of the season with a knee injury, and led Stepinac to the CHSAA Archdiocesan title. Griffin was sidelined for his senior season by an ankle injury.[6] He was named to the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic rosters.[7]
On November 19, 2021, Griffin scored 18 points in an 88–55 win against Lafayette.[10] He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team as well as Honorable Mention All-ACC.[11] At the conclusion of his freshman season, Griffin announced his intention to enter the 2022 NBA draft.[12] Ahead of the draft, Griffin was projected as a potential top-five pick.[13]
Professional career
Griffin was selected with the 16th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 NBA draft. He later joined the Hawks' 2022 NBA Summer League team.[14] On July 3, 2022, the Hawks signed Griffin to a rookie-scale contract.[15] On November 19, Griffin put up 17 points, alongside a game-winning alley-oop, five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block in a 124–122 win over the Toronto Raptors.[16] On December 11, Griffin scored another game-winning alley-oop in a 123–122 win over the Chicago Bulls.[17]
On June 27, 2024, the Hawks traded Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the draft rights of Nikola Đurišić in a three-team trade involving the Miami Heat.[18] However, on September 20, the Rockets and he agreed to a contract buyout[19] just as he was considering a retirement from basketball.[20][21][22]
Retirement
On September 29, 2024, Griffin confirmed his retirement and stated that he "gave up basketball to follow Jesus". Griffin noted that he wanted to pursue full-time Christian ministry.[23]
Griffin is a Christian and often takes to social media to speak about his faith.[26] Griffin's father, Adrian, played in the NBA for ten seasons before becoming a coach in the league, and served as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. His mother, Audrey Sterling, was an All-American in track and ran for Seton Hall. His oldest sister is Vanessa. His other two siblings have played college basketball: his brother, Alan, at Illinois and Syracuse, and his sister, Aubrey, at UConn.[27]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
