5 Reasons For Blake Griffin To Join Westbrook, Thunder Next Year

Homecoming

The Blake Griffin-Oklahoma City connection is on par with the LeBron James-Cleveland connection.

Griffin and his older brother, Taylor, won multiple championships in Oklahoma’s school circuit, while being coached by their father, a former track standout at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

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As a teenager, Griffin became a household name in Oklahoma and showed loyalty to his city by choosing a two-year collegiate career with the Sooners over programs such as Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas. Griffin led the Sooners to the Elite Eight in 2009 before declaring for the NBA.

The Thunder picked James Harden at No. 3 in the 2009 Draft but Griffin was off the board, going No. 1 overall to the Clippers. In July 2012, Griffin signed an early five-year extension with the Clippers, a wise decision at the time since the Thunder were committed to Serge Ibaka at the 4-spot.

All these years later, the decks have been cleared for Griffin’s homecoming.

Griffin, who swept all six of the national player of the year awards during his sophomore season with the Sooners, remains the only player in Oklahoma school history to win the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, John Wooden Award and the Associated Press player of the year.

Earlier this year, the University of Oklahoma retired Griffin’s No. 23 jersey during a grand ceremony.

"“I didn’t know what I was going to feel, what to expect. Anytime I come back here, it’s such a family atmosphere. It’s home. I’m a little bit overwhelmed with emotion and, like I said, incredibly honored to be able to be up there. Very appreciative of everybody,” Griffin said of his hometown earlier this year."

Kevin Durant, a native of Washington, didn’t meet the Wizards in free agency. And several other marquee players have approached free agency without prioritizing hometown franchise. But in Griffin’s case, the connection with the hometown seems to be a little more deep-rooted.

Next: Snatch Durant’s No. 35 Jersey