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NBA History: Best NBA player born in each state

By Jerran Anderson

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 01: Former Milwaukee Bucks player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is honored at halftime during a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 1, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 01: Former Milwaukee Bucks player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is honored at halftime during a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 1, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Detroit Pistons
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images /

Best NBA player born in Oklahoma: Blake Griffin

The state of Oklahoma is another state that is witnessing one of their own grow as an NBA player. Blake Griffin, one of the most athletically gifted forwards to play the game, was born in Oklahoma City and took the nation by storm with his talent on the Oklahoma Sooners.

He won AP Player of the Year and the Naismith Award in his final year with Oklahoma in 2008-09 before making the leap to the league. The Los Angeles Clippers took him with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and after a winning the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year award (after sitting out his first year due to injury), the franchise turnaround was underway.

Point guard Chris Paul joined the squad in 2011-12, giving the Clippers one of the best scoring duos in the West, dubbed Lob City. From 2010-18, Griffin terrorized opposing frontcourts with DeAndre Jordan opposite him in the post. He averaging 21.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest as a member of the Clippers.

Griffin was shockingly traded to the Detroit Pistons in January 2018, just a season after signing a lucrative extension to remain in Los Angeles. He’s picked up where he’s left off with Detroit, though. This season, he’s averaging a career-best 25.1 points per game to go along with 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

As he looks to continue building his legacy, it will be interesting to see if he starts title-chasing or sticks with Detroit and tries to make it work there.