This Day in Black Sports History: February 20, 2011

When Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich called his number in the first quarter of the 60th NBA All-Star Game, Blake Austin Griffin became a part of black sports history at the tender age of 21.

After his participation in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, in which he scored 14 points, and his rousing victory in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Griffin’s entry into the annual showcase marked the first time in league history a player has taken part in all three events during All-Star Weekend.

The historic achievement was merely another highlight reel in what has been a memorable rookie season for the Los Angeles Clippers superstar power forward, who’s averaging 22.8 points and 12.6 rebounds in the first 56 games of his blossoming career.

But even in high school, where he was integral in Oklahoma Christian School winning four consecutive state championships, Griffin appeared to be destined for greatness.

During his junior season, Griffin averaged 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and as a senior, he posted 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per contest, which resulted in scholarship offers from college basketball powerhouses such as Duke, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

When push finally came to shove though, the Oklahoma City, Okla. native chose to stay home, accepting a scholarship to play for the University of Oklahoma as one of the highest-rated and most decorated recruits in state history.

In his freshman season at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game, becoming the first Sooner to earn Big 12 All-Rookie Team honors since Wayman Tisdale in 1983. And although he was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Griffin decided to return to Oklahoma for a second season to mature physically and lead the team to the NCAA Championship.

Griffin failed to accomplish the latter, as Oklahoma fell to North Carolina in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, but flourished individually, posting 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game. Griffin’s standout year would garner him a myriad of Player of the Year awards, including the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.

Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Griffin with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after he announced he was giving up his final two years of eligibility two months earlier.

Unfortunately, Griffin would not play a single game during the 2009-10 campaign due to season-ending surgery on his broken left kneecap, which he injured during a preseason game.

Nevertheless, Griffin worked vigorously to rehabilitate his knee, and get himself into playing shape, to fulfill the tremendous promise he exhibited as an amateur.

Since he missed all of last season, Griffin was still considered a rookie entering the 2010-11 season, where he has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December and January.

In addition, Griffin has set Clippers’ franchise records for most consecutive double-doubles (23) and most points scored in a game by a rookie (47).

Griffin also became the first rookie since the 1996-97 season (Allen Iverson) to have two 40+ games, as well as the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game by the coaches since San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan in 1998.

One can only imagine what Griffin will do for an encore.

Black Sports History Honorable Mention

Kobe Bryant (37 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals) tied Bob Pettit for the most All-Star Game MVP Awards (four).

LeBron James (29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) became only the second player (Michael Jordan) in All-Star Game history to record a triple-double.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

Blake Grifin Jumps Over Car, Wins 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

After a rather lackadaisical Slam Dunk contest last season, this year was expected to pull out all the stops.

Last night, Clippers rookie sensation Blake Griffin pulled out all the stops and won the event with this dunk over a car:

Three Nasty Dunks From 2011 NBA All Star Rookie-Sophomore Game

With the NBA All Star festivies kicking off yesterday, the Rookie-Sophomore game decided to test the boundaries of the air.

Here are the three best dunks of the night:

Spotlight For NBA All-Star Weekend In LA Will Be On A Clipper, Not A Laker

It’s that time of the year again where the NBA’s most talented will showcase their skills to the world for one weekend. The city of Los Angeles will host this year’s All-Star festivities that kicks off tonight.

Although the Staples Center is more known as the home of the Lakers, this year’s big weekend will focus on a player who plays on that very same court but sports a different color jersey than the usual yellow and purple.

That man is this season’s new sensation and is taking the public’s breath away after each game: the Los Angeles Clippers’ high flying power forward Blake Griffin.

He will be the only player that will be involved in at least one component for each day of the weekend. Griffin will be one of the headliners for the Rookie/Sophomore game, a favorite for the Slam Dunk challenge, and a reserve for the Western Conference All-Star team.

It’s truly amazing how the first few years have unfolded for the former Oklahoma Sooner. After being drafted first overall by the Clippers, Griffin suffered a huge setback by hurting his knee in the preseason. This injury forced him to be a spectator for his first season in the NBA and a forgotten entity as an unproven rookie prior to entering the 2010-11 campaign.

Now it is the defense that wishes he was still an unknown as he has been a dizzying head case, flying by his opposition with rim-rocking dunks and finishing off ally-oops. His continuous highlight real plays have been plastered all over SportsCenter and that ability is the main reason why he will be the biggest draw over any Laker this weekend.

It is shocking to think that Griffin will be a bigger draw than Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, mainly due to their team’s performances up until the break. The Clippers are the third worst team in the West and would not even qualify for the playoffs at this point. The Lakers are third best team in the West and are a strong favorite to win their third straight title.

Yet, it’ll still be all about Griffin from Friday to Sunday.

The spotlight shinning on him will be a new vision in comparison to what is commonly popular at the Staples Center. Bryant is undoubtedly one of the most popular players in the league and has been for over a decade now. He is a consistent name that pops up in every debate about who the best player in the league and sets the bar for greatness in the NBA.

The “Black Mamba” though will be taking a back seat this weekend as Griffin’s every move will have the public’s eyes stuck to their high definition, flat screen televisions.
This is due mainly to his unique ability that has captured the public’s attention: dunking.

During the Rookie Challenge, the high-speed, high-octane guard John Wall will keep his eyes open to throw lobs in the direction of Griffin as often as possible. The first pick of the 2010 draft loves to be on the passing end of climactic plays and will have the first pick of the 2009 draft and the best finisher in the NBA completing those highlight alley-oop tosses.

He will then be the centerpiece of the Skills Challenge as he tries to resurrect the luster and attraction of the Slam Dunk contest. Recently many unknown, young stars have been participants of this event. This has lowered the standard of the exhibition and the buzz it builds in the days prior. Griffin will hope to inspire other great stars to bring this event back for the future, as he will put on display his creativity and unique jumping ability before millions of viewers.

Finally, in the Sunday All-Star game, he will become the first rookie to be a part of the game since Tim Duncan was selected back in 1998. He will be a breath of fresh air, along with fellow youngsters and first timers Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, to an event that’s been dominated by the usual, multiple selection stars like Bryant, Duncan, and Kevin Garnett. He will try to show that he is more than a high-flying acrobat against some of the greatest players in the league.

Staples Center will be jumping and bubbling with excitement when the Celebrity Game kicks off as the opening event for the next three days. For a stadium that features banner after banner of Lakers championships, it will be a lone Clipper that will be the center of attention for the 2011 All-Star weekend.

NBA Future Under A Great Insurance Policy

The NBA sure sounds like an all-state insurance company commercial: meaning that they are in good hands.

For many of the big superstars the league has leaned upon since the mid to late 1990s, it appears there ability is waning. Shaquille O’Neal has played sparingly over the past few years, former high school draft picks Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are starting to break down, and former franchise stars like Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis are now relegated as role players.

Those players listed above (as well as others who fit that criteria) have been supplanted by the youngsters during their prime, who are now the superstars and marquee names they used to be. The faces of Lebron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are plastered everywhere when it comes to headlining games and promotions for the league.

Yet, with all the promise of their current talent, the NBA faces the issue (as all sports do) about the next generation and if they can maintain the popularity when your stand out players near the end of their career?

The NBA faced that problem after Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson left, but were lucky that the next line of players picked up where they left off (that group is the one first discussed with headliners like O’Neal, Bryant, and McGrady). Now that torch is passed on to James and his fellow comrades.

So who will be next in line when that group nears the end of their route and need to pass the baton?

Here’s a look at the next line of stars (all 25 years old or younger) in the NBA that have potential to represent the next generation:

Blake Griffin – Forward – Age: 21

It’s the evolution of the big men: Darryl Dawkins to Shawn Kemp to Amar’e Stoudemire to the next one – Blake Griffin.

The top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Griffin was unable to showcase his talents in his inaugural season after he had to sit out with a knee injury. A devastating blow to a Los Angeles Clippers organization known for its bad luck, it actually became a blessing in disguise when the 2010-11 year got under way.

As the season progressed, it has become “the Blake Griffin Show” with the way the former Oklahoma Sooner has been playing. He is the talk of the NBA and fans come out to see his extraordinary combination of strength and quickness. He dunks the ball with such ferocity, that rims appear to quake when he rises up towards them. He also has a strong knack for swallowing up rebounds like a vacuum sucking dirt off the carpet.

He continues to develop his overall game and gives opposing coaches nightmares when they imagine how great of an inside presence he could become.

Monta Ellis – Guard – Age: 25

Sometimes, evolving into the greatness a player could be takes trials, tribulations, and time to reach. When they finally begin to meet that criteria, it is definitely bitter sweet.

Monta Ellis is the epitome of how tough life can be for an NBA player who wants to become elite. After being drafted out of high school as a second round pick in 2005, his career has been like an ocean: sporadic waves that hit highs and lows.

First, he was named the most improved player in his second season, then signed a big multi-year deal to be the face of the Warriors after his third season. He would then get into a moped accident that kept him out for most of his fourth season, and was thrown around in numerous trade talks during his fifth season.

Now in his sixth season, Ellis is finally becoming an all-around player and a leader for the Golden State Warriors. He is the fourth leading scorer in the NBA and is becoming a dangerous shooter from all spots on the court. Match that with his deceptive quickness and his boldness for attacking the rim for a man of his stature, and you’re looking at the rise of one of the best guards in the league.

Kevin Love – Forward/Center – Age: 23

For many of the new, youthful faces that join the NBA, they enter as a high draft pick that usually means playing for a small market and/or an inferior.

Add former UCLA big man Kevin Love to that list. The 23-year-old phenom is one of the best kept secrets in the league primarily because he plays for a franchise that has been in the doldrums of the NBA for years.

That hasn’t stopped the combo forward/center from playing at a lights out level this season. While he’s not the freakish athlete that Griffin is, Love’s toughness and high basketball IQ allows him make the right play and be in the right position all the time. This uncanny ability is the reason he is currently the NBA’s leading rebounder over others with flabbergasting leaping ability like Stoudemire or Dwight Howard.

He’ll probably never win a high jump or a 100-yard dash match, but Love makes the game look easy and will continue to do so in the future.

John Wall – Guard – Age: 20

A dance isn’t the only way the public will know about this young sensation after a few more NBA seasons.

Just on the very of growing up at the young age of 20, John Wall is quietly making the jump from collegiate leader of the Kentucky Wildcats to the savior of the Washington Wizards.

The reason for the silence is mostly attributed to Griffin, who is the hottest rookie that people are talking about this season. Despite that, the speedy point guard is deserving of equal accolade with how his play this season. He’s currently fifth in the league in assists and is completing that task with little support on a rebuilding team.

Along with his vision running the offense, the speed and quickness he possess is remarkably frightening. Sometimes he looks so fast that it seems as if he’ll never be able to stop himself right when he approaches the rim. The problem for those defending him is that he’s so strong and composed, even with that breakneck velocity, he’s always able to score or make a great pass.

After some refining and polishing, Wall won’t be just dancing for the fans, but by every defender in the NBA as well.

There will always be new and promising players that enter American professional sports outlets; it is the NBA, though, that appears to have the edge in the hopeful outlook for the future. There are even current superstars that are extremely young, such as Howard (25), Kevin Durant (22), Derrick Rose (22) and Rajon Rondo (24) that will only get better in time.

The public’s got to feel a great assurance with the future of pro basketball; because like a good neighbor, the NBA will be there.

Blake Griffin Goes Coast To Coast For Poster Dunk

It seems like only a matter of time until Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin makes another great play that hits this website.

During last night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he went coast to coast with this impressive dunk: