Blake Griffin Reflects on His Time with Donald Sterling

Even years after his NBA ban, the peculiar saga of Donald Sterling lingers. Recently, former Clippers player Blake Griffin shared a revealing anecdote about his interactions with the team’s former owner.

During an appearance on the Adam Friedland Show, Griffin recounted an awkward incident from the locker room. He described how Sterling would arrive with a group of 10 to 12 people and make it uncomfortable for everyone present. “I remember once, I had just a towel on,” Griffin said. “Sterling, in front of his entourage, grabbed my arm and shouted, ‘Let’s hear it for our number one star, hip-hip!’ as he raised my arm. All those people cheered. It was surreal.”

Griffin went on to detail a time at one of Sterling’s exclusive parties when the owner made a point of touching his biceps. “I was just 19 back then,” he recalled, highlighting how strange the whole experience was.

This isn’t Griffin’s first critical reflection on Sterling. Having spent over eight seasons with the Clippers, he’s often described Sterling in unflattering terms. In a 2014 piece for the Players’ Tribune, he called Sterling a “strange uncle,” remarking that he had long perceived him as “really, really racist” and inappropriate in the locker room.

Notably, the former Clippers owner was banned from the NBA in 2014 by Commissioner Adam Silver following a leaked recording in which Sterling made racist remarks. In that recording, he suggested to his then-girlfriend, V. Stiviano, that she could associate with black people but asked her not to promote it on social media.

Griffin concluded his NBA career in 2023 after an impressive 13 seasons, earning six All-Star selections and five All-NBA team honors. Looking ahead, he will take on an analyst role next season on Amazon’s new NBA studio show, joining Dirk Nowitzki and host Taylor Lukes.