Blake Griffin retires: Ex-Clippers star and first-overall draft pick announces decision to call it a day after going unsigned in 2023-24... and jokes he's 'excited for his next chapter' before signing off: 'Just kidding, I'm done'

Blake Griffin has officially retired from the NBA.

The former Los Angeles Clippers star and first-overall draft pick out of Oklahoma announced his decision on social media following an NBA season in which he remained a free agent.

'The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn't change a thing,' he wrote online.

After missing his rookie season with a broken kneecap, Griffin was an All-Star in each of his first five NBA seasons and is the last player to make the team as a rookie.

Along with Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Yao Ming, Griffin is the only player in the last 35 years to be chosen for the All-Star game in each of his first five seasons.

A six-time All-Star who played for the Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, Griffin has dabbled in podcasts, television and comedy, so there's a good chance he will remain in the public eye. 

Perhaps with that in mind, the five-time All-NBA selection penned a pretty funny retirement letter that seemed to poke fun at many of those written by others. 

'I never envisioned myself as the guy who would have a ''letter to basketball'' retirement announcement,' Griffin began, referring to a poem Kobe Bryant wrote for the Players' Tribune in 2015.   

'I'm still not going to be that guy. But as I reflected on my career, the one feeling I kept coming back to and the one thing I wanted to express was thankfulness.

'I'm thankful for every single moment—not just the good ones: the wins, the awards, the dunks, and the memorable times spent with family, friends, fans, teammates, and coaches. I could continue on about the people in my life who have contributed immensely to my career, but in this short non-letter, I have to acknowledge my parents, Tommy and Gail, and my brother, Taylor, for their unconditional support and guidance. 

'Lastly, my agent Sam Goldfeder, who has been a steadfast voice of reason and my wartime consigliere-thank you.

'I am equally thankful for the not-so-good moments: the losses, the injuries, the wayyyy too many surgeries, the lessons, the heartbreaks, and it wouldn't be sports retirement letter without acknowledging the ''haters.'' All of these experiences made my 14 years in the league truly unforgettable, and I can't help but to just feel thankful.

'The game of basketball has given me so much in this life, and I wouldn't change a thing.'

Griffin closed his 'non-letter' with another jab at cliché retirement announcements.  

'Last but certainly not least, here comes the obligatory I'm excited for my next chapter part,' he wrote. 'Just kidding, l'm done.'

Below his signature, Griffin added: 'Wait. Am I that guy?'

The younger brother of another Oklahoma player, Tommy, Blake took the country by storm during his two seasons with the Sooners.

The Clippers would win the lottery in 2009, and although Griffin missed his rookie campaign with a knee injury, he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2010 as LA’s ‘other’ team began to rival the Lakers for the city spotlight.

But even with the additions of point guard Chris Paul and dominant defensive center DeAndre Jordan, Doc Rivers’ Clippers failed to make it beyond the Western Conference semifinals.

In 2018, Griffin was sent by the Clippers to the Detroit Pistons, for whom he had one strong season before age and injuries began to take their toll.

He would end his NBA career bouncing from the Nets to the Celtics in a reserve role before going unsigned in 2023-24.