Offensive Game
Prolific scorer for his era. Elite at going above the rim and finishing — nicknamed Dr. Dunkenstein for his aerial artistry. Developed into a reliable three-point threat as the line was introduced.
Career Journey
Utah Jazz
1980-1991
Darrell Griffith arrived in Utah in 1980 as 'Dr. Dunkenstein,' a nickname earned by leaping ability that made him must-see theater. He had just delivered Louisville its first national championship, and he backed up the hype at once, winning Rookie of the Year in 1981. What gets underrated is how he evolved: as the three-point line took hold, Griffith adapted from a pure above-the-rim scorer into one of the league's premier long-range shooters, leading the NBA in three-point percentage and setting a single-season makes record in 1984. A stress fracture cost him the entire 1985-86 season and stole a step, yet he stayed a Jazz fixture, spending his whole 11-year career in Salt Lake City before retiring in 1991. He bridged the franchise's lean years and its Stockton-to-Malone rise.
Offensive Game
Prolific scorer for his era. Elite at going above the rim and finishing — nicknamed Dr. Dunkenstein for his aerial artistry. Developed into a reliable three-point threat as the line was introduced.
Defensive Game
Active defender who used his athleticism to disrupt. Not an elite stopper but contributed on that end with effort and quickness.
All articles
Darrell Griffith was the first All-Star in Utah Jazz history, led the NBA in three-pointers in 1984, and gave Salt Lake City its first franchise player. Here is why #35 belongs in the rafters.
Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
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1981 NBA Rookie of the Year
Won ROY after averaging 20.6 points as a rookie; taken No. 2 overall by Utah in the 1980 draft.
1980 NCAA Champion at Louisville
Scored 23 points in the Cardinals' win over UCLA to deliver Louisville its first national title.
Three-point pioneer for the Jazz
Reinvented as a shooter, he led the NBA in three-point percentage and set the single-season made-threes record in 1983-84.
Intangibles
Smart scorer who understood how to get open and finish. His court awareness and scoring consistency gave the early Jazz a reliable offensive anchor.
Off the Court
Active in Louisville community
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Dr. Dunkenstein' was given to him at Louisville for a vertical leap that teammates measured at 48 inches.
Won the 1980 NCAA Championship with Louisville and was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
Was the first Jazz player to make an NBA All-Star Game (1984) in Utah, cementing him as the franchise's first true star.
Was one of the first players in NBA history to embrace the three-point line, leading the league in threes made in 1983-84.
Career Honors
1981 NBA Rookie of the Year
1984 NBA All-Star
1980 NCAA Champion and Tournament MOP
Official Jerseys
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