Blake Griffin

Griffin's father Tommy played professional basketball in Europe, giving Blake a basketball background that produced technical skills alongside his extraordinary physical gifts — a combination that made him something more than a pure dunker from his earliest NBA seasons.

He attended Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma — the same city where the University of Oklahoma is based — giving him an unusual hometown-hero dynamic when he played college ball down the road.

Griffin is the only player in Clippers franchise history to have his entire cultural impact defined by a single role: the transformation of the franchise from NBA punchline to legitimate entertainment product happened simultaneously with his arrival.

After his NBA career ended, Griffin enrolled at MIT's Sloan School of Management — a decision that reflected his always-active intellectual curiosity and commitment to life after basketball.