Blake Griffin Selects LeBron James As The GOAT: 'I Was In High School When He Came In. I Went To College, Played 14 Years, Retired, And He's Still Playing.'

Blake Griffin retired from the NBA in April of 2024 to end his 14-year NBA career, which started as the first overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft. Nearly a year after his retirement, he sat down for a candid interview with 'The Adam Friedland Show' on YouTube. 

They were discussing the free merchandise he got during his AAU career when LeBron James' name came up in the discussion. Friedland asked Griffin if he feels LeBron James is his GOAT. 

“I loved LeBron like I mean he got into the league what ' 04? So I was like, I was in high school still. Yeah, he's still playing… I was in high school when he came in. I went to college. I played for 14 years, retired, and he's still playing. That’s crazy!"

"I think people are, people constantly are talking about what he's doing at age 40---What he's doing at age 40 is insane.”

“The problem is, I think the problem is that, like, when it's like a guy that's up for like the goat debate. It's like you really like want him to contend for championships every year. The Lakers' roster just wasn't they weren't good enough. They truly weren't good enough… I'm just saying the goat debate. That's the burden that he has to carry.”

Griffin credited James' longevity as the main reason why he considers him the greatest of all time. Going into the 23rd year of his career, James still averaged 24.5 points, 8.0 assists, and 7.9 rebounds in the 75 games he played last season. 

Averaging All-NBA caliber numbers at age 40 puts a different spin on what it means to be the greatest player of all time. Whether it is individual consistency or just the pure ability to win no matter what it takes, is still a matter of debate. 

Blake Griffin Comments On LeBron James' Relationship With Michael Jordan  

Later in the interview with the comedian host, Griffin acknowledged that "Michael Jordan won better than anybody" in the history of the league. Yet he believes winning a championship is not the only thing that decides how good an individual player is. 

Friedland hilariously followed up and pondered on what Michael Jordan had seemed to be doing. He claimed that it could be Michael Jordan who is behind Stephen A. Smith being one of the biggest critics of LeBron James. Griffin hilariously deemed Stephen A. Smith Jordan's "puppet" as a result of that joke. 

But Griffin clarified that while it wasn't true that Jordan was controlling Stephen A. Smith, Jordan's circumstances may have kept him away from having a personal relationship with LeBron James. 

"He does talk to him. They don't have a relationship. That doesn't mean they don't. They've never spoken. Michael Jordan was an owner for the majority of LeBron's career.”

Since owners do not usually fraternize with players of other teams, Griffin indicates that it was Jordan's circumstances that kept him away from LeBron James. 

In my opinion, now that Michael Jordan will be a special contributor for NBC's coverage of the NBA, he will be more actively involved on the ground and could build a personal relationship with James in what could be the final season of LeBron's career.