Blake Griffin has not played a minute of NBA basketball this season but that has not stopped several Celtics players from making a push for his return to Boston to bolster the team’s frontcourt.
Celtics guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard spoke fondly about the veteran big man during an appearance on Pardon My Take Monday. Griffin played a depth bench role for Boston last season over 41 games but has elected to sit out this season so far to spend more time with his family per league sources.
When pressed about why Griffin isn’t suiting up with the team this season, Pritchard and White acknowledged that the team’s roster has tried to get him back to Boston.
“I don’t know. We begged him to,” Pritchard told PMT.
“I think the whole team has been begging him to,’ White added.
Several members of the team reached out to Griffin back during the team’s West Coast trip in December I’m told about a potential return. However, the outreach from the Celtics has continued in recent weeks.
“I texted him actually a week ago or two jokingly being like, ‘Coming back for one last ride?’ He says he’s enjoying his life,” Pritchard said.
Show host Dan Katz then proceeded to call up Griffin during the appearance with Pritchard and White, deflecting when asked about a potential return later this season.
“We talk quite a bit,” Griffin said. “I’m just enjoying my life right now guys.”
Griffin spent just one year in Boston but spoke quite fondly about the experience in an appearance on a Barstool Sports podcast last summer.
“Boston is unbelievable,” Griffin said. “Living in Boston, playing in Boston was, like, one of the best experiences. Dude, the fans are incredible. Having a team that is so championship-focused. One of the best parts is the players on that team are just like such a great group of guys.”
In his brief show appearance on Monday, Griffin also continued to heap praise on his former teammates.
“They’re my favorites,” Griffin said of Boston’s title chances. “I don’t guarantee, I don’t want to put bad juju on them but they are the heavy favorites in my mind.”
Boston added some extra depth at the big man spot at the trade deadline with the acquisition of Xavier Tillman from the Grizzlies. He joins a frontcourt with Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet who have anchored Boston’s top-3 defense this season. Technically, the Celtics still have an open roster spot available so the door likely remains open for Griffin if he has a change of heart. However, the acquisition of Tillman likely signals that the team does not anticipate Griffin returning this year for one more run.
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