| |
|
NBA -- Griffin's Olympic dreams KO'd by injury
By Joan Secuya-Medida PhilBoxing.com Sat, 14 Jul 2012
 Blak Griffin.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Before writing this piece, I watched the YouTube video of Blake Griffin's monster dunk during a Las Vegas practice for Team USA Basketball. The feat of wonder, which has 1,462, 252 views and counting, was made last July 7.
Six days later, the Los Angeles Times reported that the high-flying Griffin has been grounded by a medial meniscus tear in his left knee, The LA Clippers forward will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week and will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Sadly, Griffin will miss the Olympic Games in London. And just like that, Griffin's chance to wear a rare Olympic gold medal is flushed down the drain. Yet another example of how fragile life is.
But Griffin's loss is another man's gain. That man is rookie Anthony Davis, who has been been tapped by USA Basketball to replace the injured star. Davis, a college standout from the University of Kentucky, was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets as the No.1 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft.
And while the LA Clippers are pained by Griffin's injury, they are relieved that the mishap isn't career-ending. After all, they recently inked Griffin to a massive contract extension worth $95 million for five years.
"We're relieved that this does not affect Blake's ability to be ready in time for training camp," Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro said in a statement. "Missing out on the Olympic experience is tough for him to take. I know how dedicated he was to doing that. We're glad we can get this fixed now and take advantage of the available time for him to recover."
At 6-foot-10, 251 pounds, Griffin is one of the most electrifying young players in the NBA. A two-year pro, the 23-year old has already compiled a thick scrapbook of gravity-defying dunks. Griffin averaged 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per in 66 games last season. (Joan Secuya-Medida.)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joan Secuya-Medida.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Usyk Linked to Zuffa Boxing Deal as Questions Loom Over Title Defenses By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 16 Jan 2026Abass Baraou: "No One Has Been Able to Withstand My Pressure!" , Fri, 16 Jan 2026Wise Owl Boxing Signs Rising Female Star Chantel “Chicanita” Navarro , Fri, 16 Jan 2026Mauricio Sulaiman: WBC wants to protect fighters' dream of becoming a world champion By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 15 Jan 2026Xander Zayas: "It's Time to Make History!" , Thu, 15 Jan 2026Weights from Trenton, NJ , Thu, 15 Jan 2026Pro Boxer and Recent Grad Returns for Fight Night on the Farm — Celebrating Stanford’s Boxing Community , Thu, 15 Jan 2026Jamaine Ortiz Aims to Derail Keyshawn Davis’ Undefeated Streak at Madison Square Garden , Wed, 14 Jan 2026“No bad blood from me”- Good friends become better rivals – Clarke is ready for Cruiserweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53 , Wed, 14 Jan 2026Itauma suffers injury; Magnificent 7 rescheduled to March 28 By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 14 Jan 2026Top Super Lightweights Bryan Flores & Starling Castillo Battle in 10-Round Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ , Wed, 14 Jan 2026Harden surpasses Shaquille O'Neal's to become the ninth all-time leading scorer in NBA history By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 14 Jan 2026“It’s time, LFG” - Holly McMath Trilogy for WBC Title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53 , Tue, 13 Jan 2026IBA President Kremlev encourages sporting organisations to protect women’s sport following Trump’s statement on Imane Khelif , Tue, 13 Jan 2026REYES, STRICKLAND, BUSTAMANTE & SOUQUET SET FOR HISTORIC SHOWDOWN AT WNT LEGENDS – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW , Tue, 13 Jan 2026Pumicpic fights Korean in Japan By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 13 Jan 2026No. 1 rated WBA Super Flyweight contender John “Scrappy” Ramirez remains patient and Looks forward to a 2026 World title shot , Tue, 13 Jan 2026Ironman 70.3 Davao on March 22 By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 13 Jan 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 12 JANUARY 2026: Dalton Smith Halts Subriel Matias in 5; Kabayel Stops Knyba in 3 By Eric Armit, , Mon, 12 Jan 2026Chess Players Association of Negros Occidental, Incorporated (CPANOI) – 2026 Opening Event By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 12 Jan 2026STUNNING SMITH DESTROYS MATIAS TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION , Sun, 11 Jan 2026Former WBC champ Bazooka Limón hospitalized in Mexico By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 11 Jan 2026Zuffa Boxing set to unveil its maiden card on January 23 in Las Vegas By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026‘I’ve got an army and army’s move in numbers’ Owen Corrigan returns for Light Heavyweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53 , Sat, 10 Jan 2026Pasalamat Festival Chess Tour 2026 to Push Through By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|