In November 2008, the NBA saw the best draft class that produced a couple of MVPS, champions, and All-Stars. Blake Griffin was the first overall pick by the LA Clippers. Stephen Curry was drafted seventh overall in the same year. Griffin emerged as a high-flying dunker and an athletic freak. His vertical pop is still a highlight for fans. But compared to Stephen Curry, his stats fall flat.
While Steph had a slow start, Griffin was playing a man’s game already as a rookie. 2011 he jumped over a car to win an NBA slam dunk contest. But history is a witness, for those who put their bet on Davidson’s sensation, Steph. NBA commentator Skip Bayless also revealed that a mutual stance on Stephen Curry brought him closer to Lil Wayne.
They both agreed that Steph was a better prospect than Griffin
In a joint interview with GQ Sports, Skip reminiscences what brought him closer to a $170 M rich rapper. Bayles predicted back then that Steph was a better prospect than Blake Griffin. And Lil Wayne was the only person who agreed with him while making an appearance on ESPN’s ‘First Take’.
“Two things came up in that meeting that really raised my eyebrows,” Bayless said. “I knew your work, but I didn’t know you, and I didn’t know your depth of sports knowledge! But we were coming up to Steph Curry’s draft, and I was a Steph Curry fan at Davidson. You shocked me, in a good way, because you said you would take Steph over Blake Griffin!” He told Wayne.
Well, their prediction turned out to be absolutely true.
Steph is undisputedly the better prospect than anyone in his draft class
Injuries have plagued Griffin’s potential to reach the fullest. He doesn’t have any championship or an MVP award. While Steph boasts five championships and two MVPs to boast. As Skip says to Lil Wayne, “Everybody at ESPN was head over heels with Blake Griffin because he could jump out of the gym. But [Griffin] stayed at Oklahoma for two years, and the good ones don’t stay for two years! He couldn’t make a shot from over two feet!”
Just in his last season with the Celtics, Griffin had his lowest stats in his entire career where he only averaged 4.1 points in 41 games. Another All-Star from the 2009 batch is James Harden, who had his own share of success. Harden is yet to win a championship ring, though he was an MVP in 2018. He is still playing at a high level despite his controversial relationship with his current team, the Philly 76ers.