NBA AWARD WINNERS. BLAKE GRIFFIN. associated with the Blue, Red and White of L.A. Memories of former bust, Michael Olowokandi sent many running for Hollywood’s hills while others were quick to draw comparisons to 2007s first choice, injury-prone big man Greg Oden but as Griffin now admits, “I was forgotten about last year. That kind of put everything into perspective.” What a difference a year makes... 22.5 points per, 218 memorable dunks and one leap over a Kia Optima later, and Blake Griffin is now the brightest rising star in David Stern’s galaxy. In just 82 games, Griffin gave the gift of optimism (to a once stumbling franchise), carried the weight as its centrepiece and displayed a promise that he was worth the wait (justifying why the Clippers took the former University of Oklahoma student first in the ‘09 Draft). We’ve all seen the rubble left by this (Rookie of the Year) Hulk but what exactly did Griffin do during his one year removed from the game? Thanks to his recent heroics, few people have stop to wonder about the details of his comeback but there’s one person who doesn’t take Griffin’s success for granted, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Athletic Trainer, Jasen Powell. “Our biggest challenge was explaining and letting [Blake] know that the recovery was a marathon and not a sprint,” he confesses to BUCKETS. “We had our battles within the process to make him understand the importance of not rushing back.” The trainer’s approach certainly appears to be the right choice as Griffin clocked 3112 minutes, starting all 82 games (without re-injuring his once damaged knee). Powell worked with the bulky forward during the entire 2009-10 season and is able to offer clarification on how this athletic freak turned dunking phenomenon was able to return even more explosive, than he was before the procedure. “The methods that were performed in the surgery made his tendon stronger. The rehab process really allowed him to start from the ground up,” Powell explains. “Coming out of surgery we made sure that Blake would establish a good stability base in his knee first. That was key. The strength program would follow much later.” Most rookies might have difficulties remaining patient throughout such a longsome rehabilitation process but as we now know, Griffin was no ordinary rookie. “You cannot let it get into your head,” the 22-year old notes when describing his
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approach. “I was off the radar last year but that made me work even harder.” And his trainer is quick to back that statement up, “Blake definitely had youth on his side, but most important was his desire and his will to attack the rehabilitation process.” Powell praises the young star’s dedication but it appears like the tremendous work ethic comes naturally for Griffin, and he shrugs as he notes, “That’s just how I’ve always been.” But even if the first year forward remains surprisingly calm and collected (when talking about his time away from the timber), there’s no doubt that Griffin’s patience and resolve have both been put to the test during a less than enjoyable healing process. “There was just a lot..,” he pauses “[sic] really a lot of rehab.” Blake buries his face in his hands while reminiscing. After a deep breath, he continues. “I was in [rehab] for two and a half hours every day after the surgery from October to April.” But Griffin had a mental advantage with this specific type of knee injury compared to micro-fracture surgery (which has been known to affect players in all sorts of ways). As Griffin explains with confidence, “My doctors told me right from the beginning: the harder I work the faster I get back. It really put me at ease, that it was on me. That’s why I was never worried.” If Donald Sterling and the Clippers’ Front Office ever doubted their franchise saviour’s work ethic, it’s statements like that which indicate the young man from Oklahoma has brought the right mindset to change the fate of the City of Angels’ other franchise. Acknowledged as the new NBA highlight factory, Griffin’s multitude of dunks, memorable as they might be, aren’t destined to be the constant of Griffin’s whole NBA career. It’s his tremendous work ethic, proven by the notion that without it, his dunk-o-matic season wouldn’t have blossomed so quickly, that appears to rule as his legacy going forward. Whether its weights with Powell and the Clippers training staff, or the man behind the mask, the mysterious Frank Matrisciano, chasing Griffin up steep sandy hills during gruelling off-season workouts, Blake has always put in the time to ensure his game is prime. At the end of the day, he might be ‘The Incredible Griffin’ to fans worldwide, but Blake doesn’t posses any real super powers; he just works harder than any human before him. That, or he’s an alien.
Jasen Powell Los Angeles Clippers’ Athletic Trainer.
BLAKE GRIFFIN Nike Vault, Los Angeles (Feb 2011). Just minutes after winning his first NBA Slam Dunk competition.