Preface
Blake Griffin, the former Clippers All-Star power forward, known as the "White Monster" by fans, had to choose to retire due to long-term injuries, you must know that Griffin is only 35 years old now, if it is not for the cause of injury, with his ability to continue to survive in today's NBA.
Griffin's retirement also brought many fans' thoughts back to the "empty city" of the year, although the Clippers team failed to win the championship, but the game was full of perception, but now it is no longer a thing. In addition to Griffin, 39-year-old Chris Paul is also saying goodbye to this season, and Paul is likely to retire in the next season or two.
However, the "empty city" of the year was not without winners, don't forget the little Jordan who was born in the second round of the show, but played famous, after he left the Clippers, he won all the honors he could get, let's take a look at how Little Jordan has become a winner in life step by step over the years!
Born in a second-round show, but became a top center!
Jordan Jr. is also a member of the rookie class of 2008, although in the NCAA, his strengths and weaknesses are very obvious, especially not good at offense, scoring means are limited to dunks and open catches in the paint area, but his physical fitness is extremely strong, and the defensive end is full of intimidation, can take the burden of protecting the frame, so the Clippers still used the fifth pick in the second round to bring him to Los Angeles.
And Jordan Jr. is also growing step by step with the Clippers, especially after Chris Carman's injury, he got the opportunity to play up. And Jordan Jr. didn't let the opportunity slip away, in the 10-11 season, he played in 80 games, averaging 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, shooting 68.6%, plus his athleticism is good, so he is also regarded as the best candidate to partner with Griffin on the inside, and what really transformed Jordan Jr., Griffin and the entire Clippers team is the arrival of Chris Paul.
Paul's arrival made Jordan Jr. like a fish in water on the inside, and his good blocking and dismantling ability allowed him to eat cakes to his heart's content in the game, which also helped Jordan Jr.'s presence on the offensive end to be greatly improved, and Jordan Jr.'s own increasingly strong frame protection ability, he became the top blue-collar center in the NBA at that time. In the 13-14 season, he averaged 10.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game to win the title of rebounding king.
In the 14-15 season, he averaged 11.5 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal and 2.2 blocks per game, not only won the rebounding title, but also was selected to the All-NBA Third Team and All-NBA First Team. In the '15-16 season, he averaged 12.7 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game again, and this time he was directly selected to the double-team. And in the 16-17 season, he dreamed of being an All-Star, and it can be said that in just four seasons, he got all the honors that an NBA player can get!
Absolute inspirational role model, earn 100 million yuan contract.
In addition, as a second-round pick, Jordan Jr. also earned a lot of salary in his career, which is also the envy of most NBA stars. As a rookie, Jordan Jr.'s contract was only $2.14 million for three years due to the low draft pick, but with his outstanding performance, he immediately made a price for himself.
At the end of the 10-11 season, he got a four-year, $43.04 million contract extension from the team, which is already a very good treatment for him who is positioned as a blue-collar worker. And even more amazing was in 2015, when Jordan Jr. had a player option, and he had already won the rebounding king, the best third team and the best first defensive team, and he chose to become a free agent in order to get a bigger contract. And he also reached an agreement with the Mavericks at one point, and the Clippers directly threw a four-year contract worth $87.6 million, which changed Jordan Jr.'s mind and kept him with the Clippers.
Then the time came in 2018, due to the successive departures of Paul and Griffin, Jordan Jr. also jumped out of the contract, and this time the Mavericks finally got him and gave him a one-year, $22.9 million contract. Although he was traded to the Knicks in the middle of the season and failed to get a contract extension, with 11 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 blocks throughout the season, the 31-year-old Jordan Jr. still received a four-year, $40 million contract from the Nets in the summer of 2019.
Since then, although Jordan Jr. and the Nets have completed buyouts, and have joined the Lakers, 76ers and Nuggets respectively with a base salary, this has not prevented him from getting a big contract, and since entering the NBA, until this season, he has earned more than $170 million, which is a real winner in life.
Having a championship is still an important rotation for the team.
Finally, there's one more thing that Paul and Griffin failed to do, and that's the championship. In the summer of 2022, just when everyone thought Jordan Jr. would not be able to continue playing in the NBA, the 34-year-old received a one-year, $2.9 million base salary contract from the Nuggets, and although he played limited playing time, he still contributed 5.1 points and 5.2 rebounds, which allowed him to enter the Nuggets' rotation and win the coveted championship last season.
And this season, Jordan Jr. is still on the Nuggets' lineup. Although he only made 36 appearances in the regular season, he still did his duty in 11 minutes per game, contributing 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, and now he is defending the title with the Nuggets in the playoffs. Looking back on these honors, it can be said that it is the best reward for his hard work over the years.