Reign Man II?
It’s hard to come up with a good historic comparison for Blake Griffin, because that combination of size and athleticism just do not come along very often. If ever.
But Nuggets coach George Karl had one that I liked — Shawn Kemp. Here’s his quote via the Los Angeles Times.“I’ve talked to a couple of guys who’ve said, ‘Was Shawn as powerful?’” said Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl, who coached Kemp in Seattle, before Thursday’s game. “I think that’s the guy who’s closest….
“This kid, he gets so high above the rim. It reminds me of when I was an athlete and I could jump and we got the 8-foot hoops,” Karl said. “He does things that we used to do on 8, maybe 7-foot [hoops]. You know, throwing it down from three feet away.”
I’m not sure I could do what Griffin does on the little Nerf hoop hanging off the top of a door in my house.
For those of you younger readers who hear Kemp’s name and think of the bloated post-lockout version of the man, or joke about his personal life, do remember that he was also a force on the court. Watch the video above. You’ll see why this may be the best Griffin comparison there is. And it’s still not perfect.
