ORLANDO — Now that we are roughly halfway through the NBA season, plenty of discussions surrounding who will win the 2025 MVP Award have begun to take place.
Will it be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City? Or will Denver’s Nikola Jokic win the MVP for a fourth time? Maybe it’s Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetoukoumpo or Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
“I think Jokic is doing things that are absolutely unreal, his numbers, production. Having said that, I know there is sort of like a voter [fatigue] — people are getting tired of voting for the same person,” said six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin.
“I think what Shai is doing in Oklahoma City is unbelievable. They’re the best team with the best record in the league, and Chet [Holmgren] has been hurt. He’s done it with guys in and out of the lineup. He’s averaging [32.1 points per game]. I would say right now, I think it’s got to be Shai.”
Griffin started almost 700 games across his 13-year NBA career, playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2023. He knows the Association inside and out and continues to watch as much as possible. But now that he no longer plays, Griffin sees an ongoing “shift” in the NBA, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren carrying the load.
“We’re in like an interesting time for the NBA, right? There are still the LeBrons, Stephs, KD, and James Hardens. Look at Oklahoma City. No. 1 in the west; Houston, No. 2. I don’t know if anything changed last night. Boston won last year. Cleveland. Looking at all these teams with younger talent, you’re seeing these teams that are very, very good,” Griffin said when asked by SB Nation to talk about the state of the NBA.
“For the first time in a long time, it’s not LeBron’s team. It’s not KD’s team. Not Steph’s team. None of those teams. We’re in a very interesting time in the NBA where there is a shift. All these young guys are dominant, and they’re going to be good for a long, long, long time. Obviously, we still have the older guys that are good. But there is a shift happening right now. For me, it’s exciting to watch because we’re ushering in a new era.”
Griffin’s debut at LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
Now that former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin has retired from playing, he spends a lot of time on the golf course.
A lot of time.
It’s a newfound love, too, as he began playing only three years ago. Yet, he has practiced enough to carry an 11.4 handicap, an impressive number since he can still be considered a novice. Perhaps that is why he is among the 50 celebrities in this week’s celebrity field at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, which kicks off the 2025 LPGA season. Former NBA stars Ray Allen, J.R. Smith, and Vince Carter are in the field too as is Chandler Parsons, who will join Griffin on the first tee on Thursday morning. Lauren Coughlin, who won two LPGA events in 2024, will play alongside Griffin and Parsons during the first round.
“Honestly, man, I tell everybody this but I love watching [the LPGA]. I think their swings are just so — they’re as close as you can get to perfection,” Griffin said.
“They’re efficient. No wasted movement. You can watch the PGA Tour and you can see some guys with a little different swing or something. They just like to crank it and try to use their power. These girls are so precise with what they do. Just being able to watch is pretty awesome. Nelly Korda videos on Instagram, I don’t ever skip her swing. I save a lot of them.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
