Patrick Beverley Takes Shot at Former Pistons Star Over Hall of Fame Claim
Patrick Beverley Takes Shot at Former Pistons Star Over Hall of Fame Claim originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Blake Griffin is not the best NBA player of all time, although he was certainly one of the most exciting. While playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, he was the best dunker in the league, and when he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, he reinvented his game to be a modern stretch four.
Advertisement
With six All-Star appearances and five All-NBA nods, he was one of the best players of the 2010s, and even though he did not make it past the second round of the NBA playoffs, he has a solid Hall of Fame case.
However, one of his former teammates doesn't think he deserves it.
Feb 11, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesars Arena© Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
Patrick Beverley is one of the most outspoken NBA players of all time, and after starting a self-titled podcast, he has found the platform to express some of his more inflammatory takes.
On a recent episode, he took a shot at Griffin, who was his teammate from 2017 to 2018 on the Clippers.
'People talk about Blake Griffin being in the Hall of Fame, and I'm looking like, how?" Beverley asked. "No discredit to Blake Griffin, but I'm looking like, how? I took the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time ever. Like, if I would've dunked more, does that mean I would've made the Hall of Fame?'
Advertisement
Now, one can quickly point out that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, not Beverley, led the Clippers to the Conference Finals in 2021. During that playoff run, Beverley played solid defense, although he averaged only 4.9 points and 2.4 assists, usually coming off the bench.
Alongside Chris Paul, Griffin was a centerpiece on the 'Lob City' Clippers, who were a staple in the playoffs.
While Griffin is best known for his time in Los Angeles, his stint with the Pistons can't be discounted, as he made his final All-Star and All-NBA teams in 2019 with the Pistons, and became an outside shooting threat in the Motor City, while keeping the franchise afloat before their long rebuild.
Advertisement
Check out the All Pistons homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
Related: Pistons' JB Bickerstaff Reveals What NBA Coaches Have To Do To Not Be Fired
Related: Detroit Pistons To Test Free Agent Waters With Two Elite Centers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grizzlies' Zach Edey reinjures left ankle, will have surgery and miss start of 2025-26 season
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey reportedly will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season because of surgery to repair a left ankle he reinjured during an offseason training session. On Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the injury and noted the All-Rookie big will undergo surgery to restabilize the ankle. Advertisement The Purdue product has a history of ankle injuries with the first one coming in November 2024. The issues came back in March and then again in April. In his debut season with the Grizzlies, Edey averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The 23-year-old shot 58% from the field and started in 55 of his 66 appearances. Edey played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks during his senior campaign. The Grizzlies selected Edey with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after he led Purdue to the NCAA tournament title game, losing to UConn. Memphis finished with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If the San Antonio Spurs trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will likely be title favorites. Even with giving up the second overall pick, a core of Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox seems impossible to beat. Advertisement However, adding the Greek Freak comes at a cost. He is still very much in his prime, but questions will emerge about how much longer he can produce at that level. By giving up the second pick, as well as plenty of quality young players, in a trade for Giannis, the Spurs would severely limit their future flexibility. "One of the concerns people in San Antonio told me about is, you go and deal for a guy like Giannis, all of a sudden you've created a championship window, but it is a window with a closing date," said Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "You've got De'Aaron Fox, who's in his late 20s, Giannis in his early 30s, and the last thing they want is to have a roster after those guys kind of age out where when Wembanyama is maybe looking around going, 'All right, where are the young guys I'm going to play with after that?'" Even though Giannis is a better player than Wembanyama right now, the Spurs would still firmly be Wemby's team, and their timeline would be built around the younger star. Even in the most lopsided deal in San Antonio's favor, the Spurs still have to give up the second pick, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Vassell, severely limiting their shooting prowess. Advertisement For Giannis, it would surely be worth it, but the Spurs are focused on the next 15 years, not the next three. "It certainly is a problem for another day, but that's on the mind of the San Antonio Spurs," Mannix continued. "That's why they want to hold on to Stephon Castle, so he can be that second guy opposite Wembanyama for a long time, assuming they trade that No. 2 pick." Cheaper trade candidates like Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Durant, and even Jaylen Brown have all been floated as possible targets, although the Spurs holding the line and building through the draft seems like the most realistic outcome. Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: Jeremy Sochan Gets Brutally Honest About Role With San Antonio Spurs Related: Adam Silver's All-Star Announcement Should Please Victor Wembanyama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Durant Predicts Suns Will Trade Him to West Team on Rise
Kevin Durant Predicts Suns Will Trade Him to West Team on Rise originally appeared on Athlon Sports. That the Phoenix Suns are looking to reset their roster and eventually their salary cap situation is no secret around the NBA. That trading Kevin Durant this summer is likely the only way to do so is also common knowledge. Advertisement The real question at this point is where Durant is most likely to end up. Several experts don't expect the 36-year-old superstar's trade value to be exceedingly high given his age, his salary (nearly $55 million in 2025) and the fact that there is only one year left on his contract. That last issue is particularly problematic, because Durant is likely to want a multiyear extension from whatever team deals for him, which will be expensive and tie that franchise to the former MVP through his late 30s. And if a new deal doesn't happen, then everything a team surrenders for Durant could merely facilitate a one-year rental should he opt for unrestricted free agency in summer 2026. As such, the needle to thread on a Durant deal is a complicated and interesting one, though there are some teams that make a considerable amount of sense. As far as Durant is concerned, the most likely of them is a Texas-based Western Conference squad with loads of young talent and a bright future ahead that could be realized as early as next season. "I do know somebody that has been with Kevin Durant recently," John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM in Phoenix reported on Friday, June 6. "And Kevin Durant and this person talked about the Spurs." Advertisement San Antonio has drafted the last two Rookie of the Year award winners in Victor Wembanyama, who is already on a generational trajectory based on his development, and Stephon Castle. Wembanyama turned just 21 years old in January and was on track to make an All-NBA roster and win Defensive Player of the Year in his second professional season before a blood clot developed in his shoulder and cut his campaign short. The Spurs also recently traded for former All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox and own the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, which is top-heavy with talent. Durant can provide San Antonio with both general shooting and clutch-time playmaking on offense, while adding another 7-foot presence on defense -- all of which should accelerate the championship timeline for a franchise with among the most respected front office groups and coaching staffs in the league. Advertisement Related: Spurs' Reason for Not Trading For Giannis Antetokounmpo Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
