Comedy has been a huge part of Blake Griffin’s personal life. In fact, some may not know, but the six-time All-Star performed as a stand-up comedian in a few events while he was still playing in the NBA.
In 2016, Griffin did a 10-minute stand-up comedy show at Just For Laughs in Montreal in front of a live audience. He has also performed at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
In a candid admission, Griffin opened up about why comedy holds a special place in his heart. According to the former NBA Slam Dunk contest champion, he finds joy and excitement in stand-up comedy the same way he does in playing basketball.
“You finish a good game, you get the text from people, you talk to people that were there, you feel this certain energy that’s riding above everything else,” Griffin told Yahoo Sports in 2019. “It’s the same when you have a good [comedy] set. I haven’t had many of them, but you definitely feel this higher energy.”
“During the basketball season, I watch basketball every single night,” he explained. “It’s not because I have to watch the games, it’s because I’m a fan. Comedy is the same way for me. Putting in the time, going about constructing jokes, constructing a set the right way, it’s important to me. I don’t want to be this hack who only gets the low-hanging fruit.”
Blake keeps the door open
Judging by how Griffin looked on the stage, it’s safe to say that he was really very passionate about being a stand-up comedian. As it turns out, he even worked with some of the most recognizable names in the entertainment industry to create his material, such as Seth Meyers and his head writer, Neal Brennan, co-creator of The Chappelle Show.
Despite being invested in his part-time job, Griffin didn’t really confirm if doing stand-up comedy would be his second act. However, the high-flying power forward admitted that he hasn’t set a specific limit or timeframe for his gig.
“Honestly, there’s not,” Blake said when asked if there’s an end goal to his comedy stint. “I’m not doing this to one day have my Netflix special. It’s just something I enjoy. To me, it gives me a chance to give back.”
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Blake is currently an NBA analyst
Griffin officially played his final NBA game in 2023. He hasn’t committed to being a stand-up comedian yet, but that doesn’t mean he has already moved on from it.
As it stands, Blake has taken a full-time job as a studio analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s exclusive NBA coverage, alongside fellow NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki.
“It gives me a chance to talk about the one thing that I truly love and the thing that I know, and that’s basketball,” Griffin told USA TODAY Sports of his job as an analyst.
All told, it’s not clear whether or not Griffin’s current schedule still allows him to do other things, especially the ones he likes the most. However, knowing what we know now, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Blake showed up in another event to perform another stand-up comedy set.
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