BOSTON —Soon after Blake Griffin got off the phone with Brad Stevens to tell him he wanted to join the Celtics last week, the veteran forward had a decision to make.
Of course, Griffin had to pick what number he wanted to wear with his new team – a very important decision. But it was more difficult than he probably thought.
Nos. 32, 23 and 2 – Griffin’s numbers with the Clippers, Pistons and Nets, respectively – are all retired by the Celtics. And the franchise’s 23 retired numbers – plus all the numbers being worn by current C’s – didn’t give Griffin a lot to work with.
“I was just sitting with some of my friends and we were looking at the numbers,” Griffin said. “And the first available number was like 27 or something like that. … Then it jumped a bunch and it went from like 49 to like 90-whatever.
“And then I was trying to think of a number that had never been worn before…”
Then, it hit him. A friend suggested No. 91 as a homage to Dennis Rodman, the Hall of Famer who wore that number on the Bulls teams of the late 1990s. It felt right to Griffin — a longtime admirer of Rodman — who will become the first C’s player and fifth in NBA history to wear the unique number.
“I just liked the Rodman 91 jersey,” Griffin said. “I always thought that looked sick. … I was thinking about it and I was like, ‘Oh yeah. That’s the one.’ ”
It seemed natural to Griffin, whose earliest basketball memories included Rodman. Growing up in Oklahoma, Griffin didn’t have a local team to root for — the Thunder didn’t exist until 2008 — so that meant his only option were national TV games, which almost always included the Bulls.
“I’m a huge Michael Jordan fan, but I just think Rodman’s basketball personality, like the way he played, how hard he played, that’s kind of how I want to be and hopefully with a little more finesse offensively,” Griffin said. “But I think the passion and the intensity with how he played is something that everybody should try to (emulate).”
With his jersey number locked up, Griffin is also hoping to do what Rodman did five times in his legendary career — win a championship.
With their frontcourt shorthanded to start the year, the Celtics signed Griffin last week to provide depth. The 33-year-old Griffin — the 2009 No. 1 pick, six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection — is well past his prime but still has plenty to give. And he has one pursuit in mind at this stage of his career. He’s never had a better opportunity to win his first title than with these Celtics.
“That’s the reason I’m playing basketball,” Griffin said. “I’ve had moderate success, individual success. We’ve played in some big playoff moments. But the reason we all play or most of us play is to win a championship. … That’s the reason I’m still playing basketball.”
Griffin only joined the C’s on Monday, but it already feels like he’s been in Boston longer. Grant Williams said on Wednesday that Griffin, a notorious jokester, is already one of the funniest players on the team. Teammates are gravitating to Griffin, who seems like a natural fit in the locker room and is assimilating himself well.
“The organization top to bottom is so well run,” Griffin said. “It’s so well thought out. Everybody’s super welcoming as a team. The maturity level of the team is pretty unbelievable. I don’t know what the average age is. I know Al (Horford) and I probably bring that up a lot but it’s gotta be one of the younger teams.
“You can tell that this organization instills that in the young guys. It’s really cool. I haven’t truly experienced that.”
And though he arrives with plenty of fame and notoriety, Griffin doesn’t want to step on toes.
“As I get older, it’s just more comfortable with exactly who you are,” Griffin said. “You’ve seen a million different locker rooms. I think the older guys, guys who have been through it, it’s our job to not only make sure we’re going in the right direction but … you also want to make sure it’s a good environment, too. You want to make sure guys are getting along and these guys already know each other well, so I’m just trying to find my way. …
“I think I’ll find that, but my personality isn’t to like, be that guy right away. I think we have so many guys who are leaders here. Guys that when they speak, everybody listens. It’ll be picking and choosing times. … That was like the biggest thing I’ve learned in my time. If you’re genuine and you take a genuine approach to leadership, people will listen. You just can’t force yourself onto something, so I just let it sort of come to me.”
Griffin is also trying to find his way on defense, which he noted has been a major emphasis in his early time with the Celtics. That’s no surprise given the C’s had the best defense in the NBA last season, and Griffin can already see why.
“The thing I love the most is just (it’s) clear and concise,” Griffin said. “I think in the NBA, you have to be willing to live with a certain type of shot and we know what that is here. These guys play exactly how they’re supposed to, and the best part about it is in practice, the intensity is so high, especially defensively. You have no choice but to get better.”
Griffin has seen his individual defensive rating decline over recent seasons, but he said he takes pride on that end of the floor and is focusing on finding ways to contribute. Last season, he led the NBA with 26 charges drawn despite playing limited minutes for the Nets, emblematic of the sacrifice he’s making at this point of his career.
Griffin understands he’s not the player he was a decade ago, when he was a high-flying highlight machine. Or even three years ago, when he was still putting up 24.5 points per night, as injuries have run its course. He’s not even starting anymore, which he said wasn’t a hard change for him. To his credit, Griffin knows who he is, and he knows what he wants – and that can only bode well for the Celtics as they chase a title this season.
“I think another way of maximizing your time in this league is to make sure your ego is always in check,” Griffin said. “You can’t be one of those guys that because you started at one point, because you made an All-Star Game or whatever, that you always expect to do that. You have to be realistic and you have to have self awareness. If your goal is to win a championship, then those two things have to be there.”
