"Went out to dinner 10 times, no check" - Blake Griffin reminisces about love from Celtics fans during Boston stint

Blake Griffin was well past his prime during his lone season with the Boston Celtics. Nevertheless, according to the six-time All-Star forward, the love he received from Celtics fans was unrivaled during his 13-year NBA career.

At his peak with the LA Clippers and Detroit Pistons, Griffin was considered one of the league's most electric, high-flying stars, regularly making highlight reels. However, after years of injury setbacks, he was a shell of himself when he joined Boston on a veteran's minimum salary in 2022.

Griffin played sparingly for the Celtics, primarily providing veteran leadership and frontcourt insurance. Across 41 outings, the five-time All-NBA selectee averaged 4.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, shooting 48.5%.

He didn't return to Boston after the 2022-23 season, narrowly missing out on being a part of the franchise's 2024 NBA championship run. Nonetheless, Griffin still looks back fondly on his brief Celtics tenure.

On Thursday's episode of "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony," Griffin said he "loved (playing in) Boston" and was "so happy" when his ex-squad won.

Afterward, Griffin raved about the Celtics' fan base's passion for their team and how it exceeded the fan support at his previous career stops.

"I played in LA for the Clippers. I played in New York for the (Brooklyn) Nets. ... It's a Lakers town. It's a Knicks town. That was the first time I really played for a team where it was like, 'No, no, everybody in that city is rocking with you,'" Griffin said.

Griffin added that Boston fans even regularly covered his dinner expenses despite him only "playing every five games."

"I went out to dinner 10 times, no check," Griffin said.

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Blake Griffin on foregoing opportunity to chase 2024 NBA title with Celtics

While Blake Griffin didn't return to Boston to try and chase his first ring last season, he could have done so. The 13-year veteran reportedly had a standing offer to rejoin the squad. However, he opted to sit out the entire campaign before retiring in April.

During Thursday's podcast appearance, Griffin touched on his difficult decision, underscoring the immense physical strain his body endured throughout his career.

"I thought about it. I had nine surgeries in my career. Every surgery takes a little bit longer to get back from," Griffin said (Timestamp: 34:32). "My last one, it was noticeable. I step on the court; I can't do the things that I want to do … It takes a toll, right?"

He added that he didn't want to continue playing if he could no longer be an impactful rotation player. So, he went out on a high note as a fan-favorite reserve.

"Basketball is the thing that I love the most in this world, love doing the most, and when you can't do it at the same level or even to a fraction of the level that you want to do it at, it becomes harder," Griffin said.

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