Blake Griffin admitted to ESPN this week that he found out he’d been traded from the LA Clippers to the Detroit Pistons on Twitter.
“Basketball is a business, the NBA is a business, and they made a decision,” he said. “The only thing I just wish I had known or had the opportunity to talk to somebody beforehand. Finding out through Twitter, through other people is a tough way to find out when you’ve been with a franchise for so long. But at the end of the day, basketball is a business, and I want to play where a team wants me. And that’s why I’m excited about being here.”
Blake Griffin found out he was traded like everyone else did, on Twitter… pic.twitter.com/eb3UdqfDBE
— Dime on UPROXX (@DimeUPROXX) February 1, 2018
What a rough go. First, the fact that Blake Griffin actually has to move from LA to Detroit is a rough go. One day he’s chasing Kardashians, cruising down Rodeo Drive in a sports car. The next, he’s stepping off a plane into subzero temperatures, throwing on a jersey for the ninth ranked team in the Eastern conference. It’s not exactly an upgrade.
And while he’s right — the NBA is definitely a business and coaches reserve the right to terminate a player’s contract at any time — the execution was poor. It’s just a sign of the times. So at this point, I think it’s time to just embrace all of these Twitter firings/trades. Happens to everyone.
Happened to Kendall Fuller, who took it in stride this week.
Me on Twitter after tweeting all that then finding out i got traded! pic.twitter.com/YHhCzzcsZj
— Kendall Fuller (@KeFu11er) January 31, 2018
Happened to James Comey. He found out he was fired after he happened to glance over at at TV.
So chin up, Blake. This is all a part of living in 2018. It may not be the most graceful way to go but who knows? A year from now when you’re settled into Detroit, you’ll be bundled up in a floor length down jacket walking to your nearest Tim Hortons, completely unmolested by any fans or paparazzi, and you’ll think back to your time in LA. You’ll think back to when you were dating Kendall Jenner and Chris Paul was trying to break into your locker room. And you’ll realize that life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey.
And then you’ll smile, and for a moment — just a moment — you’ll forget it’s 7 degrees Fahrenheit and you got fired on Twitter.
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