Eddie Griffin (basketball)
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 30, 1982 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | August 17, 2007 (aged 25) Houston, Texas |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Seton Hall |
| NBA draft | 2001: 7th overall |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Playing career | 2001–2007 |
| Position | Power forward/Center |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| 2001-02 All-Rookie Second Team | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Eddie Jamal Griffin (May 30, 1982 – August 17, 2007) was an American professional basketball player. He most recently played for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, who waived him March 13, 2007.[1]
College career
After a standout career at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia in which he was named Parade Magazine's National Player of the Year, Griffin was hailed as one of the top incoming freshmen ahead of the 2000-01 college basketball season. He competed in the McDonald's All American Game and led Roman to the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in his junior year, and was touted by some as the biggest basketball star to emerge from Philadelphia since Wilt Chamberlain.
As a freshman, Griffin averaged 17.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.4 blocks for Seton Hall, and was at one point thought to be a potential top pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. He was named the nation's Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News [2].
In January 2001, Griffin got in a fight with a teammate, and following this incident, the Pirates' season fell apart. Griffin left the school in somewhat acrimonious circumstances after his freshman year, and made himself available for the NBA Draft.[3]
NBA career
Despite his outstanding stats at Seton Hall, questions about his attitude made him slip to the 7th pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the New Jersey Nets. Griffin's draft rights were immediately traded to the Houston Rockets for Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong, and the rights to Richard Jefferson.
In his rookie year during the 2001-02 season, Griffin played in 73 games (starting 24) while averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.84 blocks per game (ranking 13th in the NBA in that category). He followed with another solid year in 2002-03, averaging 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.44 blocks per contest.
However, Griffin suffered from alcoholism, and his troubles piled up quickly over the following year. In December 2003, the Rockets released him after he missed practices and a team flight. Griffin signed with the Nets in January 2004, but missed the entire 2003-04 season when he entered an alcohol rehabilitation center.
Prior to the 2004-05 season, the Timberwolves signed Griffin to a one-year contract, and for that season he put up roughly the same numbers he had in his two previous seasons. The Timberwolves re-signed Griffin for three years (player option in the third), starting with the 2005-06 season. Griffin had a relatively significant drop off in scoring and rebounding (whilst suffering only a slight drop in minutes per game), while averaging a career-high in blocks per game (2.11).
In March 2007, Griffin was released by the Timberwolves who had grown tired of his attitude and off-court troubles. [4]
Off-court trouble
Griffin had a history of violence dating back to his high school years. In his senior year at Roman, he got into a fight with a fellow teammate in the cafeteria and was subsequently forced out of the school[5], though he received his diploma a month after graduation; the teammate was expelled. At Seton Hall, rumors floated that he had gotten into several verbal and physical confrontations with teammates.
In February 2004, Griffin violated a court-ordered curfew stemming from charges of aggravated assault against his ex-girlfriend (he was accused of hitting her and shooting at her), and spent 11 days in jail. He pled guilty to deadly conduct over the aforementioned incident, and was sentenced to 18 months' probation, fined $2,000, and ordered to take anger management classes.
On March 30, 2006, Griffin was involved in a car crash. Witnesses and friends stated that he was watching a "porn movie on a DVD in his vehicle, and was masturbating".[6] After the accident, Griffin entered a nearby convenience store. The store's security camera recorded video of Griffin repeatedly saying he was drunk, that he didn't have a driver's license, and pleading with the man whose SUV he crashed into, offering to buy him a new car in exchange for not calling the police. Police eventually did arrive, however, but allegedly did not require Griffin to submit to a breathalyzer test or field sobriety test. An investigation was conducted to determine if the officers violated standard protocol in light of Griffin's celebrity status.[6]
Reports of Griffin's excessive drinking were steady through his NBA years. A family friend insisted those troubles could largely be traced to the death of his half-brother, Marvin Powell, in March 2001. Powell starred in basketball at Martin Luther King and Hartford and was a father figure for Eddie, who even lived with Powell in Connecticut though much of the early 1990s. However, the two had a falling out during the winter of 2000-01, when Griffin was playing for Seton Hall and possible agents were being eyed. Powell died of a heart attack in March 2001.
Death
Eddie Griffin died as a result of a car crash on August 17 2007.[7] Houston police said in a report that the driver of the SUV ignored a railroad warning and went through a barrier before striking the moving train about 1:30 a.m. Friday. The resulting fire burned the SUV and the side of a railcar carrying plastic granules.[7] Griffin's body was badly burned and there was no initial identification. Dental records later revealed the man was Griffin. Chief investigator for the Harris County Medical Examiner's office in Houston, said the cause of death and toxicology reports are pending. There were no skid marks on the street and police said there is no indication Griffin ever applied his brakes, leading to speculation that Griffin's death was a suicide.[8] Former Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey said he had not talked to Griffin in five or six months but he knew that Griffin was spending the summer trying to get back in shape to play in Europe next season.[9] He was survived by a 3-year old daughter named Amaree.
References
- ^ "Timberwolves waive Griffin". SI.com. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-14.
- ^ The Sporting News: Freshman of the Year
- ^ ESPN: Griffin leaves Seton Hall in quandary
- ^ Star Tribune: Griffin's antics should no longer be tolerated
- ^ Wojnarowski: The tortured soul of Eddie Griffin
- ^ a b "Suit: Wolves Player Watched Porn, Caused Crash". WCCO. 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ a b ESPN: Ex-Wolves player Griffin killed in crash
- ^ Houston Chronicle: The demise of a can't-miss kid
- ^ Fox Sports: Griffin killed in SUV collision with train
External links
- Recent deaths
- 1982 births
- 2007 deaths
- American road accident victims
- African American basketball players
- American basketball players
- Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball players
- Houston Rockets players
- Minnesota Timberwolves players
- People from Philadelphia
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- Power forwards (basketball)