When Blake Griffin sought some help from a sports psychologist from the LA Clippers, he learned a terrible truth.
Griffin was the star player for the LA Clippers when he first arrived in 2009. By the mid-2010s, Griffin, along with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan, ushered in a prosperous era for the Clippers.
Now the standout team in Los Angeles, Griffin was struggling with the pressure that came with being the face of the franchise. But that pressure led to him pursuing some help that didn’t turn out the way he had hoped.
Blake Griffin looks back on awkward encounter with LA Clippers sports psychologist
Speaking to TMZ, Blake Griffin looked back on his time with the LA Clippers and what happened when he sat down for his mandatory consultation with the team’s sports psychologist.
Griffin had a conversation with them, and then a few hours later, he saw a voicemail from the therapist on his phone, who mistakenly called him instead of one of the Clippers’ coaches to divulge the nature of their conversation.
“The Clippers hired a sports psychologist that everyone was required to meet with, we talked and when he left, I went to take a shower.
“When I got out, I see I had a voicemail. It was the psychologist and he said, ‘Hey, coach, just left Blake’s house, great talk, and we discussed some interesting things.’…
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m never meeting another sports psychologist again.’”
LA Clippers were horribly managed during the 2010s
It makes sense why this story was not reported when it first occurred. For the better part of the 2010s, the LA Clippers were marred by controversy.
The situation with their previous owner, Donald Sterling, and the immediate aftermath of that, led to the focus on the Clippers being almost entirely away from the basketball court.
While Steve Ballmer eventually purchased the team, the situation painted the team in a very negative light.
And to make matters worse, Ballmer now finds himself in another controversy surrounding Kawhi Leonard and how he recruited him to the LA Clippers.
Some believe that these long-running controversies have played some part in their lack of tangible championship success over the years.
Whether or not that is the case, stories like these do not shine a positive light on the franchise.
Read more: