Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin Reveals Celtics Jersey Number, and His Reason Is Fantastic

Only four basketball players have ever worn the No. 91 in NBA history

NBC Universal, Inc.

Griffin picked this Celtics jersey number to pay tribute to HOFer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Blake Griffin is officially a member of the Boston Celtics, and he's already made team history with the selection of his new jersey number.

The 2009 No. 1 overall draft pick signed a one-year, fully guaranteed contract with the Celtics as a free agent last week.

Griffin practiced with the Celtics for the first time Monday and told reporters afterward that he has chosen to wear No. 91 in Boston. He will be the first player in Celtics history to wear that number and the 10th to use a number in the 90s.

Why did Griffin choose No. 91?

Griffin is paying tribute to Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, the great defensive player and rebounder who played for, among other teams, the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

Just four NBA players have worn No. 91 before Griffin. They are Mindaugas Kuzminskas (New York Knicks), Deividas Sirvydis (Detroit Pistons), Metta World Peace (Indiana Pacers) and Rodman (Bulls). 

Rodman joined the Bulls late in his career after a turbulent couple of seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and played a key role in Chicago winning three consecutive championships from 1995-96 through 1997-98. He was a dominant rebounder and a quality defensive player. 

Griffin is unlikely to have that same impact with the Celtics, but if he provides scoring and rebounding off the bench, the veteran forward could have plenty of value throughout the season. 

Copyright RSN
Contact Us