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Blake Griffin’s dunks remind George Karl of Shawn Kemp

Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin
Dunking space robot

“I’ve talked to a couple of guys who’ve said, ‘Was Shawn as powerful?'” said Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl, who coached Kemp in Seattle, before Thursday’s game. “I think that’s the guy who’s closest.”

Legend had it that Kemp once dunked so hard that sparks flew off the rim. He later admitted it to be true, adding that the basket had a metal-chain net, which helped the sparks fly.

Karl said seeing Griffin’s dunks reminded Karl of his own dunks — in a way.

“This kid, he gets so high above the rim. It reminds me of when I was an athlete and I could jump and we got the 8-foot hoops,” Karl said. “He does things that we used to do on 8, maybe 7-foot [hoops]. You know, throwing it down from three feet away.”

— Reported by Baxter Holmes of the Los Angeles Times

Blake Griffin does not plan to defend his NBA Slam Dunk title

Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin
Every day is like a dunk contest

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin was voted as a starter to the NBA All-Star Game on Thursday but said he doesn’t plan on defending his slam dunk contest title during All-Star weekend.

“As of right now I don’t plan on being in it,” Griffin said Thursday night. “Those dunk contests aren’t my thing, I said that last year. There’s a lot of guys that can put on a great show and do some good stuff.”

Last year Griffin won the slam dunk contest, played in the Rookie Challenge and played in the All-Star Game during a whirlwind All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

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Kevin Durant didn’t love Blake Griffin’s dunk over Kendrick Perkins

Blake Griffin
nba basketball
Dunked Kendrick’s face off

Not everyone is so fired up about Blake Griffin’s dunk over Oklahoma City big man Kendrick Perkins on Monday.

The Clippers star went down the lane, elevated, made contact with Perkins and then threw the ball down into the basket, the fingers on his outstretched hand grazing the rim. The play has been the talk of the league.

“I have no appreciation for it at all,” said Perkins’ Thunder teammate Kevin Durant. “It was a layup, I think. He threw the ball in and got fouled and made his free throw, so it was three points at the end of the day, no matter how it happened, how it went in the basket. I really wasn’t impressed. He finished it. So what? We’ve moved on.”

Durant wasn’t surprised the play gained so much attention.

“I wasn’t surprised because Blake is a poster child,” Durant said. “He dunks the ball a lot and makes spectacular plays. If it wasn’t against us, maybe I’d say it was a good play, but it was against us, so it was a bad play. I have nothing against Blake, don’t get me wrong. But it was against us, so I’ve got to stick up for my teammate.”

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

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Blake Griffin best NBA dunk of season on Kendrick Perkins

Monday night in the third quarter of Los Angeles Clippers vs Oklahoma City Thunder, Clips forward Blake Griffin caught a perfect pass from point guard Chris Paul and threw down what InsideHoops.com considers the best dunk of the NBA season on the head of Kendrick Perkins.

Here are several video clips of the Griffin dunk on Perkins:

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Clippers recall Eric Bledsoe from D-League

The Los Angeles Clippers today recalled guard Eric Bledsoe from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Bledsoe, 22, appeared in two games with the Jam as he continues his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Bledsoe is with the Clippers in Denver and will be available for tonight’s game against the Nuggets.

In two games with the Jam, Bledsoe averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 assists in 21.0 minutes per game. The second-year player was 9-of-18 from the field.

Mark Cuban reportedly eliminated from Dodgers bidding race

Blake Griffin
nba basketball
Dunked Kendrick’s face off

The owner of the reigning NBA champions will not be the next owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mark Cuban was eliminated from the Dodgers’ ownership sweepstakes Friday, along with baseball executive and former agent Dennis Gilbert, according to two people familiar with the process but not authorized to discuss it.

At least eight bidders advanced to the second round Friday, including a group led by Magic Johnson and veteran baseball executive Stan Kasten and another headed by local developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

East Coast hedge fund giant Steven Cohen, former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke also are believed to have advanced, as well as a joint bid between investor and civic leader Stanley Gold and the family of the late Roy Disney.

— Reported by MCT Wire / Los Angeles Times

Injury update: Eric Gordon out 3-6 more weeks

Eric Gordon

Hornets guard Eric Gordon will be sidelined for an additional three-to-six weeks the team announced. After undergoing further tests on his right knee, it revealed a right knee contusion. Team doctors recommended rest for his knee. Gordon is expected to resume full basketball activities and return to the court once the recommended rest time is up. The injury occurred in the second half of the team’s opening night game in Phoenix.

In two games this season, Gordon averaged a team-best 21.0 points per game, including hitting the game-winning 20-foot jumper with 4.2 seconds remaining against the Suns on 12/26.

Chris Paul and Pau Gasol trade barbs

Chris Paul

If the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers didn’t have a rivalry before Wednesday night, they certainly appear to have one now.

After Clippers forward Blake Griffin fouled Lakers forward Pau Gasol with 1.1 seconds remaining in the Lakers’ 96-91 win, Clippers guard Chris Paul tried to grab the ball from Gasol’s hands as the two began jawing at one another. Gasol and Paul continued to talk while Lakers guard Kobe Bryant got in front of the two as Gasol walked to the free throw line.

Before Gasol stepped to the line, he smiled and put his hand on top of Paul’s head. Paul immediately shoved Gasol’s hand away and tapped Gasol on his head.

“He tried to touch the top of my head. I don’t like that,” Paul said after the game. “I got a son of my own. I don’t know if Pau got kids, but don’t touch the top of my head like I’m one of your kids. I don’t know what his intentions were, and it doesn’t matter. I don’t know if he’s got kids, but I’m not one of them.”

— Reported by Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles

And according to the Associated Press, “Gasol, who has no kids, insisted he was misunderstood. “I’m sorry he felt that way,” the Spanish 7-footer said. “I do that all the time with my teammates. Nothing mean about it.” When asked what Paul yelled at him after the game, Gasol called it “just trash.”

VIDEO OF PAU GASOL TOUCHING CHRIS PAUL’S HEAD

Report: Eric Gordon rejects Hornets extension

Eric Gordon

Guard Eric Gordon has turned down a four-year extension offer from the New Orleans Hornets, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person, who spoke to The Associated Press late Wednesday night on condition of anonymity because negotiations had not been discussed publicly, didn’t disclose the financial terms of New Orleans’ offer.

Gordon, who turned 23 last month, came to New Orleans as a key component of a multiplayer trade shortly before the regular season that sent four-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. Under NBA rules, the Hornets had until midnight Wednesday to come to terms with Gordon on an extension in order to prevent him from becoming a restricted free agent after this season.

— Reported by the Associated Press

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