Blake Griffin from OU to the NBA
Throughout Blake Griffin’s basketball career, he has endured countless injuries which have impacted his ability to stay on the court. It all started during his first year at the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman, Griffin averaged 14.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG while spraining both knees throughout the season. However, Griffin’s sophomore year of college showed much promise as he earned National Player of the Year Awards. These two years proved to be extremely impactful on the remainder of Blake Griffin’s basketball career.
After two years at the University of Oklahoma, Griffin decided to enter the 2009 NBA Draft. He was selected as the first round pick by the Clippers, where he spent 9 years before being traded to the Pistons. After being drafted by the Clippers, Griffin was named the 2009 Summer League MVP. Could this have been the beginning of a legacy? After an injury during the final preseason game in 2009 requiring surgery to the left knee, Griffin was forced to miss ~what would have been~ his Rookie Season. However, his comeback the following year granted him the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and All NBA Second Team Honors. Griffin’s path from here on looked bright, until additional injuries limited his time on the floor. He went on to suffer a torn left quadricep, right knee surgery, a toe injury, an MCL sprain, an ankle bone bruise, and another left knee surgery.
Griffin Family Performance Center
So, given Blake Griffin’s track record with sport-related injuries, he wanted to make a difference by preventing his experience from happening to others. In August of 2018, Blake Griffin and his family opened the Griffin Family Performance Center at the University of Oklahoma’s campus.
Blake Griffin made a statement saying “College is a critical time in an athlete’s playing career, and it’s my honor to help give the men’s and women’s teams the resources and technology that will give them the best opportunity to succeed.” Horner Flooring was part of Griffin’s plan.
Injuries can make or break an athletes career. Not only do they cause physical distress on the body, but the mental aspect is almost just as detrimental to the athlete’s health. According to the National Athletic Trainers Association, the injury ratings during college basketball games for men and women are 8.9% and 7.7% respectively. During practice, injury rates are lower at 4.3% for men and 4.0% for women. Considering the large number of college basketball players today, thousands are affected by injuries. Blake Griffin was one of these athletes, and his efforts to minimize preventable injuries revolve around the equipment available to college teams along with the training.
A Look Inside
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- Free weights and indoor turf
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- Headington Recovery Room
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- Dexa Scanner
Horner Flooring’s Contribution
Horner Flooring manufactured two small courts with built-in impact sensors used to track player performance. Aligned with Blake Griffin’s goal of preventing injury, the Zenith flooring system contains all of the qualities necessary to reduce stress on the body during impact. The innovative technology instilled in the Zenith flooring has proven it to be the most trusted sports flooring system for athletes of any age.
The Zenith System
The Zenith System utilizes the latest computer aided design technology to achieve and surpass the MFMA’s PUR standard. The Zenith’s attributes include:
- Computer-designed Dual-Stage Resilience
- Highest performance with maximum dimensional stability
- Reduced vibration
- Most versatile multi-sport system
- Partial blocking throughout the system
For more information about Horner Flooring’s Zenith System, visit http://www.hornerflooring.com/pdfs_brochures/bro_zenith.pdf
Horner Flooring 