Eddie Griffin (basketball) - NBA Career

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 the rights to Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong and Richard Jefferson (all selected as well in the 2001 draft).

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 (while suffering only a slight drop in minutes per game), while averaging a career-high in blocks per game (2.11).

In 2006, Griffin was involved in a car accident in which he rammed his SUV into a parked car. This came shortly after a stop-off at a nearby convenience store where a security video tape caught Griffin professing his intoxication.

In March 2007, Griffin was released by the Timberwolves.

In 303 NBA games (117 starts), Griffin averaged 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 22:12 of floor time per game.