Blake Griffin Says Clippers Haven't Honored 'Lob City' Team, Calls Chris Paul Drama 'Disappointing'

Retired NBA star Blake Griffin believes one of the best periods for the Los Angeles Clippers hasn't received its just due from the organization.

"I don't know," he told Front Office Sports' Dan Roberts about the "Lob City" era being properly recognized. "I don't think we've ever been asked to come back or do anything or honor that team."

Griffin went on to argue he, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and others helped to change the identity of the Clippers.

"Having those expectations and not ultimately achieving our goal of a championship is one thing, but just raising the bar and that cliché of just leaving a place better than you found it [is another]," he said.

The six-time All-Star also expressed his disappointment with Chris Paul's ill-fated return to Los Angeles last season. Paul only made 16 appearances before getting excommunicated.

"Obviously knowing that was gonna be his last season, you would think that they knew what they were getting," he told Roberts. "And part of what you're getting when you sign a Chris Paul is his mind. ... I was just kinda confused at where the disconnect was. This is who he's been his whole career. He's a leader, he's a talker, so why not use that to your advantage?"

The Clippers failed to advance past the second round in any of their playoff trips from 2011-17. However, focusing solely on that doesn't do justice to the what the "Lob City" era achieved.

For the first time since moving to L.A., the team was not only a consistent winner but also fun to watch on a nightly basis. Those are two things that were rarely associated with Clippers basketball.

Does Steve Ballmer still buy the Clippers in 2014 without "Lob City" being in full flight? Signing Kawhi Leonard in 2019 won't be remembered fondly in light of recent events, but that's another big symbolic moment that likely doesn't happen without a proof of concept that the Clippers could contend.

Winning championships is the ultimate objective in sports, but it's not the only thing. Sometimes, it's simply about creating moments, and that happened in spades for Los Angeles in the 2010s.

Griffin isn't wrong for thinking that's worth celebrating.