How much money did Blake Griffin make in the NBA? His salary over the years

Blake Griffin, the pro basketball player, announced his retirement from the sport on Tuesday, April 16, after a successful and lucrative 16 season career in the NBA.

In total Griffin earned $261,338,564 in salary payments during his playing career, which started in 2009/10 with the Los Angeles Clippers. To put that in perspective, the highest all-time career earnings is LeBron James’ $479.47 million.

Griffin’s total career earnings puts him pretty close to the top ten all time earnings. Shaquille O’Neal, who is number 10 on the all-time list, made $286.3 million in his near 20-year career.

His career earnings adjusted for inflation, according to basketball site HoopsHype, would be over $321 million.

Griffin’s salary over the years

Blake Griffin, a power forward who was first overall pick in the NBA Draft in 2009, joined the Los Angeles Clippers. His starting salary for his first season was $4.9m. He stayed with the Clippers through to 16/17, by which time his salary had grown to just over $20m.

He then saw a major salary leap with a move to the Detroit Pistons, jumping to $29.5m in the 17/18 season. He then earned over $30m for the next three seasons, with a maximum salary of $34.4m in 19/20.

Plagued by injuries, Griffin would finish his career with the Brooklyn Nets and finally the Celtics, where he played for the veteran’s minimum salary of $2.9m.