Blake Griffin Has a Reputation for Being “Too Soft” on the Court, Despite His Imposing Physique
Richard Schonfeld, the attorney for Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin, announced he would appear on behalf of his client in a Las Vegas court next week on misdemeanor charges. The charges stems from an incident which occurred on October 19 at the Tao nightclub at the Venetian resort. The Venetian is located on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Las Vegas Strip is a favorite location for NBA players. The NBA All-Star Game was hosted in the city 3 years ago. At the time, the league discussed its longstanding friendship with Las Vegas and the city’s campaign to acquire an NBA team via relocation. Much of the speculation at the time involved a reluctance to put NBA stars in the Vegas night scene for extended periods of time.
Daniel Schuman’s Side of the Story
The charges in the case are “misdemeanor battery“, filed by Daniel Schuman of the Los Angeles area. A man claims Blake Griffin, who is listed at 6’10” and 251 pounds, attacked him while in the nightclub.
Daniel Schuman claims to police that Blake Griffin grabbed him, stole his cellphone, and slapped him. Griffin’s assault is said to have occurred after Schuman took a picture of Griffin and his Clippers at the nightclub. Schuman provided details of the attack to TMZ, but has not returned calls from other media sources.
Schonfeld Hints at New Evidence
Richard Schonfeld said Griffin’s defense team is conducting its own investigation into the incident. Part of that investigation is interviewing others who were at the club that night. The defense team wants to get a better picture of what occurred, while also vetting the potential testimony pull. Schonfeld hinted at new evidence that came to light during those interviews, but did not specify.
Schonfeld did not issue a statement about the TMZ story, but said he was in contact with Las Vegas prosecutors in an attempt to have the charges dropped. Schonfeld said Vegas authoroties were “always open to seeing the other side”.
January 12 Deadline
Earlier, Las Vegas “Justice of the Peace Pro Tem” William Jansen gave Schonfeld until January 12 to continue those discussions with the prosecutors office. At that time, the case will go to court. If convicted, Black Griffin could receive up to 6 months in jail and a fine of $1,000.
Why Clippers Were in Vegas
One might wonder why a National Basketball Association team was in Sin City in the first place. During the time of the incident, NBA teams were playing out the string in their preseason schedules. During the preseason, most star players don’t get many minutes or take the contests that seriously, so they might be prone to boredom.
The Los Angeles Clippers were in Las Vegas on October 19 because of an exhibition game played against the Denver Nuggets. In the NBA preseason, teams sometimes play in non-NBA cities for promotional reasons. Las Vegas is a popular destination for the league’s players, while the city is a good place to draw in new customers, given its role as a destination resort.
About Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin was the 1st pick in the NBA Draft in 2009. He played for the OU Sooners basketball team in college and has been with the L.A. Clippers his entire NBA career. Griffin was the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year. He is a four-time All-Star and a three-time 2nd Team All-NBA selection.
During his career, Blake Griffin has been one of the NBA’s most electrifying players, because of his thunderous dunks and athleticism. Griffin is known for his unorthodox training methods, which focus on strength and stamina over longer hours in the basketball gym. Those who criticize Blake Griffin tend to focus on his relative lack of skill, disappointing playoff performances, and a perceived lack of toughness or grittiness on the court.
Perhaps the most ironic part of the Blake Griffin assault case is the fact he’s considered to lack aggression for a big man in the NBA.
