AJ Griffin

Adrian Darnell "AJ" Griffin Jr. (born August 25, 2003) is an American former professional basketball player who spent two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) before abruptly retiring, citing his religious faith. He was a first-round draft pick who played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

High school career Griffin was a starter on the varsity basketball team for Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, as a seventh- and eighth-grader in 2015–16 alongside senior and future NBA player Obi Toppin. Griffin played basketball for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. As a freshman, he played with his older brother, Alan, and helped his team win its first Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Archdiocesan title since 1984. In his sophomore season, he and R. J. Davis formed one of the top backcourts in the nation. Griffin averaged 20.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game. As a junior, he averaged 17.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game, missing most of the season with a knee injury, and led Stepinac to the CHSAA Archdiocesan title. Griffin was sidelined for his senior season by an ankle injury. He was named to the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic rosters.

Recruiting Griffin was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and On3, and a four-star recruit by ESPN. On November 4, 2019, he committed to playing college basketball for Duke over offers from Kentucky and Villanova.

College career On November 19, 2021, Griffin scored 18 points in an 88–55 win against Lafayette. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team as well as Honorable Mention All-ACC. At the conclusion of his freshman season, Griffin announced his intention to enter the 2022 NBA draft. Ahead of the draft, Griffin was projected as a potential top-five pick.

Professional career Griffin was selected with the 16th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022 NBA draft. He later joined the Hawks' 2022 NBA Summer League team. On July 3, 2022, the Hawks signed Griffin to a rookie-scale contract. On November 19, Griffin put up 17 points, alongside a game-winning alley-oop, five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block in a 124–122 win over the Toronto Raptors. On December 11, Griffin scored another game-winning alley-oop in a 123–122 win over the Chicago Bulls.

On June 27, 2024, the Hawks traded Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the draft rights of Nikola Đurišić in a three-team trade involving the Miami Heat. However, on September 20, the Rockets and he agreed to a contract buyout just as he was considering a retirement from basketball.

Retirement On September 29, 2024, Griffin confirmed his retirement and stated that he "gave up basketball to follow Jesus". Griffin noted that he wanted to pursue full-time Christian ministry.

National team career Griffin represented the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Brazil. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game, helping his team win the gold medal. Griffin scored 18 points against Canada in the final.

Career statistics

NBA

College

Personal life Griffin is a Christian and often takes to social media to speak about his faith. Griffin's father, Adrian, played in the NBA for ten seasons before becoming a coach in the league, and served as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. His mother, Audrey Sterling, was an All-American in track and ran for Seton Hall. His oldest sister is Vanessa. His other two siblings have played college basketball: his brother, Alan, at Illinois and Syracuse, and his sister, Aubrey, at UConn.