# AJ Griffin (basketball)

Adrian Darnell "AJ" Griffin Jr. (born August 25, 2003) is an American former professional basketball player who spent 2 seasons with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Duke.

## 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 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 and Rivals, 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 recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| AJ Griffin SF | Ossining, NY | Archbishop Stepinac (NY) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | Nov 4, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 16 247Sports: 11 ESPN: 29 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Duke 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021. "2021 Duke Blue Devils Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021. ||||||

## 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
### Atlanta Hawks (2022–2024)

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 him agreed to a contract buyout just as he was considering a retirement from basketball.
On September 29, 2024, Griffin confirmed his retirement and stated that he "gave up basketball to follow Jesus". Griffin stated that he wanted to pursue a full time ministry for Christianity.

## 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

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2022–23 | Atlanta | 72 | 12 | 19.5 | .465 | .390 | .894 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 8.9 |
| 2023–24 | Atlanta | 20 | 0 | 8.5 | .290 | .256 | 1.000 | .9 | .3 | .1 | .1 | 2.4 |
| Career | Career | 92 | 12 | 17.1 | .447 | .372 | .898 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 7.5 |

### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2021–22 | Duke | 39 | 25 | 24.0 | .493 | .447 | .792 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .5 | .6 | 10.4 |

## Personal life

Griffin is a Christian and often takes to social media to speak about his faith. Griffin's father, Adrian, played in the National Basketball Association (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.