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Most comets burn up once they enter the Earth's atmosphere.

Griffin never foresaw any of it, though. He knew people would want more from him and that he would want more from himself. But the backlash? The hatred on Twitter? The reputation as a flopper and a complainer? No, he didn't see any of that coming.

"I just didn't realize so many people would try to attack you and bring you down," he says. "I guess I was naive, but I didn't expect it."

You can tell there's a part of him that is wounded by the way it's gone. He's not motivated by proving people wrong. He doesn't need a chip on his shoulder.

He simply wants to be as great as he can be and not one inch less.

The Clippers gave him a personality test as a rookie. He came back as a classic perfectionist.

It surprised him at the time. He's fastidious and organized. He runs early to meetings, never late. But he lets things slide all the time. Now he sees it, though.

"I was talking to [Clippers shooting coach] Bob Thate the other day and he was like, 'You know what I've realized about you? Even if you shot 90 percent from the free throw line, you're going to be pissed that you didn't shoot 93 percent,' " Griffin says.

He smiles a little, recognizing that Thate has nailed him.

Every day, he smiles a little bit more. He is better able to see himself now, where he really is and where he needs to go.

It's coming. It's just never going to be soon enough.

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN Los Angeles

mike3 wrote:Great article.

I've honestly never read or heard Griffin's opinion on flopping and always have wondered what he thinks.

mj_shoefanatic wrote:Blake need to get with Hakeem this summer.

his opinion on it is what I've thought for a while. There's times where he's obviously flopped to get a call and there's other time where he just moves his head back to not get hit in the face. IDC about people who don't watch our team and hate. Anybody who watched all 88 of our games this year and says this guy was flopping is a joke.

Winglish wrote:

his opinion on it is what I've thought for a while. There's times where he's obviously flopped to get a call and there's other time where he just moves his head back to not get hit in the face. IDC about people who don't watch our team and hate. Anybody who watched all 88 of our games this year and says this guy was flopping is a joke.

It's not like Blake is flopping all game long. He fakes it once or twice per game and that's enough to get opponents in foul trouble or to swing momentum. To say he doesn't flop at least a time or two each game would be disingenuous. Blake dives a little bit as part of his strategy.