Eddie Griffin (basketball player)

Eddie Griffin
Player information
Full name	Eddie Jamaal Griffin
birthday	May 30, 1982
place of birth	Philadelphia , United States
date of death	17th August 2007
Place of death	Houston , United States
size	208 cm
position	Power Forward / Center
college	Seton Hall
NBA draft	2001 , 7th Pick, New Jersey Nets
Clubs as active
2001-2003 Houston Rockets 2004-2007 Minnesota Timberwolves

Eddie Jamaal Griffin (born May 30, 1982 in Philadelphia , † August 17, 2007 in Houston ) was an American basketball player . He was 2.08 m tall and weighed 109 kg. He played in the position of power forward .

Career

Eddie Griffin's basketball career began at Seton Hall University . He was the best player in his university and was one of the favorites for the number one pick in the 2001 NBA Draft . On the evening of the draft, the New Jersey Nets voted him seventh. He was immediately traded on to the Houston Rockets . Griffin played there until 2003, was elected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team of the year 2002, and achieved an average of 8.1 pps (points per game), 6.0 pps (rebounds per game) and 1.4 for the Rockets Achieve BPS (blocks per game). His talent was undisputed, but he had to look for a new club after the end of his contract because of his alcohol addiction, as the Rockets were not willing to extend his contract. He moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2003/04 season , where he played until 2007. Griffin could never convince with the Timberwolves. The main reason was his problems outside of the field. An NBA inspection revealed that he was consuming hashish. The Timberwolves sacked Griffin in early 2007. He could not find a club after the sacking.

death

Griffin worked on his career over the summer and was ready to move to Europe. On August 17, 2007, he was traveling in his home town of Houston. At a late hour he arrived at a level crossing at which the signal was already sounding, which informed him that a train was about to pass. In an unexplained manner, Griffin ignored this signal and drove over the level crossing. He was hit by a freight train. Griffin was killed instantly because, according to an expert, his vehicle caught fire after just a few meters. It was only four days after his death that Griffin's body could be identified from a dental print. In his report, the pathologist stated: "Griffin was burned beyond recognition." The question of suicide quickly came up in the press. However, his former coach commented: "Eddie was just preparing for his comeback. I don't think he committed suicide."

Griffin leaves behind a wife and five-year-old daughter.

Web links

• Eddie Griffin - player profile on NBA.com
• Eddie Griffin - player profile on basketball-reference.com