Blake Griffin’s All-Star diary: Day 1

It was good to get out there. I’m actually glad I played a little bit, mix it around with those guys. Just to have the experience. It was my first time and a lot of guys have to go through the rookie game first. I’m glad I did it.

I got hit in the nose early and I caught an elbow from DeJuan Blair. I was kind of dazed for a little bit, but I went to the bench and collected myself and they put me back in. I’m going to have to get him after that. I think that one hit lasted the whole game.

On the crowd chanting “We want Blake! We want Blake!”:

I told my teammates I was going to get up and act like I was running back in. They said, ‘Yeah, you should do it.’ So I got up. I felt kind of bad. But it was all for fun.

On connecting with John Wall:

That was the first time I’ve been on the court with him. It’s easy to play with a guy that can pass like that. Because he’s young, he is so fast and athletic. The game was sped up a lot more. But with Baron Davis, for me, it’s like I always know what I’m going to get.

Now, playing with Baron I always know where he’s going to be or where he’s going to throw it. It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to figure it out.

… That bounce pass was crazy. I thought Steph Curry could have swiped at it. But I was glad he let it go.

On dedicating All-Star weekend to his late friend Wilson Holloway:

He’s just one of those guys that was always positive and always a great guy. To see him go through what he did and keep smiling and keep staying positive about it was an inspiration to a lot of people. I’m definitely going to miss him. But I know he’s in a better place right now.

He watched almost every single one of my games. He was at home a lot, or in the hospital. I know he would have been watching and also the next time I was going to see him would have been Monday when we go to Oklahoma City to play.

It’s just crazy how it happens. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be able to do this and hopefully dedicate some of this to him.