Why did Blake Griffin change his jersey number to 91?

Why did Blake Griffin change his jersey number to 91?

The Detroit Pistons star announced on social media Thursday that he’s changing his jersey number from 23 to 91.

“It’s been a crazy offseason, and I wanted to switch things up a bit,” Griffin wrote. “I’m excited to wear No. 91 this season.”

Griffin wore No. 23 during his first 10 seasons in the NBA, all with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was traded to the Pistons in January 2018 and wore No. 23 for them as well.

The six-time All-Star said he chose 91 because it’s “a special number” to him. “My late grandfather, Earl Monroe, wore No. 15 throughout his Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Bullets, so I wanted to find a number in between 15 and 23 to honor him,” Griffin explained.

“91 is also the year my parents were married, so it’s definitely a number that’s close to my heart.” Griffin is coming off a down year in which he averaged a career-low 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 35 games. He missed the final three months of the season after suffering a knee injury.

The Pistons are hoping Griffin can return to form this season and help them make a push for the playoffs. They went 41-41 last season and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference. With Griffin’s new number, the Pistons now have five players on their roster who have worn No. 91 in the NBA: Griffin, Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Thon Maker and Zaza Pachulia.

Rose, Morris and Maker are all new additions to the team this offseason. Detroit also drafted Sekou Doumbouya with the 15th overall pick in June.

Griffin is set to enter his 11th season in the NBA and will be one of the Pistons’ main leaders this year. He’s averaged 21.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his career.

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