Darrell Griffith

Darrell Griffith

No. 35
Shooting guard
Personal information
Date of birth	June 16, 1958 (1958-06-16) (age 53)
Place of birth	Louisville, Kentucky
Nationality	American
High school	Louisville Male HS
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Louisville (1976–1980)
NBA Draft	1980 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	1980–1991
Career history
1980–1991	Utah Jazz
Career highlights and awards
NBA Rookie of the Year (1981) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1981) NCAA Champion (1980) NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1980) John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award (1980) Sporting News Player of the Year (1980) Metro Conference Player of the Year (1980) Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1980) #35 Retired by the Utah Jazz
Career NBA statistics
Points	12,391 (16.2 ppg)
Rebounds	2,519 (3.3 rpg)
Assists	1,627 (2.1 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Darrell Steven Griffith (born June 16, 1958 in Louisville, Kentucky), also known by his nickname Dr. Dunkenstein,^[1] is a retired American basketball player who spent his entire professional career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association.^[2]

High School and College

Griffith starred at Louisville Male High School and was heavily recruited by colleges all across the country.^[3] He decided to attend his hometown school, the University of Louisville, much to the delight of local fans.

He didn't disappoint, delivering the school's first-ever NCAA men's basketball championship in 1980. He scored 23 points in the Cardinals' 59-54 victory over UCLA in the championship game.^[4] Due to his strong performance, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Griffith totaled 825 points in his senior season, setting a school record. For his efforts, he was named First Team All-American by the Associated Press and was given the Wooden Award as the best college basketball player in the nation. He left college as Louisville's all-time leading scorer with 2,333 points in his career.^[5] His jersey number, 35, was retired during ceremonies after the 1980 season.^[6]

Professional career

Utah selected Griffith with the second overall pick in the 1980 NBA Draft. The Jazz had recently moved to Salt Lake City from New Orleans, and the team needed a star to replace legendary shooting guard Pete Maravich. Griffith accepted the challenge, averaging 20.6 points per game in his first season and earning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.^[7]

For the next four seasons, Griffith teamed with small forward Adrian Dantley to form one of the highest-scoring duos in the league. With defensive support from center Mark Eaton and point guard Rickey Green, the Jazz improved dramatically, winning the Midwest Division title in 1983-84 and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the first time ever. Individually, Griffith transformed his offensive game, adding long-distance shooting skills to his aerial acrobatics. He led the league in three-point shooting (36.1 percent) and set an NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single season (91). His new abilities earned him a new nickname: Utah's play-by-play announcer Hot Rod Hundley began calling him "The Golden Griff".

The following season (1984–85) was the best of Griffith's career. He averaged a career-high 22.6 points per game,^[8] and broke his own league record by sinking 92 three-point shots. During the year, he passed Joey Hassett as the all-time NBA leader for most career three-pointers.^[9] He also continued his high-flying ways, representing the Jazz in the 1985 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[10]

However, the team changed dramatically in the late 1980s with the emergence of Karl Malone and John Stockton as Utah's top offensive weapons. Dantley was traded away and Griffith suffered from injuries, eventually losing his starting position in 1986. He managed to re-claim his starting spot for most of the 1988-89 season, but lost it permanently the following year. His playing time gradually decreased until his retirement in 1991. He scored 12,391 total points over the course of his 10-year professional career - all with the Jazz. The franchise recognized his contributions by retiring his jersey number 35 on December 4, 1993.^[8]

References

1. ^ John Papanek. "A Rookie Gives The Jazz Pizzazz". Sports Illustrated. December 8, 1980. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
2. ^ Darrell Griffith NBA statistics. basketball-reference.com. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
3. ^ Bundles of Mail for a Male Man
4. ^ "With 59-54 Victory Over UCLA, Griffith Leads Louisville to Title". Herald Journal. March 25, 1980. B2.
5. ^ Phillip Lee. "Classic catches up with Dr. Dunkenstein". ESPN Classic. November 19, 2003. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
6. ^ "Player Bio: Darrell Griffith - University of Louisville". uoflsports.com. Retrieved on July 1, 2011.
7. ^ A Look at a Jazz Legend, Darrell Griffith
8. ^ ^{a b} Jazz: Retired Numbers. NBA.com. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.
9. ^ Hoops Analyst: Hail the Three-Point King
10. ^ All-Star: Slam Dunk Year-by-Year Results. NBA.com. Retrieved on February 1, 2010.

Persondata
Name	Griffith, Darrell
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 16, 1958
Place of birth	Louisville, Kentucky
Date of death
Place of death