Eddie Griffin was a baller. A 6'10" power forward who played well on the court, but had a lot of off-court troubles.
Basketball-wise he was good. After one year at Seton Hall earning the Big East Rookie of the Year award, he was drafted into the NBA by the Houston Rockets in 2001. He played 2 solid seasons for the Rockets averaging about 8 points per game.
Then his off-court troubles really started affecting him. Griffin missed the entire 2003-2004 season due to alcohol problems and was released by the Rockets after missing practices and airplane flights. He then signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and put up 7.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game during the 2004-2005 season. During the next 2 seasons, the last 2 seasons of his NBA career, his stats got noticably worse. In 2006, he crashed his SUV while driving distracted. In 2007, the Timberwolves released him because of his off-court issues.
On August 17, 2007, Griffin crashed his car into a moving train. His body was badly burned and had to be identified with dental records. An autopsy showed that his body had 3 times the alcohol limit in Texas.
In Memory of Eddie Jamaal Griffin (May 30, 1982 - August 17, 2007). You'll always be remembered.
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