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.
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, 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. He also continued his high-flying ways, representing the Jazz in the 1985 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
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 missed a large part of the 1987-1988 season due to a stress fracture in his foot. 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.
Griffith is now a special assistant to the President of the University of Louisville.
Read more about this topic: Darrell Griffith
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