NBA star and Kendall Jenner beau Blake Griffin on sports vs. comedy
NBA star Blake Griffin usually makes people cheer over his moves on the basketball court, but more and more he’s also making people laugh.
The 28-year-old L.A. Clippers power forward has earned a reputation for being funny with his appearances on Broad City and in Funny or Die videos. On Thursday, he hosted Comedy by Blake, an event benefiting his Team Griffin Foundation in which Griffin and five of his favorite comedians — John Mulaney, Whitney Cummings, Phoebe Robinson, Jim Jefferies, and Norm Macdonald — all took a turn at the mic. Kendall Jenner, who has reportedly been dating Griffin since late August, and teammates were in the crowd at the Avalon in Hollywood. Yahoo caught up with Griffin backstage before the show.
Yahoo Entertainment: How did you discover standup comedy?
Blake Griffin: I just kind of always have been more into comedy than anything else. I think when I was young, my dad was kind of the same way. He always watched a lot of comedy, so my brother and I would sit around and watch shows with him, and then I discovered tapes … different guys’ standup. My brother and I used to illegally download comedy albums, little bits, and stuff like that and listen to them over and over. So my love just kind of grew into watching Comedy Central and watching all the 30-minute specials, hour specials, whatever it was, and I just always loved it.
Who was the first comedian to make you laugh?
I think when I was, like, super young, my parents would let us watch Bill Cosby and stuff like that — which kind of sounds bad now — but at the time, you know, it was fine. Then, as we got a little bit older, my brother and I were obsessed with this guy Brian Regan. And then, as I got older, I started listening to Chris Rock and older stuff. … Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, all that stuff as I got older.
Are people surprised that you’re funny?
I don’t know that I am necessarily funny. I think I like funny things, so … I don’t know. I guess maybe people are a little bit surprised to hear that I do all this type of stuff.
How would you compare getting ready for a game to getting ready for standup show?
To me, basketball is just such a second-nature thing. … I’ve been doing it since I could walk. Also, basketball, you have your teammates there. It’s not all you. You have guys there to support you. In standup, it’s very scary because it’s just you out there by yourself, and it can be intimidating. But it’s a lot of fun.
How did choose the lineup?
Honestly, they’re some of my favorite comedians. I mean that wholeheartedly. These are some of the people that I have watched for a long time, been fans of for a long time, and have gotten to know through doing different stuff. I met Norm Macdonald a long, long time ago — I think my rookie year — and have kept a relationship with him. Jim Jefferies — I was a fan of his — and I followed him on Twitter, and we ended up talking over Twitter. I’ve gone to see some of his live shows. Same thing with Whitney and John Mulaney and Phoebe and all these people.
How did you first realize you might be funny?
I think just at home, being the youngest child, always trying to do funny stuff for attention. Doing impersonations when I was young was a big thing. Just amongst your group of friends always trying to make people laugh, that was always my thing in class, probably too much. I got in trouble for it a little bit.
Has any network tried to get you to star in your own show?
We’ve kicked it around a little bit, but for me, basketball is my main priority. It’s hard to navigate that, especially during the season, that’s out of the question. But I don’t know, there might be a time when I get to do something a little bit more serious, a little bit more involved, but as of now, during the season, it’s all about basketball.
So maybe in the future?
It’s always a possibility.
Would you ever go to a comedy club for a date? Would you advise that?
Yeah, I think I have gone to a comedy club on a date before. I don’t know, it depends. If you want to sit and talk with someone, a comedy club is probably not the best place to go. But it’s always fun, it’s easy. I guess it’s a cool environment to do that. I wouldn’t say it’s my go to.
What is your go to?
Just a nice long walk on the beach, you know? [Laughs.]
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