Figuring out when your body is no longer capable of keeping up with the sport that you have played as long as you can remember is a tough realization for any NBA player to wrestle with during their pro career. Luckily for Blake Griffin, Evan Mobley helped him make his decision.
As a part of the panel for Amazon Prime's coverage of the NBA Cup, Griffin revealed it was the Cleveland Cavaliers star big man who allowed him to understand that he was getting too old to keep up. The former high-flying power forward just could not hold down Mobley.
Blake Griffin says Evan Mobley gave him his "it's time to retire" moment: pic.twitter.com/e8u2uYwZDs
— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) November 8, 2025
Griffin said, "I was playing in Boston, which was my last year. We're playing in Cleveland at the time. ... Going up and down, got Evan Mobley. ... I remember having that thought to myself on the free throw line. Like, [either] this kid's a freak, or I think it's time for me to hang it up. And I realized it was time."
The former star forward described how Mobley gave him the business during their matchup. Attempting to cover the rising star for the Cavaliers left Griffin was gasping for air after the fact. That is probably as good of a sign as any to put the basketball shoes away for good.
Evan Mobley showed Blake Griffin exactly when it was time to walk away
It is certainly worth noting that Mobley had not even hit the point of stardom that the Cavaliers big man is at today. Griffin's final season in the NBA was 2022-23. That was only the second year of Mobley's career.
The Cavaliers star averaged 16.2 points per game during that campaign, shooting 55.4 percent from the field and only 21.6 percent from beyond the arc. His true shooting percentage of 59.1 was one of the lower marks of his career.
Mobley had yet to truly round out his offensive game just yet, meaning that Griffin got served notice by a version of the Cavaliers star that was still seeking the offensive polish and refinement that has found him in his continued development in the NBA. That paints a clear picture.
The Cavaliers big is still chasing his final form on the offensive end. Mobley has gotten better with every season, but there still remains plenty of room for additional growth.
If an aging version of Griffin had to go up against a more polished version of Mobley, the once-dominant star would probably be the first to say his retirement would have come even sooner. Griffin deserves a round of applause for hyping up the next generation in his post-playing career.