.jpg) Griffith in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1958-06-16)June 16, 1958 (age 67) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Louisville Male (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| College | Louisville (1976–1980) |
| NBA draft | 1980: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Utah Jazz |
| Playing career | 1980–1991 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 35 |
| Career history | |
| 1980–1991 | Utah Jazz |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| 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 atBasketball Reference | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Darrell Steven Griffith (born June 16, 1958), also known by his nicknameDr. Dunkenstein,[1] is an American former professionalbasketball player who spent his entire career with theUtah Jazz of theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1980 to 1991.[2] He played collegiately at theUniversity of Louisville.
Griffith starred atLouisville Male High School and was heavily recruited by colleges all across the country.[3] Male defeated Lexington Henry Clay 74–59 in the 1975 Kentucky State Championship game.[4] In fact, Griffith reportedly turned down an offer to forego college and sign with the ABA'sKentucky Colonels.[5] He decided to attend his hometown school, theUniversity of Louisville, much to the delight of local fans.
He did not disappoint, delivering the school's first-everNCAA men's basketball championship in 1980. He scored 23 points in theCardinals' 59–54 victory overUCLA in the championship game.[6] Due to his strong performance, he was named Most Outstanding Player of theFinal Four. Griffith totaled 825 points in his senior season, setting a school record. For his efforts, he was named First TeamAll-American by theAssociated Press and was given theWooden 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.[7] His jersey number, 35, was retired during ceremonies after the 1980 season.[8]
In November 2014, Griffith was inducted into theCollege Basketball Hall of Fame.[9]
Utah selected Griffith with the second overall pick in the1980 NBA draft. The Jazz had recently moved toSalt Lake City fromNew Orleans, and the team needed a star to replace legendary shooting guardPete Maravich. Griffith accepted the challenge, averaging 20.6 points per game in his first season and earning the NBA'sRookie of the Year award.[10]
For the next four seasons, Griffith teamed with small forwardAdrian Dantley to form one of the highest-scoring duos in the league. With defensive support from centerMark Eaton and point guardRickey Green, the Jazz improved dramatically, winning theMidwest 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 announcerHot 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,[11] and broke his own league record by sinking 92 three-point shots. During the year, he passedJoey Hassett as the all-time NBA leader for most career three-pointers.[12] He also continued his high-flying ways, representing the Jazz in the 1984 and 1985NBA Slam Dunk Contests.[13]
However, the team changed dramatically in the mid-1980s with the emergence ofKarl Malone andJohn Stockton as Utah's top offensive weapons. Dantley was traded away and Griffith suffered from injuries. ("Dr. Dunkenstein was paying his toll", he once said in an interview.[14]) He missed the entire 1985–86 season due to astress fracture in his foot,[15] and would lose his starting position when he returned. Griffith would need an operation on his left knee in March 1988, causing him to miss the remainder of that season.[16] He managed to reclaim 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.[11]
In the 2010s and 20s, Griffith returned to his alma mater as a special assistant to PresidentJames R. Ramsey and later as a university ambassador under PresidentNeeli Bendapudi.[9][17]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Utah | 81 | — | 35.4 | .464 | .192 | .716 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | .5 | 20.6 |
| 1981–82 | Utah | 80 | 79 | 32.5 | .482 | .288 | .697 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.2 | .4 | 19.8 |
| 1982–83 | Utah | 77 | 76 | 36.2 | .484 | .288 | .679 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 1.8 | .4 | 22.2 |
| 1983–84 | Utah | 82 | 82 | 32.3 | .490 | .361* | .696 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 1.4 | .3 | 20.0 |
| 1984–85 | Utah | 78 | 78 | 35.6 | .457 | .358 | .725 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 1.7 | .4 | 22.6 |
| 1986–87 | Utah | 76 | 10 | 24.3 | .446 | .335 | .703 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .4 | 15.0 |
| 1987–88 | Utah | 52 | 11 | 20.2 | .429 | .275 | .641 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 11.3 |
| 1988–89 | Utah | 82 | 73 | 29.0 | .446 | .311 | .780 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .3 | 13.8 |
| 1989–90 | Utah | 82 | 1 | 17.6 | .464 | .372 | .654 | 2.0 | .8 | .8 | .2 | 8.9 |
| 1990–91 | Utah | 75 | 2 | 13.4 | .391 | .348 | .756 | 1.2 | .5 | .6 | .1 | 5.7 |
| Career | 765 | 412 | 28.0 | .463 | .332 | .707 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .3 | 16.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Utah | 11 | — | 37.9 | .443 | .356 | .688 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 1.7 | .2 | 19.2 |
| 1985 | Utah | 10 | 10 | 34.0 | .456 | .361 | .720 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .5 | 17.5 |
| 1987 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 20.8 | .369 | .400 | .737 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | .4 | 13.6 |
| 1989 | Utah | 3 | 0 | 23.7 | .408 | .316 | — | 4.0 | .0 | 1.3 | .3 | 15.3 |
| 1990 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 19.4 | .452 | .556 | .800 | 4.2 | .6 | 1.2 | .2 | 9.4 |
| 1991 | Utah | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | .714 | — | — | .7 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.3 |
| Career | 37 | 10 | 28.1 | .438 | .371 | .711 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.3 | .3 | 15.1 | |
· Basketball Reference 
Media related toDarrell Griffith at Wikimedia Commons