RIP Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin, former top ranked high school basketball player in America, former seventh overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and who most recently played for the Minnesota Timberwolves passed away Friday morning (August 17th 2007) as the result of an accident. While driving alone in his SUV he went passed a railroad warning and crashed into a moving train. When police arrived on the scene his body was so badly burned they were unable to identify him until yesterday using dental records.

Despite his outstanding high school stats, his NBA career was plagued with problems, many of them stemming from his addiction to alcohol. In February 2004 he was arrested and spent 11 days in Jail because he was accused and shooting at his ex-girlfriend. After pleading guilty he was sentenced to 18 months probation. A little more than 2 years later Eddie Griffin was involved in a very bizzarre car accident which was believe to have been caused by alcohol as well. Friends and witnesses claim that Eddie Griffin was masturbating to a porno dvd in his car when it crashed. Whatever his off court troubles were Eddie Griffin is still remembered as a good guy with a big heart.

“Eddie Griffin is someone who was never a super loud or boisterous guy in the locker room,” Madsen said, “but he was someone who everyone loved in the locker room. When he was doing well on the court we were all so happy for him. And when he was struggling we were all struggling right there with him.”

More Reading

Henry Abott wrote an excellent article this morning about Who’s to Blame for the Sad Misdirection of Eddie Griffin? Adrian Wojnarowski also wrote a great article titled The tortured soul of Eddie Griffin .