Adrian Darnell “AJ” Griffin Jr. is an American basketball player who played collegiate basketball for Duke University. He is the son of Adrian Griffin Sr., an American basketball coach, and former NBA player.
Having taken birth in a family with a basketball bloodline, Griffin Jr is aiming to have a better NBA career than his father. Besides his father, AJ has the support of his mother Audrey, a former track athlete for Seton Hall. he also has two siblings who are equally into basketball. AJ’s brother Alan played collegiate basketball at Illinois and Syracuse before turning pro in the G-League. His sister Aubrey currently plays basketball for the UConn-Huskies.
AJ Griffin Biography Summary
- Full Name: Adrian Darnell “AJ” Griffin Jr
- Date of Birth: August 25, 2003
- Age: 18 years
- Place of Birth: Dallas, Texas
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Education: Archbishop Stepinac and Duke University
- Profession: Professional Basketball Player
- Position: Small Forward
- Height: 6 feet 6 in (1.98 m)
- Weight: 222 lbs (101 kg)
- Marital Status: Single
- Siblings: Vanessa Griffin, Alan Griffin, and Aubrey Griffin
- Instagram: @adrian.griffinjr
AJ Griffin was Selected for the McDonald’s All American 2021
Griffin played high school basketball for Archibishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York. As a freshman, he played basketball with his older brother Alan and helped his team win its first Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Archdiocesan title in 1984. He was selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game 2021 and made the Jordan Brand Classic roster.
Rated as a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals, AJ committed to playing college basketball for Duke over offers from Kentucky and Villanova. In 2019, he represented the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Brazil and helped his team win the gold medal.
After his freshman season, Griffin announced his intention to enter the 2022 NBA draft and he is considered a potential top-five lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
AJ’s Father Played in the NBA from 1999 to 2008
- Full Name: Adrian Darnell Griffin Sr.
- Date of Birth: July 4, 1974
- Age: 47 years
- Place of Birth: Wichita, Kansas
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Education: Seton Hall University
- Profession: Former basketball player and coach
- Height: 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m)
- Weight: 217 lbs (98 kg)
- Children: Alan Griffin, Aubrey Griffin, Adrian Griffin, and Vanessa Griffin
- Instagram: @nbacoachgriffin
- Twitter: @NBACoachGriffin
Enjoyed our week at the 2022 Draft Lottery with @whoisAG21 🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾❤️ pic.twitter.com/6c8k79x55X
— Adrian Griffin, Ph.D. (@NBACoachGriffin) May 19, 2022
As stated earlier, AJ Griffin has roots in a family of basketball players. His father, Adrian Griffin Sr. was born on July 4, 1974, in Wichita, Kansas. He is a former NBA player who played as a shooting guard and small forward for several teams, including the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, and Seattle Supersonics from 1999 to 2008. He is currently the assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association
Griffin grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and played college basketball at Seton Hall University where he acquired his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. On May 7th, 2022 he received his doctorate degree in leadership studies. During his senior days, he won All-Big East second-team honors and in 2010 he was inducted into the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame. After his college career, he wasn’t drafted into the NBA and so he spent time playing for the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association.
Between 1998-1999, he was named the Finals Most Valuable Player as he led the Pride to the CBA championship. He was also selected as the CBA Most Valuable Player and earned All-CBA First Team and All-Defensive Team honors. He made his NBA debut in 1999 for the Boston Celtics.
After his playing career, AJ Griffin’s father ventured into coaching and was hired by the then Milwaukee Bucks head coach Scott Skiles as an assistant. Over the next six years, he worked as an assistant coach for several teams, including the Bulls, Magic, and Thunder. In 2014, Griffin worked with the USA coaching staff that helped win the Gold Medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
On June 25, 2018, he joined the Toronto Raptors as the lead assistant coach under first-year head coach Nick Nurse. In 2019, the raptors won an NBA championship after defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games, earning Griffin his first NBA title. Aside from Adrian Griffin Jr. Griffin has two other children who are also basketball players.
AJ’s Mother Audrey Griffin was a Track Star in College
- Full Name: Audrey Griffin
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Education: Seton Hall Pirates
- Profession: Blogger and Author
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Children: Alan Griffin, Aubrey Griffin, Adrian Griffin, and Vanessa Griffin.
AJ Griffin’s mother Audrey Griffin is a blogger and author. She is the author of a contemporary parenting book titled “The Day I Tool Off My Cape.” Moreover, she is a lifestyle parenting blogger for a popular parenting site known as “Removing the Cape.” Her blog addresses problems in child-rearing, parenting, marriage, and sex. Additionally, she is the former Vice President of ‘Behind the Bench,’ a National Basketball Wives Association.
Audrey attended Seton Hall University where she ran track. She would later tie the knot with basketball player Adrian Griffin in 1996. Over the course of their relationship, the couple had four children; Alan, Adrian, Aubrey, and Vanessa Griffin. After a marital relationship spanning up to 19 years, the couple separated in 2015.
The divorce ended in an ugly manner, living both parties resentful toward each other. Sometime in August 2020, after Audrey saw her ex-husband receive the NBA championship award, she shared a story on her social media accusing him of choking her, dragging her out of her house, throwing a ceramic vase at her, giving her sexually transmitted diseases, soliciting prostitutes and having sex with a teenage ball girl. She also said he refused to follow a court order and did not pay child support.
Her ex-husband responded to the accusation by saying he “vehemently” denied the accusations. In his statement, the couple is involved in a “longstanding legal dispute over alimony and child support arrangements.” Adrian Griffin further responded to the allegations by filing a defamation suit against Audrey for attempting to destroy his life and career. He is seeking at least $2.5 million.
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AJ Griffin’s Elder Brother Alan Griffin Plays Pro Basketball in Canada
- Full Name: Alan Darnell Griffin
- Date of Birth: April 14, 2000
- Age: 22 years
- Place of Birth: Waltham, Massachusetts
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
- Education: Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois, and Ossining High School
- Profession: Professional basketball player
- Position: Shooting guard /Small Forward
- Height: 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m)
- Weight: 190 lbs (86 kg)
- Marital Status: Single
- Siblings: Aubrey Griffin, Adrian Griffin, and Vanessa Griffin.
- Instagram: @alangriffin0
- Twitter: @alangriffin_
Alan Darnell Griffin was born on April 14, 2000. He is an American professional basketball player for the Newfoundland Growlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini from 2018 to 2020 and the Syracuse Orange.
Alan started playing basketball in third grade, having been birthed into a family of athletes. He attended Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois after which he transferred to Ossining High School in Ossining, New York, where he played basketball. For his final two years, he transferred to Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.
As a senior, he led his high school team to its first-ever New York State Federation Class AA title. Moreover, he played an important role in helping Stepinac win Catholic High School Athletic Association Archdiocesan and Class AA titles and he was named Player of the Year for Westchester County and Putnam County by The Journal News. He committed to playing college basketball for Illinois over Iona, Fordham, and La Salle.
As a freshman at Illinois, Alan averaged 2.8 points in 8.1 minutes per game and he became the team’s sixth man as a sophomore. Furthermore, he led the NCAA Division I in offensive rating as one of the players used in at least 20 percent of their team’s possessions. Later on, he transferred to Syracuse and received a waiver for immediate eligibility. After going scoreless against Northeastern, he made a massive comeback against Buffalo on December 19. His role in the match sent the game into overtime and led Syracuse to an 11-point victory.
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft following his declaration, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, he was waived on December 14 after 4 games. On December 19, 2021, he signed with the Westchester Knicks and was re-acquired the following year. On January 23, 2022, he was waived by Westchester Knicks and on May 18, 2022, he signed with the Newfoundland Growlers of the CEBL.
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AJ’s Sister Aubrey Griffin was Named Miss New York State Basketball in 2019
- Full Name: Aubrey Griffin
- Date of Birth: 2002
- Age: 20 years
- Ethnicity: African American
- Nationality: American
- Education: Ossining High School, University of Connecticut
- Profession: Basketball Player
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6 Feet 1 Inch
- Siblings: Alan Griffin, Adrian Griffin, and Vanessa Griffin
- Instagram: @aubrey.griffin44
- Twitter: @aubrey_g44
Aubrey Griffin was born in 2022 and like her brothers, she is also a basketball player currently playing for the UConn women’s basketball team as a forward. She started playing basketball at an early age. She attended Ossining High School where she played high school basketball.
Upon completion of her high school education, she joined the University of Connecticut. She is currently a sophomore in the powerhouse women’s basketball program under head coach Dan Ricci at the University. In the year 2016, Aubrey was NYSSWA’s 1st-team AA All-State and in 2019, she became a member of the McDonald’s All-American team.
Additionally, she became the Miss New York State Basketball and USA Today New York State Player-of-the-Year in the same year. In 2020, she was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Squad.
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