Blake Griffin Debuts Comedy Talk Show The Stepback
The former NBA star turned analyst launches a new program focusing on complex sports media and industry topics.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Basketball
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Former All-Star Blake Griffin premiered his new comedy talk show, The Stepback, on October 20, 2026. The program aims to explore nuanced sports subjects such as NIL, analytics, and journalism standards.
Why it matters
Griffin is leveraging his transition into media, where he already serves as an analyst for Amazon Prime, to bridge the gap between athlete experience and sports commentary.
Blake Griffin is a six-time All-Star who played 14 total seasons in the NBA. He wore jersey number 32 during his career before retiring in 2024.
The players
Blake Griffin
He is a former NBA player who earned six All-Star selections and was the top pick in the 2009 draft.
Steve Ballmer
He is an owner of the Los Angeles Clippers who faced suspension due to salary-cap violations.
Gillian Zucker
She is a high-ranking executive within the Clippers organization who received an NBA suspension.
Lawrence Frank
He is a basketball operations executive for the Clippers who was suspended for salary-cap circumvention.
Donald Sterling
He is the former owner of the Clippers who received a lifetime ban from the NBA.
The details
Griffin recruited a writing staff with prior experience on The Daily Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers to develop the show. He previously practiced teleprompter techniques while working as an analyst for Amazon Prime's NBA coverage.
Timeline
1970: The Clippers franchise began its history as the Buffalo Braves.
2009: Blake Griffin was selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft.
2024: Blake Griffin officially retired from professional basketball.
September 2026: The NBA penalized the Clippers organization for salary-cap circumvention.
October 20, 2026: The Stepback with Blake Griffin officially premiered.
Season Trajectory
The recent league-mandated suspensions of key executives like Lawrence Frank and Gillian Zucker cast a shadow over the franchise's operations at the Intuit Dome. This disciplinary action marks a significant shift in the organization's narrative following the transition away from the Donald Sterling era.
Viewers can watch the program to hear Griffin apply his experience as a six-time All-Star to modern media debates. His career, spanning 14 seasons and culminating in a 2024 retirement, provides the baseline for the expertise he brings to the show's industry analysis.
The takeaway
Griffin represents a growing trend of former athletes transitioning into the writers' room and host chair to control their own narratives. His ability to synthesize complex topics like NIL and analytics may set a new standard for how retired stars interact with sports media.
What happens next
Blake Griffin is scheduled to continue his analyst role for Amazon Prime's NBA coverage throughout the remainder of the current season.
Further reading
For more on the latest developments in the professional game, explore the Basketball section.
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Do you trust professional athletes to provide objective reporting when they transition into sports journalism roles?
