NEW YORK — Jimmy Fallon executed a neat spin move in the bustling hallway outside the various green rooms at his show at NBC and looked up at the future of a basketball franchise.
"Oh my God, you're the tallest dude," Fallon said, craning his head to see Blake Griffin.
That established, he moved on to another physical point. They compared the size of their hands, at Fallon's request. It wasn't quite like an adult compared with a small child but you get the idea in terms of disparity -- almost like Griffin looming over fellow guest Abigail Breslin on the Fallon set Tuesday night.
Just call Griffin Not-So-Little Mister Sunshine.
That's almost the impact Griffin has had on the oft-beleaguered Clippers franchise since they won the draft lottery in May. Finally, here was a bright light cutting through a team's star-crossed history.
The Clippers declared a few hours after the lottery they would take the Oklahoma power forward with the No. 1 pick and an air of excitement has been palpable through the organization. The NBA draft will be held tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The rebounding machine -- who led the nation with 30 double-doubles last season, averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds -- is one of the few sure things in a draft seemingly gone mad, much to the chagrin of the mock drafters. The Clippers, who won 19 games last season, have been getting phone calls about Griffin, of late, but only because rival team executives feel the need to go through the obligatory motions.
"I think this is going to be a draft where there's a lot of uncertainty," said Clippers assistant general manager Neil Olshey. "And I think you're going to get guys clustered into three or four players in a group.
"One could be a star, one could be a bust, one could be a mediocre player. I think a lot of people are struggling with who that guy is right now."
USC's DeMar DeRozan, who could go in the top 10, didn't hesitate to use the g-word in regard to Griffin, having shared court time against him last season.
"He can be great," DeRozan said. "You really don't see big men as athletic as Blake Griffin was. I had the chance to play against him this year. Just to see how talented he is and how big and strong he is, is amazing."
Griffin to the Clippers may well be the worst-kept secret in professional sports. So much so, that attempts at mystery -- to appease an irritated NBA -- feel faintly ridiculous. Call it trying to put a 6-foot-10 genie back in the bottle.
