INQUIRER Sports

NEW YORK - Blake Griffin was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the first overall pick in the National Basketball Association's entry draft.

The 1.93 meter (six-foot-ten) Griffin played last season at a US college (Oklahoma) averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds in 35 games. He set an Oklahoma record with 25 double-doubles in the regular season.

The hapless Clippers are hoping Griffin can help them break out of their seemingly endless franchise losing skid. The Clippers have won just one playoff series since moving to Los Angeles in 1984.

"I'm not worried about what's happened in the past," said Griffin. "I'm only looking forward to the future. We're not going to think about what's happened in seasons past. I'm just excited about the opportunity to make the best out of whatever situation that I'm put in."

Memphis Grizzlies took defensive specialist Hasheem Thabeet with the second pick while James Harden went to Oklahoma City in the third spot. Tyreke Evans (Sacramento) and Spain's Ricky Rubio (Minnesota) rounded out the top five.

Tanzania's Thabeet averaged 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots while playing US college last season. He led Connecticut to a 31-5 record.

The 2.13 metre (seven-foot-three) Thabeet is a native of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and is the first NBA player born in that country.

"The last year I remember I was at my house and watching the NBA Draft and today I'm here," said Thabeet. "It's just great. There's a lot of kids dreaming to be in the position I'm in right now."

Sacramento also took a guard at No. 4 in Memphis' Evans, who left after playing just one season in US college. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists this season.

Evans finished 2008-09 first on the Memphis all-time freshman steal list with 77.

Minnesota had the fifth and sixth selections and chose a pair of guards. At No. 5 the Timberwolves got flashy guard Rubio and they took Syracuse's Jonny Flynn sixth overall.