Blake Griffin’s career has expanded well beyond the basketball court. The former NBA star is now a broadcaster for Amazon’s NBA coverage, a producer through Mortal Media, an investor, and a co-owner of a professional American football team in Mexico.
Griffin joins Portfolio Players to discuss his transition into media and entertainment, how he began taking creative control of his endorsement work, and why he launched Mortal Media with longtime friend Ryan Khalil. He shares details about the company’s projects, including its documentary We Are Osos, which follows the Monterrey Osos football team, and The Step Back, a sports talk show focused on issues shaping the fan experience.
The conversation also explores the changing business of college athletics. Griffin supports athletes being compensated for their work but believes the current NIL landscape needs clearer parameters, particularly to protect Olympic and other non-revenue sports. Drawing on his own experience at the University of Oklahoma, he discusses the transfer portal, athlete mobility, and the challenge of balancing player rights with the long-term health of college sports.
Griffin also shares his approach to investing, including his first investment in 2012 and his interest in equity opportunities beyond traditional endorsement deals. He explains why he has gravitated toward health and wellness, how equity can create opportunities beyond traditional endorsements, and why he sees the NBA as a natural fit if he were to pursue another team ownership opportunity.
Portfolio Players, presented by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, explores how institutional capital, cultural momentum, technology, and strategic ownership are redefining the business of sports.
