LA Clippers F Blake Griffin A Dirty Player? (VIDEO)

In only his first real year in the league, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin already has more highlight-reel dunks than most guys in the NBA have in their entire careers. Although ESPN and the NBA love him, of course, some players around the league aren’t the biggest Griffin fans these days.

Creating a different poster seemingly every night and a different player, the 2011 Slam Dunk Champion is taking the league by storm. This is exactly the reason why Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins believes he’s getting away with special treatment.

“He’s babied,” he said of Griffin. “He’s the poster child of the league. He sells tickets, but he’s babied. Bottom line. He gets away with [everything]. He taunts players. Nothing is done. He’s babied.”

Accused of being a dirty player, guys are beginning to notice a certain pattern that would indicate there’s preferential treatment for the former first-round pick by some NBA officials. Lakers F/C Pau Gasol is also among those who believe Griffin gets away with more contact and taunting than some of his less prominent peers.

On Wednesday night’s Battle for LA with the Lakers, Griffin pulled off two of the nastiest dunks this season… both on Gasol. In the case of the first dunk, sure it could have been called an “over-the-back” foul, but I would agree that it could have gone either way — so that’s a toss up. The second dunk, however, was without question an offensive foul on Griffin for clearing the defender with his off-arm.

“I was on my [butt], I woke up, I stood up and told the referee I had a forearm on my face, on my throat,” Gasol explained after the game. “That’s something that needs to be looked at. He tries to be physical and tries to play his game. I hope he’s not intending to be dirty or anything like that. But there were a couple of plays that were extra.”

Now, I understand that’s what people want to see, and that’s what makes a game even that much more exciting. But, if the refs are going to call the game a certain way, it has to be done consistently. You cannot have a guy elevate to dunk the ball and blatantly elbow the defender in the face.

After Thursday night’s win over the Kings, Cousins was so upset with Griffin’s play that he literally challenged him to a first-fight after the game. Once in the locker room, Griffin explained what had transpired between he and Cousins.

“Yeah, but we don’t want to go there,” Griffin said. “We really don’t want to go there. That’s something that will hopefully go away as time goes on for him.

“When guys get frustrated, that’s what happens. Like I said, I’m not trying to get into a back and forth, a verbal back and forth. Whatever happened out there happened, and I’m moving on.”

Cousins’ reply: ”Of course that’s what Blake is going to say because he’s in L.A., where actors belong. He’s an actor.”

The Clippers and Kings are scheduled to meet Saturday night at Staples Center in Downtown LA.