Nets really gave Blake Griffin a tribute video for his first game back in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Nets recognized Blake Griffin for his “storied” tenure with the team with a tribute video on his return. We’re as confused as you are.

The tribute video for a player’s first game against his old team can be a touching way for an organization to say thank you to a former player, recognizing their best moments on the court and their contributions to building a winning culture. Or, maybe it can be an opportunity for an elaborate inside joke, smiling playfully at a player well-known for his sense of humor?

For example, this tribute video the Brooklyn Nets created for Blake Griffin.

Why in the world did the Brooklyn Nets prepare a tribute video for Blake Griffin?

On the one hand, the Brooklyn Nets could be looking for any positives to celebrate this year, after being embroiled in trade rumors and the chaos of Kyrie Irving’s antisemitic actions for months. On the other hand, a tribute video for Blake Griffin is really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

The Nets may be the last team Griffin played for before joining the Celtics, but remember, he played just 82 games in a Nets uniform over the last 1.5 seasons. Over that span, he averaged a fairly pedestrian 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Is this a sign that the Nets could be prepping videos for the return of Bruce Brown (8.9 points per game over 137 games)? Why didn’t they have one for Andre Drummond when he came with the Bulls earlier this season, after averaging 11.8 points per game in 24 games for the Nets last season? Maybe the Nets media team just really loved Blake.

Authentic tribute or playful trolling? You be the judge.