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blake griffin goes airborne over a 2011 kia optima

Blake Griffin goes airborne over a 2011 Kia Optima – Click above to watch video after the jump

Mixed opinions arise when discussing Blake Griffin’s over-car dunk at the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Regardless, it got people talking and the 2011 Kia Optima played a major role in the jam. Kia turned Griffin’s hop into a commercial, and now Griffin is again using that same Optima for another good move; one that will benefit cancer research organization Stand Up to Cancer.

With the help of AutoTrader.com, Blake Griffin will auction off the car that helped him win the 2011 Dunk Contest title. Signed by the recently named Rookie of the Year, this Optima has been seen by millions of people courtesy of YouTube (and you can join that group by clicking past the jump and watching the dunk for yourself).

All proceeds will go to Stand Up for Cancer, which is a charity close to Griffin’s heart. His friend, and former high school basketball teammate, Wilson Holloway recently lost a three-year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. AutoTrader.com, which typically does not auction vehicles, has stated that it’s eager to help raise as much money as possible for such a worthy charity. The auction will run through May 15th, and can be viewed at a special Blake Griffin-specific page on AutoTrader.com.

Click past the jump to get a refresher on Griffin’s sedan-soaring slam, then be sure to read through the press release for more information. It’s also worth mentioning that donations can be made to Stand Up to Cancer here.

Continue reading Blake Griffin to auction dunked-over Kia Optima on AutoTrader.com [w/video]

Blake Griffin to auction dunked-over Kia Optima on AutoTrader.com [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Kia, Celebrities

blake griffin jumps a 2011 kia optima for a dunk

Blake Griffin posterizes the 2011 Kia Optima – Click above to watch video after the jump

The NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone. As usual, the big story from basketball’s all-star break comes from the dunk contest. Depending on who you talk to, it was either a showcase of creative new stuff or an overload of weak-sauce prop dunks. Regardless, Kia is surely thrilled with the attention it’s own all-star Optima received. In fact, the automaker is so thrilled that footage of the dunk will be used in an upcoming commercial.

For those readers not following the NBA, Blake Griffin, LA Clipper and jumper extraordinaire, pulled a 2011 Kia Optima on to the court for his final dunk. Hiding in the cabin was Baron Davis, who provided an alley-oop pass through the open sunroof. Griffin lept over the hood, caught the ball and brought the already-standing crowd to a new level of excitement.

Upon intial viewing of the dunk, it seemed pretty amazing. However, upon subsequent review, we find the dunk to be fairly tame. We have a clip of the dunk for you to examine after the jump; sound off on its merits in the Comments.

[Sources: Kia, YouTube | Image: Noel Vasquez/Getty]

Continue reading Kia making commercial out of Blake Griffin’s weak sauce dunk [w/video]

Kia making commercial out of Blake Griffin’s weak sauce dunk [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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