Clippers forward Blake Griffin, the NBA's Rookie of the Year, will announce Thursday evening his plans to auction off the Kia Optima over which he jammed to win the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk crown, according to CNBC's Darren Rovell. The auction will benefit Stand Up To Cancer, a charity whose mission is to raise awareness about, and subsequently eradicate, this disease. Griffin will make the announcement during an appearance on Conan; AutoTrader.com will host the auction.
↵↵Griffin topped Wizards center JaVale McGee in the final round of February's Sprite Slam Dunk when he leapt over the hood of the soon-to-be-auctioned Optima, caught a lob pass then-teammate Baron Davis threw through the car's sunroof, and jammed emphatically with two hands. Kia recently featured slow-motion footage of the dunk in a commercial, so it has certainly got its money's worth due to its association with Griffin.
↵↵Good on Griffin for helping a worthy cause.