AUSTIN, Texas – Cayleigh Griffin pinched herself after she interviewed NBA icons James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Interviewing star players is now a regular occurrence for the Houston Rockets sideline reporter.

 

Griffin was 4 four 4 [all ages are numbers in AP style] years old when she developed her love of sports while shooting baskets on her Fisher-Price basketball hoop J. Both her parents and sister were collegiate athletes. Griffin’s passion for sports led her to pass on the opportunity to play basketball in college in order to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

 

Griffin encountered various challenges before landing with the Rockets. With the help of mentor and fellow Providence College graduate  [no comma here in this usage], Doris Burke, Griffin secured her first NBA job as the digital reporter for the San Antonio Spurs at 23 years old. Griffin developed her skills in producing and editing during her time in San Antonio. The players and organization loved her. But that wasn’t enough. The Spurs organization decided to completely cut Griffin’s position. [always be looking for excessive words].

 

“I was in a state of shock,” Griffin said. “How is this happening to me as a 25-year-old? I didn’t even know where to begin and where to start.”

 

Griffin found her way. She moved to Cleveland, Ohio, , [close the clause] where she was a hybrid hometown reporter for the Cavaliers while another woman was the sideline reporter. Griffin was thankful, but frustrated by the situation. She knew she wanted and deserved more.

 

While visiting her sister in Italy, Griffin received the call she had patiently been waiting for. The Houston Rockets needed a sideline reporter. Griffin cut her trip short and flew from Rome to Houston for the interview. One week later Griffin packed up her bags in Cleveland and made the move. She got the job. [This is a lovely paragraph Hannah. Perfect balance. A nice mix of detail, fact and storytelling. Bravo.]

 

“It’s been a freaking journey, let me tell you,” Griffin said. “It feels so gratifying now because of everything I feel like I’ve been through in the last couple of years.”

 

Griffin was adamant about building a familiarity and trust with the team. She would attend practices and events that were not required so the players would become more comfortable around her. Griffin quickly became a familiar face among the team.

 

During a night out after an away game for the Rockets in Toronto, Griffin met up with old friends for dinner. To Griffin’s surprise, Westbrook saw her in the hotel lobby from afar that evening and joked with Griffin about her “night out” in Toronto the next day on the plane. She said she turned bright red and was mortified but bantered right back to him.

 

“When you’re around them so much, you can start to read them and when they want to talk and they can read you,” Griffin said.

 

Whether it was with the Spurs, Cavaliers, or the Rockets, Griffin became a trusted source for the players. Griffin’s commitment to her job and her constant urge to better herself allowed her to excel as a reporter. Her work ethic did not go unnoticed. Griffin’s boss told her that the players’ first instinct when they had an interview was to “go to Cayleigh.”

 

“It’s almost essential in this job that they have a comfort with you,” Griffin said. “That’s how you get the best answers.”

 

Griffin’s undying passion for basketball that all started with a plastic hoop in a small apartment, motivated her to endure the difficult times, despite not knowing what the future held. She reminds herself to take a step back and appreciate just how far she has come.

 

“I finally feel like I am in a place where I am really happy,” Griffin said. “It’s been a journey and every step has taught me something.”