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Blake Griffin and Lonzo Ball Make Sports and Comedy Collide in Verizon Go90 Streaming Show, ‘The 5th Quarter'

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball star in the second and third seasons of the Verizon Go90 streaming show, "The 5th Quarter."

Is Blake Griffin the next Eddie Murphy? Lonzo Ball the next Richard Pryor?

Alright, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the Los Angeles basketball superstars do have some comedy chops, and they have their sights set on Hollywood.

You've probably seen Griffin in some of those Kia or GameStop commercials and thought he was mildly entertaining, but it turns out Griffin is pretty serious about this comedy thing.

"I've always loved comedy," said Griffin in an exclusive interview to NBC LA. "It gives athletes a chance to do something outside of a cameo. This is where comedy meets sports, and it's right up my alley."

Over the offseason, as Griffin rehabbed a foot injury, he performed standup at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood in order to get a feeling for what performing live in front of an audience was like. 

"I like doing stuff to get outside of my comfort zone," continued Griffin. "Stand up was probably the ultimate thing. I walked away feeling confident."

Griffin signed on for an Internet TV show called "The 5th Quarter," produced by OBB Pictures which premiered on November 30th.

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The show is part of Verizon's go90 series and features short sports mockumentaries featuring athletes, actors, models, and sports broadcasters.

After a stint as a 30-year-old child named "Cliff, Cliff" in the show's first season, Griffin stars as Sheldon King, one of the best race walkers in the world in an episode called "Born to Walk."

"That relationship was a cold call. I called him and pitched him the idea," said director Michael D. Ratner of how he was able to get Griffin to agree to the show. "He said "it sounds awesome." It's a domino effect. You get one of these big athletes to do it, and then everyone wants to do it."

The episode also stars Jimmy O. Yang, Hailey Baldwin and Kenny Mayne. 

The premiere comes on the heels of a devastating knee injury that will sideline Griffin for the next two months. Griffin's teammate, Austin Rivers, fell on Griffin's left leg, spraining the MCL in his left knee in the fourth quarter against the Lakers on November 28th

"I'm going to start the rehab process right away," said Griffin of his injury and how long he will be on the sidelines. "I don't know if it's a hard two months."

Speaking of the Lakers, fans in Laker Nation might be excited for one specific episode called "Fetus Jones," that premiered recently on December 7th.

The episode stars Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball and his larger than life father, LaVar Ball. It tells the story of a 7-year-old NBA prospect, Jermaine Jones AKA "Fetus Jones," and his over-the-top father who tries to turn his child into the next big basketball brand.

The father is played by legendry comedian Marlon Wayans, and is a direct spoof on LaVar and Lonzo's relationship, even to the point where Wayans character commits to UCLA despite the fact his son is just seven years old.

The second and third seasons of "The 5th Quarter," can be seen on Verizon's Go90 streaming service as part of their collection of sports documentaries, or "docuseries."

For more information on the show "The 5th Quarter," and to watch all the episodes including "Born to Walk," and "Fetus Jones," click the link below.

The 5th Quarter presented by Verizon Go90

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