As someone who spends most of his free time on sports and the arts, I've long believed creativity to be an underrated element of athletic greatness. But I think it's important to understand what we mean by that term.
You mentioned Blake Griffin and his spectacular dunks. I would argue that, while he is a walking highlight real and a franchise or near-franchise player, Griffin is not an especially creative player (Jay Caspian Kang apparently agrees with me). He only has a few post moves, and he relies far too much on his raw physical talents. Even his dunks, while extraordinary in their explosiveness, are not especially creative (JaVale McGee did far more interesting things in the dunk contest last year, but lost anyway -- because, you know, he's not a spokesperson for the event's sponsor).
