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Blake Griffin to auction off game-worn sneakers designed by fan to benefit children's charity

Dan Devine
Senior NBA writer

When the Los Angeles Clippers take the court on Wednesday night for their marquee matchup against John Wall, Bradley Beal and the newly minted Southeast Division champion Washington Wizards, Blake Griffin will be rocking a very special pair of sneakers:

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Blake Griffin's Jordan Super.Fly 'Just 5' sneakers. (Photo via the Clippers)
Blake Griffin’s Jordan Super.Fly ‘Just 5’ sneakers. (Photo via the Clippers)
A closer look at Blake Griffin's Jordan Super.Fly 'Just 5' sneakers. (Photo via the Clippers)
A closer look at Blake Griffin’s Jordan Super.Fly ‘Just 5’ sneakers. (Photo via the Clippers)

As part of a fundraising effort on Wednesday to support “Make March Matter,” a campaign supporting care for children treated at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Griffin will be wearing a special pair of his Jordan Brand Super.Fly 5 sneakers called the “Just 5.” The power forward designed the red-and-black kicks with Justice Griffith, an 11-year-old patient at CHLA who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 10, and who has since undergone chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant in an attempt to beat back the disease.

After the game, the Clippers will auction off the sneakers, with all proceeds going to CHLA through the Make March Matter campaign. As of right now, they’re going for $540; the auction will run through April 13.

“This is an amazing cause and I’m excited to be involved,” Griffin said in a team statement. “I am lucky for the opportunity to get to know Justice and it was a lot of fun to work with him. He knew exactly what he wanted the ‘Just 5’ to look like, and I can’t wait to show it off on the court and help raise money to benefit CHLA patients like Justice who need help.”

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If you aren’t in the market for a new pair of sneakers, but you’d still like to contribute to the Make March Matter initiative, the Clippers “will also hold their own fundraising drive on Wednesday,” according to Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, and will match donations made between 5:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. PT up to a total of $25,000. You can donate at MakeMarchMatter.org or by texting “MARCH” to 91999.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!