Buckets

Memphis, Tennessee. A city full of heart, grit, grind, and blue collar people. A relatively small market when it comes to NBA cities but the Mid-South has a passion for basketball rivaled by few areas. Founded on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in 1819, the city has seen its share of peaks and valleys, successes and heartbreaks. Memphis has a rough reputation, there is no denying that. It has seen its share of pain over the years that has lead to some of that reputation. From the Civil War, to the Civil Rights violations committed, and ultimately Martin Luther King Jr.’s murder. Memphis has a checkered past, but there is something that has helped build bridges and mend some of that pain. Basketball.

When the Grizzlies came to Memphis in 2001, I was 14 and an average NBA fan. I had liked several teams and players growing up like most kids, but had really gravitated towards one individually – Bryant “Big Country” Reeves. I could relate to the big lumbering, buzz cut wearing center from Oklahoma State on so many levels. When he was drafted by the then Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995, I was all in. I got a reversible Grizzlies jersey that I rarely took off, watched every time I could when the Grizzlies would play, and locked in. Then when the move to Memphis happened in 2001, I was beyond ecstatic.

The early years in Memphis were rough, definitely more lows than highs. Crowds were light, the teams weren’t very good, and interest was waning. Tickets were seemingly being given away to increase the crowds at home games. Early indicators looked like the team wouldn’t last in this basketball rich city after winning just 23 and 28 games in the first couple of years. There was some prosperity over the years though, including 3 consecutive playoff appearances from 2003-2006 before more of the struggles of a small market that haunted them early on resurfaced. That would all change in 2011. A new era began and success beyond our wildest dreams was just beyond the horizon.

2011 was the beginning of the Grit and Grind era and the birth of the core 4. Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen would begin what was the most successful stretch in franchise history. They lead the team all the way to the Western Conference finals after the 2012-13 season, just 4 games from the NBA Finals, but ended with a loss to the Spurs. Would have done the same the following season, if not more, if it wasn’t for some super star biased officiating to keep the newly crowned MVP Kevin Durant in the playoffs, but I digress. Coach Lionel Hollins and those teams embodied what the city had been about all along. Underdogs, forgotten, and castaways like Zach Randolph (ZBo) and TA had found new homes in a town as gritty as they were. ZBo once famously said “I love this city and they love me back. It’s a blue-collar town. I’m a blue-collar player, a hard worker. It’s the same way with the town. Nothing has been given easy to me, and nothing has been given easy to this town. It’s a fit.” The city was abuzz with life about those teams. I lived in Memphis from 2010-2015, during the peak of these teams. I saw the triple overtime game against the Thunder in the playoffs, the first ever Western Conference finals game in Memphis, ZBo body slam Blake Griffin, Kobe’s final game in Memphis chating “KO-BE” when he left the floor, and so many big wins in the Forum. The atmosphere was always like nothing I had ever experienced. The city was electric from October to May watching the Beale Street Bruins take the NBA by storm.

Memphis has hosted games on MLK day in honor of the hero who tragically lost his life at the infamous Lorraine Hotel since 2003. These games have historically been massive for the city of Memphis, bringing prime time spotlights to the city, showcasing a lot of the progress made. It was and remains a bright spot for the city to celebrate what it has become out of tragedy. Even when the team was not good, the game was a big deal. Now, here we are in 2022 with a new kind of spotlight by the NBA. A prime time Christmas Day game.

On Christmas Day , the NBA always has a slate of games with the premier teams that people want to watch. Teams like the Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, Bulls, and Heat have historically been featured on Christmas Day. A day when the world slows down and watches the best of the best play basketball and the NBA highlights their must watch teams. This year, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of those teams for the first time since the tradition began in the 1947-48 season. The Grizz play at the Golden State Warriors in the coveted 8 pm slot. Words cannot express the gravity of what that means, and it has been developing since those early days of the Grit and Grind era in 2011. It is an arrival of sorts for a young team, ahead of schedule, full of swagger and fire. Gone are the days of $5 lower bowl seats and in its place is a must watch team with as superstar with unlimited potential. The Grizzlies are no longer an after thought in the Western Conference but are now a polarizing team thanks to their confidence and no nonsense style of play, often featured in ESPN’s main content. Ja is a human highlight reel, Desmond Bane competed in the NBA 3 point contest last year, Jaren Jackson, Jr. is a defensive player of the year candidate, Stephen Adams is a great interview, and Dillon Brooks is an absolute menace on the defensive side of the ball – all making the Grizz must watch TV.

Nowadays you can’t go anywhere in Memphis without seeing shirts, hats, and other Grizzlies gear. The Zach Randolph lead teams made a lasting impact on the city through philanthropy and spending time in the worst neighborhoods., giving their time and resources to help with the healing. The current team carries on those traditions and bring the same intensity on the court as the Core 4 teams. Ja is the superstar those teams needed to get them over the edge. The future seems so bright for this young Grizzlies team, and it bleeds over into the city. Efforts are being made to fight violent crime in the city, jobs are being brought by projects like the largest private investment in the state of Tennessee’s history by the Ford Motor company, and the gentrification of areas like Cooper Young, Overton Square, and downtown are just the beginning of what seems to be a rebirth of sorts. Is basketball the sole reason? Definitely not, but the uniting of the city around this team is undeniable, which leads to long needed healing.

So when you slow down with your family this weekend and the celebrations are drawing to a close, tune in on Sunday to ABC at 8 pm eastern. You will see a rematch of an intense playoff series last year between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. It is a stamp of approval by the NBA. We made it. We have joined the blue bloods that traditionally play these games, even if it is just this year, because this year we were a part of it. We have arrived on the scene ahead of schedule with a team of young, confident, and supremely talented players. Watch them play and I hope ESPN has some bits planned to credit the Grit and Grind teams to building what you will see on Christmas Day. It has been a long process, one full of striving, failures, victories, and all heart. Just like the city and the people they represent, this team is tough and ready to make a statement on prime time. I hope you will watch alongside us and see what we have been watching develop over the years. You will see high flying dunks by Ja Morant, hopefully some deep 3’s from Desmond Bane, aggressive defense by Dillon Brooks, and fun basketball regardless. Memphis brings a magic you can only get from an underdog team, who doesn’t know they are suppose to compete with the blue bloods. The orginal voice of the Grizzlies was the late great Don Poier, who came with the team from Vancouver in 2001, and he caught a passion for the city and the love they showed this new basketball team. He had a saying when something special would happen and that was “only in the movies and Memphis.” This team has something special going. It is the culmination of a lot of hard years, tough times, setbacks, and “almost.” Our time to shine is here. Grind on Memphis.