Sharon Brown is a University of Memphis graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Legal Studies. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Sharon is one of the Memphis Grizzlies beat writers for the Memphis Flyer. She has created a niche in the industry by co-founding All Heart in Hoop City — a unique community of women sportswriters.
The Grizzlies have won three straight games after defeating the Thunder 116-107 Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
It took a massive third period for Memphis to take control of the game for good. Grizzlies outscored the Thunder 33-20 in that period — after giving up four straight turnovers.
Dillion Brooks led the way for Memphis with 25 points off 8 of 13 from the field and 8 of 9 at the charity stripe. The Grizzlies improved to 9-4 when Brooks scores 20 points or more this season.
— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) March 25, 2021
Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas chipped in 16 points and 15 rebounds to tally his 28th double double of the season as the Grizzlies improve to 21-20 for the year.
— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) March 25, 2021
Off the bench, Brandon Clarke chipped in a near double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Clarke was huge defensively with a career high five blocks plus two steals. Clarke became the third Grizzlies reserve in franchise history behind Stromile Swift and James Johnson to record 2+ steals and 5+ blocks.
The Thunder had seven players in double figures. Moses Brown led OKC with 19 points and 12 rebounds as a reserve. Lu Dort finished with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists as the Thunder fall to 19-25 for the season.
Up Next
The Grizzlies play back to back against the Jazz in Utah, Friday and Saturday night.
For one night only, the Grit ‘n Grind Grizzlies made an appearance at the FedExForum on Wednesday with a 89-85 win against the Miami Heat.
When asked if it gave him pride to win in an old school style, Ja Morant said with a smile, “Hell yeah. Simple as that.”
Miami shot just 36 percent of its shots while Memphis only went 35.3 percent from the field. This was definitely a mud game. Grizzlies fans remember those so well.
After the game Taylor Jenkins said of the win, “This was probably one of the gutsiest wins I can recall in my time here, definitely this season. This was a heck of a game.”
Jenkins added, “To come away 89-85 and hold them to mid-30’s shooting, limiting some of their best players, I give our guys a lot of credit to just stick with it. That’s why it’s gutsy.”
The last time the Grizzlies and their opponents scored under 90 points was on Nov. 7, 2018 when Memphis defeated Denver 89-87.
Memphis managed to get their defensive mojo back after the last two opponents were lights-out with the three-ball. The Grizzlies’ defense had been nonexistent in consecutive games, giving up a combined 28 three-pointers in the last two losses against Oklahoma City and Phoenix.
With 1.2 seconds remaining in regulation, Morant went coast to coast and finished with a driving left handed finger roll layup off the backboard to give the Grizzlies the lead for good.
“Go get a bucket, simple as that,” Morant said in the postgame interview with Rob Fischer about his game winning bucket. “I live for those moments and I want that pressure.
The Grizzlies star guard finished the game with 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Kyle Anderson also chipped in 13 points and five rebounds while going 4 of 9 from the field.
In 23 minutes off the bench, De’Anthony Melton secured a double-double with 13 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
“Coach (Taylor Jenkins) said before the game that we were going to go with a smaller lineup,” Melton stated after the game. “He wanted all of the guards to get in there and rebound and scrap. I think that’s what we emphasized today, just limiting them to one or two shots and just getting out and running. We’re one of the better pace teams, so we just want to get out there and just keep going and keep attacking them to see how they react to that.”
With the win, Memphis moved to 18-19 on the season after dropping three straight games.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 24 points and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo had 15 points (5-11 FG), 12 rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 35 minutes as the Suns dropped to 22-19 for the season.
Memphis’ own Precious Achiuwa made his first appearance at the FedExForum since being drafted by the Heat in 2020. Achiuwa finished with two points and five rebounds in 10 minutes of play as a reserve.
Up Next
The Grizzlies will host a back-to-back home-stand against the Golden State Warriors on Friday and Saturday.
BODYARMOR EDGE has announced a new ad campaign for its sports hydration drink, “GET YOUR EDGE,” that features athlete partners and investors Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
“Ja Morant and Kyler Murray are two of the most exciting athletes in sports and embody the intense, aggressive, hard-working mentality of BODYARMOR EDGE,” said Michael Fedele, VP at BODYARMOR, in a release on Tuesday morning. “Working with both rising superstars was an absolute blast, and we can’t wait for fans and consumers to give BODYARMOR EDGE a try.”
In the announcement, Morant said, “BODYARMOR EDGE is unlike anything out on the market today. So, it’s exciting for me to play a key role in the first-ever ad campaign with Kyler and see firsthand how BODYARMOR is continuing to transform the hydration game.”
BODYARMOR
The Murray State alum is averaging 18.4 points and 7.7 assists per game in 30 minutes of action this season. He spoke with the Flyer to discuss a wide range of topics, including the BODYARMOR ad campaign, his love for the Memphis community, Grizzlies culture, the return of Justise Winslow, the importance of women in sports, and more.
Tell me about your new campaign with BODYARMOR. What was it like filming the commercial? Morant: It was big-time. That was actually my first time being part of a big special group and actually doing something like that. I’m just thrilled to be a part of the first-ever ad campaign for BODYARMOR EDGE. I’m a big fan of it, and it gives me the energy on and off the court whenever I need it.
Ja Morant Featured in New BodyArmor Campaign
Why is it important to you to give back to your community?
As for me, it just shows where you come from, and I’m a big family person. I love giving back to wherever I’m from and wherever I’m at. Since I’ve been in Memphis, everybody’s been showing me love and treated me like family. So it’s only right to show my love back to the community.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Grizzlies culture and having good locker room guys. Since arriving in Memphis, what do you think about the culture and how you’ve fit in with it? I’m used to it. But as far as locker room guys, I feel like we have a great group of guys. No matter who it is, if it’s somebody new or not, we allow them to be themselves. We’re all around each other — we are always laughing and joking. But we also know when it’s time to be serious and lock into whatever we have to do.
How happy are you to have Justise Winslow on the court after his long, hard struggle to return from injury? Justise is a special player. He can defend multiple positions and play multiple positions on offense — another guy who can make plays for himself and for the team. When you have so many guys who can do that and guys who are unselfish, it helps our team, and it eventually shows up in the assist column.
Why is it important for you to support women in sports, from the female athletes, the female coaches to the female executives and female reporters? Women don’t receive as much respect or attention as they should. Women are a big part of our world today. To achieve things like being a woman coach in the NBA or anything like that, that’s a special honor and a big deal for women. As far as for me, to show my love and appreciation for them , I will continue to do it. Hopefully, to have everyone else realize how special women are.
In your first year, you took the league by storm and immediately impacted your team and won Rookie of the Year. How much do you feel you’ve improved from your first year in the NBA to now. And how has Taylor Jenkins and his coaching staff helped you become a better player? I feel like I have become a lot better. The game is actually slowing down a little bit for me when I’m out there. So I’m starting to see things before they happen. And I feel like that helps our team and puts us in good positions at all times. As far as our coaching staff and how they help me, they are always there when I need them; if I have questions, they always sit down with me and watch film and constantly talk about how I can get better and how we can get better as a team.
What does success look like for you this season? Success for me this season would be for me to be better than last season, for sure. I think that’s the number one thing — continue to show my growth. But as far as a team, I feel like making the playoffs would definitely be a successful season for us.
I’ve heard you say that you want your teammates to hold you accountable; where does accountability fit into the aspects of being a good leader? I have to bring it each and every day. I can’t have days where I’m going through the motions. If I ever have a day like that, I would expect my teammates to speak up and let me know to lock in, whether it’s in practice or a game.
Lastly, you don’t have to answer these if you don’t want to. Will you participate in the dunk contest? Do you think you should have been chosen as an All-Star reserve? No, I will not be in the dunk contest. It’s God’s timing on the All-Star game for me. So I will continue to work and get better.
Justise Winslow found his groove on Sunday night against the Houston Rockets by going 4-of-4 from the field early on. In just his fourth game back after a lengthy absence, Winslow led the Grizzlies with 20 points and two blocks off the bench in a decisive victory over the Rockets 133–84. This is the first time Winslow scored 20 or more points since October of 2019 while a member of the Miami Heat. An emotional Winslow spoke after the game:
"This trade was one of the best things to happen to in my life on and off the court for me, this organization with being so patient with me. I'm just so thankful. A lot of gratitude and a lot of joy in my heart right now." – @IAmJustise@memgrizz // #GrindCitypic.twitter.com/Te6RFGXbtL
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) March 1, 2021
Houston Had a Problem Against Memphis Sunday Night
Houston Had a Problem Against Memphis Sunday Night (3)
Brandon Clarke notched his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 7-of-9 from the field.
De’Anthony Melton finished with 14 points, five assists, and four steals. Tyus Jones had a complete game with 13 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. The Grizzlies had a season-high 16 steals and 56 rebounds.
Desmond Bane had 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals with a +38 +/- net rating to help the Grizzlies move to 15–15 on the season in his fourth career start. Bane even had a nasty highlight dunk.
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) March 1, 2021
Houston Had a Problem Against Memphis Sunday Night (2)
Very impressive victory by our group,” Taylor Jenkins said after the game. A very impressive victory, indeed.
The Grizzlies bench set a franchise record with 85 points by outscoring the entire Rockets team. Memphis also set a franchise record with the largest margin of victory with the 49 point smashing while handing Houston its 11th straight loss. Memphis held the Rockets to a franchise-low 27.7 percent from the field and 4-for-45 on 3-pointers.
Next Up:
The Grizzlies will take on Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, March 2, at the Capital One Arena. Tip-off is set at 6 p.m. CT.
There was a bit of surprise on Saturday morning when the Memphis Grizzlies released the injury report via Twitter. Multiple players were listed out due to rest and injury, but Justise Winslow was finally listed as questionable.
Grizzlies Twitter
Many wondered if he would actually play against the Phoenix Suns Saturday night. It has been a long road for the 24-year-old to actually to suit up for the Grizzlies. Winslow was traded to the Grizzlies from the Miami Heat in February 2020 and was slated to make his Grizzlies debut then, just before the NBA went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a freak accident in the NBA bubble over the summer, Winslow was sidelined with a left hip displacement.
Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins confirmed that Winslow would get some minutes against the Suns during the pregame media availability: “Justise is officially good to go . We are so excited to get him out there. I know that he is super-excited as well.”
Jenkins continued: “When we welcomed him here about a year ago, we knew the competitor we were getting, we knew the winning basketball player we were getting, the playmaker and the ultimate team guy. He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s been super vocal, super active on the sidelines and in the film sessions and whatever he participates in. In practice as well, he just brings a lot of spirit to us.”
NBA.com
With 6:29 left in the first quarter, Winslow checked in for the first time in a Memphis uniform. He received a round of applause from the 1,994 fans in attendance at FedExForum.
As expected, the Duke alum was a bit rusty in what became a 128–97 blowout loss to the Suns. Winslow went 0–9 from the field in the first half, but he was a bit better in the second half and finished the game with nine points, seven rebounds, and a steal in 21 minutes, while going 3-of-14 from the field. It was his first NBA action since January 8, 2020, as a member of the Miami Heat.
Winslow was happy to be back on the floor after being out for so long. After the game, he said, “It was a great day, man . I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. I was excited. A lot of nerves, to be honest, but just being out there competing was a lot of fun.”
Winslow added, “The first half, I was just trying to get that first bucket. A little excited, but once I settled down, settled into my game, I felt pretty comfortable out there. But a lot of praise to this organization, helping me get back out there. And my teammates, they helped me be very confident while I was out there playing.”
Winslow admitted that it was a challenging year for him with the injury and the pandemic that affected his rehab process. He added, “I give a lot of thanks to my family and my friends, and this organization. Like I said, they kept me steady; they kept me level. They believed in me. So, it’s been a hell of a journey. Tonight, was just a glimpse of the iceberg, just getting my feet wet. But it was a good experience for me, obviously, a lot to learn from, but I had fun out there despite the 30-point beatdown. But we’ll get better and attack Dallas Monday.”
Jenkins was pleased with Winslow’s debut and stated he would be initially coming off the bench. He said, “This guy’s got a bright future with us, and I’m so happy to see him out there and him having a lot of fun. I just want him to be a playmaker out there . I think having the ball in his hands is going to lead to some more good things. As much as I can continue to learn him as a player, as much as I already know, but seeing him with our group and in his teammates. I’m very excited about putting the ball in his hands a lot more.”
Winslow’s future with the Grizzlies appears bright once he is settled in and playing and bringing energy on both ends of the court. With the loss, the Grizzlies fell to 13-13 on the season.
On a snowy Wednesday night in Memphis, the Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 122–113. Both teams played on the second night of a back-to-back. After losing to the New Orleans Pelicans 144–113 at home on Tuesday, Memphis fought its way to victory against a Thunder team that wouldn’t give up easily. The Thunder were coming off a disappointing loss to the Portland Trailblazers, 115–104, on Tuesday night.
Grayson Allen led the Grizzlies with 22 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while shooting 60 percent from the three-point stripe (6–10). Allen gave the team a big boost with 14 points in the fourth quarter, to help Memphis improve to 12-12 on the season.
.@GraysonJAllen (career-high tying 6 3PM tonight) now has multiple 3PM in 10 consecutive games.
Jonas Valanciunas also finished with 22 points, and added 12 rebounds, to tally his 13th double-double of the season. Wednesday night was the fifth time this season Valanciunas had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Kyle Anderson added 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals to finish the night. Coach Taylor Jenkins was appreciative and complimentary of Anderson’s growth this season. By collecting five steals at the half, Anderson became the first Grizzlies player to hit that mark since Tony Allen, who had five against the Golden State Warriors on January 23, 2012.
Jenkins said after the win, “KA [Kyle Anderson] is playing great and has found a lot of consistency this season. He dropped 20 points and had five assists, with versatility on the defensive end. We just want to put in that effort every single night. That is just great from Kyle. He has been having a heck of a season so far. It’s been a big factor for us this season. So hopefully, he continues to do that and find ways to get better. That is the number one goal for each of our guys and our team.”
Anderson remains confident: “Just being healthy and shooting with a lot of confidence. These last 18 to 24 months, I’ve put a lot of tedious, hard work into shooting the ball. I just remember long days and nights in the gym not shooting past 15 feet for two hours. You know, it’s just paying off finally. Just getting back to where I feel like I used to be with my shot and having the confidence.”
Ja Morant recorded his first triple-double of the season with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. “I feel like we are playing pretty good basketball,” Morant said after the game. “We still have some areas we can get better at, but to have six guys in double figures is big-time for us. It just shows that we have plenty of guys who can make plays.”
Tonight @JaMorant recorded his third career triple-double (first this season). Morant's three triple-doubles are tied (with Delon Wright) for second in @memgrizz franchise history (behind Marc Gasol's five). pic.twitter.com/JuzxMffTEH
Morant discussed finding his teammates and accountability, “For me, it’s just studying film and talking with my teammates,” he said. “I tell them to always hold me accountable if they are open. If I miss them, I told them to curse me out.”
“By watching the film with Coach [Jenkins] and talking with Coach [Jenkins], Morant continued. Normally when I come off of a ball screen, the defender is sitting at the nail, so it’s a quick pass. Guys are knocking down shots. Once they do that, the help leaves, and it opens up the rest of the floor for us to get downhill.”
Anderson talked about playing with Morant: “Ja makes the game easier for a lot of people when he’s aggressive whether it’s scoring the ball or sharing to setting us up with easy shots. He makes it really easier for us out there.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led his team with 22 points and six assists as the Thunder fell to 11–17 on the season. Mike Muscala chipped in 21 points while going 5-of-9 from three as a reserve.
Up Next:
The Grizzlies will host the Pistons on Friday to continue their four-game homestand.
Wednesday night, the Memphis Grizzlies wanted to avoid a five-game losing streak. A franchise-record shooting night with 23 three-pointers sealed the deal, as the Grizzlies defeated the Charlotte Hornets 130–114 at FedEx Forum. Memphis improves to 10-10 on the season.
Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with 27 points while hitting a career high 6 of 8 from the three-point stripe. Anderson spoke about his massive third quarter. He said, “I think I had knocked down a corner three in the first half, and it just felt good. So, it came to me about four or five times in a row again in the second half, just how their defense was guarding pick-and-roll.
“Teams have been getting away with that lately, being up on Ja (Morant) and making him get it out of his hands,” Anderson continued. “So I knew after these last few games that today I’ve got to just be able to make shots when he does give it up.”
Morant tallied his third double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and a game-high 11 assists.
“I feel like we have a very dangerous team, knocking down shots,” Morant said after the victory. “We encourage everybody from the first man to the last man to shoot it and let it fly. We all got that confidence in each other.”
After the game, Morant’s work wasn’t entirely done, apparently. He was back on the court putting up shots.
Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (4)
“As far as my shooting after (the game), I feel like I have to be better on the court in all areas,” Morant explained. “I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t satisfied, so I just wanted to finish getting some extra work in. That’s really about it.”
Memphis Grizzlies Twitter
Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen led the bench unit with 18 points and three assists while setting a season-high of 3-pointers made with five.
Barrage Of Threes Helps Grizzlies Maul Hornets (3)
For the Hornets, Terry Rozier’s (aka Scary Terry) game-high 34 points weren’t enough to overcome the hot-shooting Grizzlies. LaMelo Ball chipped in 17 points while Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges both finished with 15 each as Charlotte slipped to 12–14 on the season.
Up Next
The Grizzlies travel out west for a two-game road trip. First up is LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night with a 9 pm CST tip.
Indiana clearly wanted to put an end to the Grizzlies’ win streak. The Pacers were seething after a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Memphis entered the night with the NBA’s longest active winning streak at seven in a row.
Despite a strong outing by Dillon Brooks, the Grizzlies didn’t have it Tuesday night inside the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. A sluggish start in the first quarter really was the catalyst for the defeat. Indiana outscored the Grizzlies 37–27, and things went downhill from there. Memphis gave up a season-high 70 points in the first half.
The Pacers shot an astounding 59.8 percent from the field and 55 percent from the 3-point line in a 134–116 victory and moved to 12–9 on the season.
The Grizzlies dropped to 9–7 on the season and wrapped their 3-game road trip going 2–1. Memphis is now 6–2 on the road. Sure, it was the second night of a back-to-back for Memphis, but the Pacers just wanted it more.
Speaking to the media after the loss, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said, “I thought we’ve been doing a really good job at competing; we just didn’t have it tonight. … I give the Pacers a lot off credit; they came on a mission, they set a tone, and we were able to respond. Our guys are positive and ready to rebound and get ready for Thursday.”
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said after the loss that he has to play better. “I feel like tonight I was a no-show . I can’t have that. As the point guard, I have to lead the charge at the start of the game.”
Fatigue was a factor in how Memphis played, but it wasn’t an excuse, Morant reiterated. Morant finished the night with 10 points and five assists while shooting 20 percent from the field. It was a rough night for the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.
“I feel like we weren’t here tonight,” Morant said. “But also, I felt like the shots that we were taking were the shots we normally take.”
The interior defense of Indiana was a problem for Memphis most of the night, but the consensus with the team is that they will be fine. Morant noted that he was proud of how positive the locker room was after the defeat and how they were looking to bounce back against the Rockets.
Brooks led the charge for Memphis with 25 points off 55.6 shooting, adding three rebounds and three steals. As a reserve, Desmond Bane tied his career-high with 16 points and five assists, going 6 of 13 from the field and 3 of 6 from the 3-point stripe. It also was Bane’s first game as an NBA player in his native state of Indiana.
I appreciate everyone coming out to support! Y’all been wit me the whole way! Luv 7️⃣6️⃣5️⃣🖤🖤
Domantas Sabonis led the way for the Pacers with a season-high 32 points and 13 rebounds, finishing 13 -of- 15 from the floor plus five assists and two steals. Miles Turner added 22 points, 11 rebounds, and a game-high five blocks. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 23 points and seven assists.
On a Good Note
Former Grizzlies assistant Niele Ivey was in attendance to cheer on her former team.
So happy to see my favorite guys in a action! So amazing to see what Taylor and his staff are doing this year! Grizz fam 4L💙 https://t.co/VCuCUxKFjw
Longtime Grizzlies fan Roni Matthews was hungry and skipped breakfast so she could eat at the new restaurant Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria in downtown Memphis.
Matthews was caught off guard after seeing the 30-foot-mural of Ja Morant painted on the side of the establishment. She said, “I was pleasantly surprised to see how vivid and vibrant the colors were in the mural. It tugged on my heartstrings a little bit because it was like a symbolic confirmation for our city — our team — that our future is still bright despite the hurdles we have faced.”
Roni Matthew
Grizzlies fan Roni Matthew took a picture while visiting Slim and Husky
Matthews added, “Ja (Morant) represents newness: a new culture, a new style (of play, determination & just whole new vibe — the totality of the new Gen X squad. Hence, the VIBE-brant colors in the mural.”
“I would love to have actually seen how it started,” said Grizzlies season ticket holder, Carmen Patton after she visited the restaurant. “The artist kept looking at his phone so I’m assuming it’s modeled after a Panini poster maybe.”
Patton added, It blends in with the culture that Slim & Husky’s seeks to create. “You got hip hop blasting with a guy spray painting a mural of the Grizzlies’ star basketball player outside. Then you go inside and see more murals of Memphis artists. It’s just a good vibe.”
Panini America, the official trading card partner of the NBA and NBPA announced an extension of its partnership with Morant. Panini is the exclusive home for the Morant’s autographed trading cards and memorabilia.
“We started our relationship with Ja (Morant) before the draft last year and we made him one of our athletes going into his rookie season,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing at Panini America. “Coming out of his rookie season, he just continued to thrive, we knew that he was the guy that we wanted to put a foothold around, and we decided we wanted to make him a long term exclusive athlete of Panini for trading cards and memorabilia.”
“Once we got to that we wanted to celebrate him and, and really do something a little bit different in terms of how we approached and announced the relationship,” Howarth recalls. “We decided a mural in Memphis would be a great location to celebrate him and highlight him as he continues to progress in his career with the Grizzlies. We built that idea around one of our trading cards — our color blast trading card – and then, it was off to find a location and find an artist.”
Howarth said the color blast card was an iconic card for Morant’s rookie season. The company wanted to find an artist who could hone in on the specific colors to bring a small piece of cardboard to life in a 30-foot canvas on the side of a building in downtown Memphis.
This is the first mural that Panini has commissioned for one of its athletes.
Popular local Memphis artist Jamond Bullock, also known as Alive Paint, was commissioned to take on this enormous project for Panini.
Panini America
Memphis artist Jamond Bullock
Bullock says he noticed a few of the people from Panini had started following him on Instagram. Then he said Howarth followed him and shot him a message. “I was just like, wow, okay — this is could be something, you know,” Bullock said. “And what was crazy was, he introduced the project, and he didn’t say what it was and he was looking to partner with an artist on a private project with his company.
It was an instant yes for Bullock even though he was unclear what the project was about. “I had a lot of projects going on. But he kind of hit me up at the time where I’m like, in this waiting period,” Bullock said.
Bullock has about 30 or 40 murals around Memphis and surrounding areas, and has been featured in Essence Magazine, on ESPN, Netflix’ Uncorked, The Trap Music Museum, and more.
In 2019 Bullock was commissioned for a project in Frayser to build awareness against trash dumping titled “Stand Up For Our Streets”.
Jamond Bullock
Save Our Streets Frayser
That same year, the former Shelby County Schools art teacher completed a historic project sponsored by ServiceMaster that was unveiled on January 17, 2020. He transformed the cafeteria of Bruce Elementary to tell the story of the Bruce 3 who were apart of the Memphis 13 that help integrate Memphis City Schools.
Jamond Bullock
Dwania Kyles, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, stands in front of Jamond Bullock’s mural.
Jamond Bullock
Harry Williams, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, in front of his image in Bullock’s mural.
Jamond Bullock
Menelik Fombi, one of three students who integrated Bruce Elementary in 1961, in front of his image in Bullock’s mural.
Bullock was excited when he found out he would be working on a mural of Morant after a Zoom meeting with Howarth. The hard part was nailing down the right location. On his reconnaissance mission to find a location, Bullock says he was snapping photos of possibilities, and sending them to Howarth.
“We landed on Slim and Husky’s through the grace of God,” Bullock explained. “So I met with the owners of Slim and Husky’s to discuss doing some interior artwork. And during that meeting, I brought up the Ja Morant project.”
“It was it was one of those situations where it was an instant, yes,” Bullock continued. “Those guys are fans of Morant and said it would be a perfect location for the mural — he’s the future of the league. You know, why not? It worked out perfectly once we got to Slim and Husky’s. It was an incredible feeling to know that that was honestly the only hard part of this entire process. You know trying to make sure we nailed a location that was visible and also was accessible to the public.”
Panini America
Panini America
Bullock spent seven days working on the project before it was unveiled on December 21.
“For me anytime I can create a mural, or install a mural, it’s an opportunity for someone to share a story,” Bullock says. “ I think Ja Morant has an underdog story. In a city that’s an underdog, he’s showing that an underdog can win. And I think this mural is allowing people to tap into that type of belief for themselves.
“Some people may not know who Ja Morant is, but once they figure out who he is and find out his story, they’re gonna fall in love with him and the team. In the city we’re in, he’s a symbol of hope. And he has this explosive, aggressive basketball playing ability. When people see this mural, they’re gonna see that is larger than life, just like his abilities.”
“For a city like Memphis a majority-black city, a lot of times, you can go into a museum and not see someone that’s African American. To showcase such a player at the level of Ja Morant, who happens to be African American, to put him on the outside of a building larger than life — it makes a statement.”
On a media availability Zoom call, Morant was asked about the mural. He said, “It means a lot, especially for me being here only a year and things like that are already happening in the community. As far as me going to see it, it’s emotional. I’m thankful and grateful for it all. Really can’t say nothing besides that I’m blessed. As much as Memphis loves me, I love Memphis.”
Ja Morant Is Larger Than Life On and Off The Court (2)
Ja Morant Is Larger Than Life On and Off The Court
Bullock says it was an honor to see that Morant was happy with the finished product. “To paint someone that’s still living you get to see their reaction, especially dealing with a portrait of this magnitude, you want the person to be happy with their resemblance. He was just like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this — I got my own mural.’ I was super excited to just see him in person and see his response, because I was thinking if he says it doesn’t look like him, I might have to rearrange his face.”
He says Morant was impressed to see his tattoos on the mural and told him he did a great job and said he wished he could paint like that. Bullock said, “I told him we all are given gifts and yours is dunking over people.”
The Grizzlies game scheduled for Wednesday night in Portland at the Moda Center against the Trail Blazers has been postponed. Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Grizzlies, the team would not have had the league-required 8 available players.
Grizzlies PR sent out an email saying that shoot-around was canceled prior to scheduled virtual media availability on Wednesday.
Memphis’ last game was against the Phoenix Suns on Monday afternoon. The Suns had three prior games postponed due to contact tracing. The Grizzlies big man Jonas Valanciunas was listed as out due to “health and safety” protocols for Monday’s contest against Phoenix.
The Philadelphia 76ers, who played the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 16th, had their game on Jan. 17 against the OKC Thunder postponed due to contact tracing.
Wednesday’s postponement was the 16th game postponed this season due to the league’s new health and safety protocols. The Grizzlies had a previous game postponed against Minnesota on Jan. 15th. The NBA has yet to announce when the 16 games will be rescheduled.
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