I love — I truly love — the Memphis Grizzlies retiring Zach Randolph’s number 50 last month. The more I consider the hallowed “core four” era of Grizzlies history (2010-17), the more I consider Z-Bo the face of that seven-year run of playoff appearances. If Mike Conley was the heart of those teams, Marc Gasol the backbone, and Tony Allen the soul, Randolph was the muscle, the personification of “we don’t bluff.” The first Grizzly to earn All-NBA status (in 2011), Randolph is rightfully the first player in franchise history to have his number retired for posterity. And the night Z-Bo was honored at FedExForum — December 11th — was almost perfect.
Even without current headliner Ja Morant, the Grizzlies made easy work of the Houston Rockets before the ceremony. With Randolph seated in a throne(!) and his family on a makeshift stage behind him, old friends Lionel Hollins and Marc Gasol joined the party to offer personal salutes. So did the man who brought Randolph to Memphis, former general manager Chris Wallace. When the unveiling finally arrived, it came with “Whoop That Trick” filling the arena. It may as well have been 2013, the Griz on their way to the Western Conference finals. It was almost perfect.
But there’s the banner itself. I’ve spent a month trying to love it, to let it grow on me. It’s unconventional as far as retired numbers go, but Memphis specializes in unconventional. There was very little conventional about Zach Randolph, so surely this was the right way to salute him. Surely . . . .
I just can’t come around. Look at it again. A platinum album(?), with the number 50 centered on the disc. “Randolph” below . . . and nothing else. A retired jersey — the banner on which it appears — should not require an explanation, and Zach Randolph’s at FedExForum leaves blanks that must be filled. Most significantly, when did Randolph play for the Grizzlies? A retired number represents not just the athlete honored, but the athlete’s time in uniform: the games, seasons, and achievements memorialized with the number and name. At the very least, “2009-17” needs to be added to Z-Bo’s banner.
But let’s imagine FedExForum in 2042, twenty years from now. In walks a fan who — hold on to your headband — hasn’t heard the legend of Zach Randolph. He looks up at that banner for the first time . . . and wonders if a musical artist has been honored. (This will be a particular problem if similar “records” for Conley, Gasol, and Allen are eventually alongside Randolph’s banner.) Memphis is a music town and lots of concerts have been held at FEF. So who was/is “Randolph” . . . and what’s the significance of “50”?
As painful as it might feel to Grit-and-Grind culture, a conventional banner saluting Zach Randolph is the way to go. A big, bold “50” in Beale Street Blue, on a white banner, with “Randolph” and “2009-17” prominent. Z-Bo was a professional basketball player (who happened to play in a town known for its music). Let’s not blur the impact he made with a platinum record, however shiny it may appear.
I know the Grizzlies meant well in their design solution for a seminal moment in Memphis sports history. And for a single night of celebration, sure. Slap that shiny disc on a wall and give it the spotlight treatment. But long-term? For posterity? And the template for future honored Grizzlies? Here’s hoping Z-Bo’s banner is reconsidered. I’ve been in the publishing business long enough to know that some designs are astray and when a concept can be corrected (and/or improved), it should be.
The Memphis Grizzlies are professional sports in this town. They are what make the Bluff City big league. This means the details — large and small — matter more when it comes to the way the Grizzlies conduct business and present their brand. And the way they honor franchise greats. You could say this column is kicking a sleeping grizzly bear. Maybe it is. But as glorious as Zach Randolph’s name and number appear now in FedExForum, the salute can be even better. Some shots are missed. Ask Z-Bo about the value of a strong rebound.
Zach Randolph holding up Grizzlies' growl towel (Photo courtesy of Ron Tillery)
It was an unforgettable night for Grizzlies fans and the city of Memphis on Saturday night at the FedExForum.
Despite the Grizzlies’ 113-106 victory over the Houston Rockets, the night belonged to Zachary McKenley Randolph, better known as Z-Bo. Randolph’s number 50 was the first jersey retired in franchise history.
Randolph shed light on his feelings after being traded to Memphis in 2009. “I didn’t feel appreciated. I felt given away,” Randolph said during his media availability before the game. “But I was going to go in there with the right attitude and try to change the narrative.”
Zach Randolph during media availability (Credit: Sharon Brown)
And he did change that narrative.
Randolph led the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances (2009-17), including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2011 and appeared in two All-Star Games (2010 and 2013).
The Michigan State alum is the Grizzlies all-time leader in offensive rebounds. Z-Bo also ranks second in both defensive and total rebounds. For Memphis, he had the most double-doubles of any player ever, and he ranks third in the categories of points, field goals, made and minutes played.
What a special night for a special player and a special person, said Grizzlies head Coach Taylor Jenkins. “To be out there as a team — some of the guys were saying it on the way back — it’s inspirational, it’s motivational. Just understanding the impact you can make as a player in this city, as a member of this community.”
Jenkins continued: “I’m just glad we were able to get a win to tee it up for Z-Bo so that it could be even more of a special night for him. I saw him on the way out and I said, ‘You’re a legend, man. This is a night to always remember.’ So I know he will soak it in, but this is really special to know that he is the first, and hopefully the first of many.”
Randolph’s front court mate and brother from another mother, Marc Gasol flew all the way from Spain to surprise him.
“Seeing Big Spain [Gasol], I don’t remember the last time I saw him,” Randolph said with a big smile. “Just seeing my big little brother brought back memories. I am thankful he graced his time with me, coming all the way from Spain. He could be anywhere. I didn’t expect him to come.”
Gasol wasn’t the only special guest in attendance. Former GM Chris Wallace, former Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, former Grizzlies player Bonzi Wells (who was Randolph’s mentor and Portland Trail Blazers teammate) were also in attendance.
Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, JaMychal Green, Matt Barnes, Tom Izzo, Yo Gotti, Peyton Manning, Nate McMillan, Moneybagg Yo, and Chris Paul all sent well wishes and congratulations to Randolph via video messages on the Jumbotron.
Hilariously and in Grizzlies fan fashion, Paul was booed while the video played.
And it was a special presentation narrated by Ice Cube:
Connie Kirby, a longtime season ticket holder and the number one Z-Bo fan, was in attendance to witness history. Kirby said, “I think that the Grizzlies provided Z-Bo an opportunity to change his image and show his more human side. He was able to display his likability and that he is a humanitarian. I think it helped solidify his name in the NBA Hall of Fame. The passion that he brought to the game. His workhorse ability to go to the next level when needed. We could always depend on him to do his part. He made you love him with his great, affable personality.”
Kirby continued: “He meant everything to the city of Memphis, because of the things that he brought to the table and the way he handled himself while doing it. He really became an ambassador for Memphis. He embodies the Memphis mentality of ‘if you work hard, you can achieve on many levels.’”
Zach Randolph and fan Connie Kirby at the premiere of the 50 for Da City documentary (photo courtesy of Connie Kirby)
“Z-Bo will always be my favorite Grizzly hands down,” Kirby said. “It’s very fitting that 50 is the first jersey that the Memphis Grizzlies have retired.”
Former Commercial Appeal beat writer Ron Tillery weighed in on Randolph. He told the Flyer, “Zach is the most authentic person/player I’ve covered regularly next to the likes of Gary Payton, Horace Grant, and Steve Kerr. What you see is what you get and I’ve always respected that. Plus, Zach came to Memphis and was determined to turn around this city from Day 1.”
“The first time I interviewed him I asked him a lot of questions about his so-called checkered past. He stopped me and said ‘Why are you asking me these questions?’ I said I was told to and this is the only time I’ll do this. Zach was respectful and professional and then he proceeded to go kick ass for Memphis and change the minds of naysayers who didn’t know his game and didn’t know his heart. Because the Memphis media did what they often do and judged the man without even getting to know him.”
Tillery added, “Zach was different by how he became the franchise player in Memphis. I covered Michael Jordan during the Bulls’ second three-peat. I covered Gary Payton in his prime with Seattle. They were players who dominated on the perimeter. Zach was just a beast on the block and on the boards. He was a good teammate and never shied away from big moments just like the all-time greats, Zach got the party started in Memphis by being the best player on the floor and he did it on the low block. Jordan and Payton had enforcers. Zach was everything for the Grizzlies, including the enforcer. He gave the team toughness and an identity. That’s the difference.”
He went on to say, “The best era of Grizzlies basketball doesn’t happen without Zach Randolph. Don’t believe the hype about other players. Zach elevated the franchise with his elite play. Marc Gasol needed Zach to reach his level. He helped make Lionel Hollins a viable NBA head coach and kept Chris Wallace employed as a GM. He meant everything to the franchise.”
“As for the city, Zach came up poor in a small town near Indianapolis. He knew what it was like to be Black and poor. Zach has a big heart and everything he did for Memphians — paying bills, giving his shirt off his back, etc. — came from love. He wanted to love the city all the time because the city loved him. The franchise committed to Zach and he appreciated that because it was the first time in his career that he was treated like the man. He realized that was a big responsibility, I can say the same about the city. Once fans got past the false narratives and embraced Zach, this man poured himself into this town. And I’ll always remember how much he made “regular people” feel like family every time he was in public. Zach was never above his following.”
Grizzlies TV analyst Brevin Knight shared his memories of Randolph as well. Knight told the Flyer, “The things that were most memorable were the battles with the Clippers and how Z-Bo in an age of athleticism he was still able to dominate never relying on it. He always stayed true to his game.”
“Z-Bo had the most synergetic relationship with this city. I don’t know how many players’ games exemplified the city in which they played as much as Z-Bo. His blue collar hard-working style of play is what the city is known for. The city opened their arms up and he became a fabric of the community with all of his philanthropic work. He embodies Memphis vs. Errrbody.”
Knight concluded “I’d like to say I enjoyed every night knowing we weren’t the flashiest team but we had a chance because of the big fella. He brought a sense of belief with the other three cornerstones. No matter how big of a star he was on the court, he was just Zach off and that’s how he made everyone feel comfortable and important. Thanks big fella!”
“It was amazing — it was motivational and I am happy for Z-Bo,” said Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks of the retirement ceremony. “It was a special thing to see. I did not get to see him; I was there the year he left, when he played for Sacramento. I know his story. I know his legacy he left in this city. I hear it — when I go to the gas station, I always hear his name. Does not matter if it is the person working there or a guy that is outside. Z-Bo left his mark on the city, and it is a special thing to see. It was motivational for me because I want to be the same way, I want to get my number in the rafters. It was just special to see.”
Grizzlies players Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. also paid tributes to Randolph.
My favorite memory of him is when he ran off the court after being ejected from the game and Tony Allen popped his collar in Game 6 against Clippers in 2013. One of the greatest moments in Grizzly history was witnessed.
Z-Bo will always hold the title of King of Memphis, to me. Off the court, he was a beloved figure in the community. He has a sincere concern for the welfare of others. It’s not just a photo op when he gives back. A lot of people knew that it was genuine. You’d hear about him doing nice things for people when they weren’t expecting it even when the cameras weren’t rolling.
“I’m going to be part of this city forever,” Randolph said. “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world.”
Yes, Z-Bo and Memphis wouldn’t trade you for nothing in the world, either. Congratulations, 50 for da City, you made us proud and it has been an honor.
My early NBA memories from FedExForum are hazy. I remember a late-season game in 2005 against the Spurs, who were supposed to be “resting.” The Grizzlies ultimately won despite the persistence of Manu Ginobili, back when he had hair. Since then I’ve groaned “Ugggh, this friggin’ guy” every time our teams meet — which is too frequently, if you ask me.
I saw Yao Ming vomit on the baseline once, and I’m pretty sure he stayed in the game. Among vague recollections of J-Will passes and Mike Miller threes are visions of Pau Gasol checking his nose for blood. Thanks to a holiday ticket promotion during the lowest point of the Iavaroni era, I sat courtside when Chris Paul’s Hornets came to town. The thing I remember most about that game was my husband’s ruthless heckling of Peja Stojaković’s shoes, which were still prettier than the home team’s defense.
Either I picked the worst games to attend, or the Forum was a different place before it became the Grindhouse. (Pretty sure it’s the latter.) The memories start to crystallize around the time Zach Randolph arrived: The first home game of the 2009 season felt more like the beginning of a crazy experiment than a basketball game. I felt dizzy in the top row, growl towel aloft, that April afternoon in 2011 when the Grizzlies shocked the Spurs and everyone else who assumed they were just happy to be there. I can tell you where I was sitting and what I was wearing that Friday night in 2013 as we jingled our keys at that former Hornets star who had become a pesky, detested Los Angeles Flopper. At the risk of revising history, it wasn’t always sunshine. But every season, at least, felt like a chapter in a story.
Zach Randolph, the basketball player, made the Grizzlies relevant. Then Tony Allen, the basketball player, made them fun. Together, as people, they made them relatable. We knew in our minds a day would come when Memphis, the community, would need them as people more than the Grizzlies needed them as players on the court. We knew one day they’d decide their bodies had given enough to the grind of training camps and ice baths, media avails, and six months on the road. We hoped in our hearts the dates would align. It’s more than basketball, until it’s only basketball, and you realize you’ve invested too much emotional capital in some dudes who chase a ball around. They tried to prepare us, but some data is just too painful to take. Such is life in a one-sport town.
Tony Allen and Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph and Tony Allen are beloved by Memphians for a lot of reasons — their “blue collar player” and “all heart, grit, grind” philosophies are engraved in the team’s mythology. But more than anything, to me they embody the fundamental contradictions the city represents. Tough but generous. Proud but flawed and extremely misunderstood. Stubborn and a little anachronistic. They “get it” because they lived it.
Like most of my friends who move away, Z-Bo just got a better job offer out of town. He still loves Memphis so deeply that a rumor he’d covered the city’s outstanding utility bills on his way out of town was completely believable. Sometimes business is business, though. That’s another one of the city’s contradictions, sadly — we love you, but we just can’t, y’know, pay you. Loyalty is priceless but damn, $24 million for two years’ work is impossible to turn down.
For at least three years, national sportswriters have warned the end of “grit and grind” was approaching. Slowly suffocating opposing teams with defense was no longer a sustainable strategy in “today’s NBA,” they said. The eulogies began as soon as Tony Allen cryptically deleted “currently grinding for the Memphis Grizzlies” from his Twitter profile. Maybe “#GnG” is over, if the term is shorthand for an era, like the Bad Boy Pistons or Showtime Lakers. But just because the most beloved player is wearing a different jersey and the Grindfather is more like a forefather doesn’t mean the Memphis Grizzlies’ best days are behind them. Mike Conley’s annual All-Star snubs will continue. The games won’t be nationally televised, and when they are, everyone’s names will be mispronounced. As long as they can continue to weaponize underdogism, small-market disrespect, and our paradoxical need to prove outsiders wrong despite claiming not to care, the culture lives on.
Jen Clarke is an unapologetic Memphian and a digital marketing specialist.
Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I saw about three-fourths of a fantastic play. I left once I figured out how it was going to end. Because, you know, traffic and stuff.
Larry Kuzniewski
Hannibal Buress was hilarious at Minglewood Hall a few weeks ago. From what I saw, at least. I left early because it was raining. Gotta beat those crowds, right?
I know what you’re probably thinking. “Wow, this woman is a real piece of work. Why go at all, if you’re not going to stay until the end? That’s dumb. And rude.”
Yup. Sure is.
Other than the part about Buress being hilarious, I made that stuff up. I would never leave a play before the final curtain. I wouldn’t leave a concert before the house lights went up.
And I sure as hell wouldn’t leave a Grizzlies game early — and neither should you. Especially when they’re winning. Especially during the playoffs.
Despite five straight years of playoff appearances, the Grizzlies haven’t been rewarded with the respect they deserve beyond the hometown. Instead, we get to read yet another round of articles titled “Don’t Sleep On the Grizzlies.”
Because “It’s a small market.” Because “People want to watch superstars.” Because “They play ugly, old-school basketball.”
Blah, blah, blah.
Memphis’ roots in the NBA may be shallow, but the city’s relationship with that orange ball is deep. If Z-Bo’s twerk moves in the post, Marc’s off-the-charts hoops acumen, and the Grindfather’s general chaos aren’t entertaining enough for you, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Sorry your life is so boring.
Here in We Don’t Bluff City, we know the Grizzlies belong. But some fans aren’t helping our Beale Street Bears prove it when they can’t even stay in the building for the full 48 minutes. Let other teams’ fans look like jerks on TV. We can be better.
The families who leave at halftime to put the kids in bed? I get it. Bless them and their little future season ticket holders. They weren’t the ones filing out of the Grindhouse during Game 2 against Portland while several minutes remained in the fourth quarter.
As I stood to let an older couple out of my row, I secretly rooted for the Blazers to mount a comeback. Not enough to win it, of course — just enough to teach those fans a lesson. To remind them that in the NBA — as Kevin Garnett once famously declared — anything is possible. He may not have looked like much against the Grizzlies, but Damian Lillard has killed before. (Just ask the 2014 Houston Rockets.)
I don’t remember much about Miami’s improbable Game 6 comeback in the 2013 NBA Finals, but I sure remember shaking my head at all the Heat fans shown pounding on the doors and pleading to be allowed back into AmericanAirlines Arena. Think they still bail out early?
It pays to stick around for the final buzzer, if only for the sheer joy of the glorious, quintessentially Memphis moments that follow: Streamers rain from the rafters, and DJ Khaled’s voice fills the building, declaring that all our beloved Grizzlies do is win, win, win, no matter what. The sound of thousands of elated fans pouring into the lobby, high-fiving amid chants of “Z-BO! Z-BO!” is as sweet as a giggling baby. If I could bottle that feeling, I’d be an instant bajillionaire.
What’s the rush? Downtown Memphis does not suddenly become New Delhi after a Grizzlies game. We may not know what the lever next to the steering wheel does, other than make a weird clicking sound, but we have it pretty good when it comes to traffic. “Beating the traffic” saves you about 10 minutes. You’ll spend more time waiting for a table at Babalu on a Saturday night than you will sitting in post-game traffic.
Oh, but you have to work in the morning? So do all the other 18,000-plus people here. That’s why coffee exists. There are three locally owned coffee shops on Cooper Street alone.
FedExForum is vaulting up the ranks of the league’s best playoff environments, thanks to a lot of dedicated people who work their asses off. They’re on the court with GRIZZLIES on their chests and numbers on their backs. They’re playing soundbytes and dancing at center court. They’re sharing Zach Randolph’s Deep Dish Thoughts and dropping giant banners to proclaim “WE GRIND HERE.” They’re growling those three magic words, “SHOT CLOCK … VIOLATED!” They’re flipping off trampolines in Elvis costumes. They’re scrambling to get a growl towel on every chair before the doors open. Do them the honor of sticking around for the whole show.
Larry Kuzniewski