Memphis Grizzlies will retire Zach Randolph’s jersey
By Jerrod Smith
Zach Randolph has moved on to the Sacramento Kings, but that still doesn’t mean the Memphis Grizzlies don’t appreciate what ZBO did for this franchise on and off the court.
Zach Randolph was Memphis, and that’s why the Memphis Grizzlies are retiring his number. He embodied everything Memphis: a hard-working, blue collar town with nothing given it to easy. 50, you impacted our city in so many different ways.
You took the raw talent of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and company to another level, providing a lottery team with its first franchise victory in the playoffs as an eighth seed. Not even the stellar mind of Coach Popovich and prime Tim Duncan could stop you.
Not only did you change our franchise, you changed. When you came here, you were known as a troublemaker, but that wasn’t the case when you arrived here. You were a caretaker to Memphians. Your smile was contagious to all of us. Your passion for this city and the Memphis Grizzlies franchise was put on day in and day out. Not only did you do all these things, you gave us an identity to live by – “Grit ‘N’ Grind.” You gave a community hope, a belief that there is a way out and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.
People outside of the Memphis community may not understand why your jersey will be hung in the rafters of FedEx Forum. There’s one thing is for sure though: all of us in Memphis understand why.
They will say things like: “but ZBO only helped the Grizzlies get to the Western Conference Finals once.” Or, “ZBO never played in a NBA finals with the Grizzlies.” My advice to us Memphians would be to say it’s okay that to not understand. Sometimes it’s hard to understand a figure in a community when you’re not a part of it.
Related Story: What ZBo meant to Memphis
Closing Remarks
It’s been an honor to watch Z-Bo play in Memphis. As a kid who watched you growing up, I just wanna say thank you. Your number being hung in the rafters will send a chill down my spine and all of Grizz Nation. Most of all though, it’ll remind us all of the good times we shared.