Memphis Grizzlies top five playoff moments: “The Grindfather and the Bear”
The Memphis Grizzlies went through seven straight seasons of playoff appearances with so many memories. To wrap up the month of April, I will be listing my top five moments in the Grizzlies playoff history.
Now, listing these five can go up or down, but I decided to list them as I remember them, and how I felt in those moments. Number five is a throwback to 2011, and the year the Grizzlies shocked the entire league, but if it’s legal, can I go back to the regular season? The way the Grizzlies clinched their playoff berth is something special in my eyes, and ended the way the season felt, on a prayer.
Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen aka “the Grindfather,” is known for his emotion shown during games, but if there was ever a moment we were with him on that court the night of April 9, 2011, we were then.
Looking back, the Grizzlies went through a lot that year, and so did Allen. The year of the “It’s just All Heart Grit N’ Grind” in a post game interview with Fox Sports Southeast sideline reporter Rob Fischer following an emotional win at Oklahoma City. A game in which Tony Allen showed that he was all heart and riding the bench too much.
A season that came down to former Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph knocking down two free throws to secure the Grizzlies victory that April night and Allen saying a prayer on the Grizzlies logo. Randolph hit both, but to this day, I still feel like the entire fan base was Tony in that moment, and if Allen wouldn’t have knelt down on the bear, Randolph would’ve missed both. No knock on Z-Bo’s free throw shooting, but the moment was just perfect.
(Fast forward to the 3:10 mark.)
Seasons that weren’t just “tank” seasons, the team was just that bad. Barely missing the playoffs in 2010, and hearing Pete Pranica say something to the hymn of “this team has an identity now, and next season will be a fun one, I hope you join us on Fox Sports Southeast.” Looking back, maybe Pete saw it before we did. The team did find their identity at the end of 2010, getting healthy and learning to play with one another helped a ton in 2011. The fans had been through so much, Allen on the logo, praying, we were all him in that moment.
Five long years of rebuild, no playoff victories, and he was ready to end it. He made you feel it that night, it was bigger then that night in April for Allen. A night when the Grizzlies roared for the first time in a long time. They were awake, and the league was officially put on notice.