Memphis Grizzlies: A Letter to Mo Bamba

Apparently Mo Bamba has no desire to be drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies. He declined the invitation to workout and withheld his medical records.

So, you don’t want to be a Memphis Grizzly, huh? Now I do not know which came first, the chicken or the egg and this seems to be that kind of scenario as far as we know it right now. The Grizzlies did not interview Mo Bamba at the NBA Combine. But was it because he had already told them that he did not want to be there or because Memphis was already not interested?

Is this Donald Trump uninviting the NBA Champions or the Philadelphia Eagles after it was already clear they had no intention of attending? Only a select number of people know the order of events.

Mo Bamba was listed on some mock drafts as being headed to the Memphis Grizzlies, but these mocks are by national writers that have no pulse nor care about the Grizzlies franchise.

Thus, I want to take this moment to let Mr. Bamba know a few things.

Dear Mr. Bamba,

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On behalf of Memphis Grizzlies fans everywhere, I would like to issue an apology. I am sorry for the unfair and misguided comparisons of you to He Who Must Not Be Named (Hasheem Thabeet). I would completely understand if you were offended by such comparisons. To be fair, we are all terrified. It is not your fault. We have just been burned by our own Front Office so many times before, we have taken it out on you. Just because you are tall and can block shots does not mean you are the next great Draft bust like Mr. Thabeet was in 2009. It is clear to those who study your game that you are freakishly athletic and even have the potential to spread the floor offensively one day.  

For this, we are sorry. While I will apologize, I will not sit back and let you think that Grizzly fans care that you do not want to be in Memphis.

Allow me to explain something to you, Mo Bamba. You will never know what you are missing out on when you become a part of the Memphis Grizzly community. Sure we are a small market. Yeah, we have some instability in the Front Office. But this city bleeds Beale Street Blue. You will never play for a team in the NBA that is so entrenched in its community that the team itself takes on the identity of the city.

Next: Beale Street Bears: Mock Draft Version 4.0

Maybe Grit and Grind scares you. It is well-documented that you do not always play hard. That is something not tolerated here in Memphis. Maybe playing at a football school leaves you without knowing how it feels to be truly supported by a fanbase. If you knew what that was like, Memphis would be the first team on your list. Possibly you forgot that your greatest skill is on the defensive end and that Memphis is known as a defensive team.

I will tell you one thing you will never forget: the first time you play inside FedEx Forum as the enemy, and the crowd rips you a new one. You see, Memphis is a city that will embrace anyone. Guys like Zach Randolph, who had troubles everywhere he went, found a home here. Or even Mario Chalmers, one of the biggest villains in Memphis basketball history, was forgiven and embraced.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the only major professional franchise within three hours of the area. That fact allows for such a deep and loyal fanbase to develop. Small Market? Numbers back that up. While the market is indeed small, the love and support for this team and the players cannot be measured. That is something you will never know or experience.

So, Mo, I wish you nothing but good health and a great career. But when you step inside FedEx Forum, remember one thing: you brought this upon yourself. So you can go Mambo No. 5 all day long with the Dallas Mavericks, and we will see you soon.

Sincerely,

Every Memphis Grizzlies Fan Ever