Greatest Memphis Grizzlies of All-Time: O.J. Mayo

Perhaps a case of “too much, too soon,” O.J. Mayo is No. 14 on our countdown of the all-time greatest Memphis Grizzlies.

Here is a fun theory: Tony Allen ruined O.J. Mayo‘s career. But in order to get to that point, we need to start all the way back at the beginning. All the way back.

See, Mayo caught the national spotlight in his sophomore year of high school.  He had a Sports Illustrated article called “The Next One” written about him at age 17. He seemed destined for greatness.

A highly-touted high schooler in Ohio, Mayo naturally drew comparisons to LeBron James. While said comparisons were quickly deemed too lofty, Mayo’s NBA stock remained high.

O.J. then put forth an impressive one-and-done season at USC, and was taken third overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2008 NBA Draft. Memphis wanted him so badly, they traded Kevin Love for him on the same night.

Even as an NBA newcomer, O.J. Mayo still must have felt like a big deal. And for a while, he was. During his first two seasons, he averaged 18 points per game on solid young-guy shooting splits of .447/.384/.845. His defense lacked, but the potential for stardom still lingered.

Enter Tony Allen; defensive bulldog, ultimate “locker room guy,” and imminent Memphis Grizzlies cultural icon. Allen stole a solid chunk of Mayo’s minutes, and eventually O.J.’s spot in the starting lineup. For the first time in his life, “Juice” Mayo was not the man, and his performance — both in output and efficiency — suffered.

Adding literal injury to insult, Allen then took an undisclosed sum off O.J. Mayo in a  game of Booray, and beat him up for mouthing off about it.

Mayo was never the same after this off-court issue. He remained in Memphis’ rotation, but a shell of his former self, now demoted. The Grizzlies let him walk after his rookie deal expired.

After a season of effective play under Rick Carlisle’s genius in Dallas with the Mavericks, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. In Wisconsin, Mayo got a little too frisky at the Carl’s Jr, as he failed to re-ignite his career. Things finally hit rock bottom when “Juice” was suspended two years for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy in 2016.

Despite his off-court troubles and polarizing role with Memphis, Mayo still left an indelible mark on the franchise. He sits top-10 on numerous Memphis Grizzlies all-time lists: points, threes, free-throw percentage, steals, and effective field goal percentage. He also contributed regularly to the franchise’s competitive apex in the early 2010s.

O.J. Mayo will remain a polarizing figure in Memphis basketball history; one who they gave up a (likely) future Hall-of-Famer for. Many painted him as a necessary casualty in the Grizzlies’ lineup. Others insist a shooting threat like him was crucial to their attack, and a missing component in subsequent seasons.

Regardless, O.J. Mayo gave the Memphis Grizzlies the best years of his career, back when stardom was still within reach. If he could have found a way to co-exist with Tony Allen in a lesser role, there is no telling how dangerous the “Grint-‘N’-Grind” era could have been.