Memphis Grizzlies: 15 players who defined Grit and Grind

While DeMarre Carroll’s “Junkyard Dog” mentality came after his time with the Grizzlies, Shane Battier totally laid the foundation for the “Grit and Grind” era that would later be built off his time in Memphis. Battier was an outstanding collegiate player at Duke, ending up being the Grizzlies’ No. 6 overall pick in 2001.

He played his first five NBA seasons with the team that drafted him. Battier, along with No. 3 overall pick in the same draft Pau Gasol, would help usher in a new era of Grizzlies basketball. The team would relocate to Memphis from Vancouver before the start of their rookie years in 2001.

Battier made the All-Rookie First Team in 2002, where he averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 39.7 minutes per contest. While he never became an NBA All-Star in his 13-year career with three teams, Battier was a versatile spark plug that could start out on the wing or come off the bench.

In his first stint with Memphis, Battier averaged over 10 points per game, while making well over 35 percent of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc. As a third-year player, Battier would assume a rotational role with the team coming off the bench. This helped Memphis reach the Western Conference Playoffs in three straight seasons from 2004 to 2006.

After playing in 81 games and making 81 starts for the 2005-06 Grizzlies, a team that he averaged 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for, Battier was traded to the Houston Rockets. This was a draft-day deal that brought both Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift to Memphis in exchange for Battier’s services down in Houston.

Battier played parts of five seasons with the Rockets before being traded back to the Grizzlies in 2011 alongside Ish Smith for Carroll, Hasheem Thabeet and a future first-round pick. In his second stop with the Grizzlies, Battier averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 23 games for Memphis. The next offseason would see Battier sign with the Miami Heat, where he would win two NBA championships and close out his solid NBA career in 2014 at the age of 35.

Though Battier only played 23 games during the early stages of the “Grit and Grind” era in Memphis in 2011, his impact on the Grizzlies’ basketball culture the first time around was obvious. Battier was one of the best players in Duke history, but learned very quickly that being a team player and a grinder would give him staying power in the league.

He would be named Teammate of the Year in 2013-14 in his final NBA season with the Heat. In parts of six seasons, Battier averaged 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 419 appearances with the Grizzlies. Though his stats will never look overly impressive, Battier did the little things to help his team win. He did that in his prime with Houston and Miami, but it all got started in Memphis. We can look at him as the Forefather of the Grind in Grizzlies history.