The Memphis Grizzlies have officially announced that Zach Randolph (#50) and Tony Allen (#9) will be immortalized in Grizzlies lore by having their jersey numbers retired in ceremonies during the 2021-22 NBA season, according to a release by the team.
Randolph, better known as “Z-Bo” to most Grizzlies fans, will become the first player in Memphis Grizzlies history to have his jersey retired by the team on Dec. 11, 2021, during a game at the FedEx Forum.
Tony Allen, the “Grindfather,” who became the heart and soul of the franchise during the Grit & Grind era of the team, will have his jersey hoisted into the rafters of the FedEx Forum on Jan. 28, 2022.
Both players with retired Memphis Grizzlies numbers have close connections to the franchise to this day
Both of these retired NBA players still have close connections to the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s not uncommon to see Randolph at a Grizzlies home game every now and then. Allen is a weekly guest on The Chris Vernon Show, a Grind City Media and Memphis Grizzlies production.
It’s no surprise that Memphis has decided to retire the number of these two legends. Randolph has played 551 games for the team, third-most in franchise history. Allen played 446 games for the team, enough for sixth-most in franchise history
Both of these players were instrumental in helping the Grizz reach the team’s first-ever Western Conference Finals during the 2013-14 NBA season.
There’s no doubt that Dec. 11, 2021, and Jan. 28, 2022, will be very special days for the entire city of Memphis and for Grizzlies fans around the world.
Now that we know when Zach Randolph and Tony Allen will have their numbers retired, we look at who might be next in line to see their jersey raised into the rafters of FedEx Forum.