The Memphis Grizzlies stink at shooting free throws this season. They know it. We know it. The whole league knows it.
Memphis ranks 27 out of 30 teams in the category of best free throw percentage, boasting a whopping 73.2% success rate from the line.
Only the Los Angeles Lakers (72.9%) and the Houston Rockets (71%) shoot worse from the free throw line than the Grizzlies so far this season.
It appears that Head Coach Taylor Jenkins and the organization have created a unique prize to help motivate the players to improve their abysmal 73.2 free throw percentage.
Memphis Grizzlies using custom, pro wrestling-style championship belt to get better results at the free throw line
Perhaps an homage to the glory days of the Mid-South professional wrestling that used to dominate gymnasiums in the area, the Memphis Grizzlies have been showing off a sweet, customized championship title belt in practice recently.
The belt, dubbed “Grizzlies Free Throw Championship,” is currently held by rookie Ziaire Williams. The former Stanford product can be seen in a video clip bragging and holding the belt proudly to show off his hardware.
“Free throw king over here, man. Real champ,” Williams says in a video of him walking off the practice court. “Stay hydrated,” he says before the video cuts off as he acknowledges his plastic gallon jug of Kirkland water.
da free throw champ 🎱 pic.twitter.com/IxylfxeNSD
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 22, 2022
In a recent tweet by the team, Ziaire Williams was posing with the championship belt that features the Memphis Grizzlies bear logo in the middle of the belt.
The words “Grizzlies Free Throw” are represented above the bear, with the word “Champion” emblazoned across the bottom.
The belt appears to use a black strap, with silver plating and silver or gray coloring for the bear logo.
Alternate team logos are featured on the side plates on both sides of the strap, for a little bit of flash and style.
It’s an encouraging sign to see the team putting in the work to improve their free throw shooting and finding a way to improve their already rock-solid team chemistry.
Come playoff time, the team is going to have to be able to knock down free throws in late-game and end-of-game scenarios.