What Taylor Jenkins said about the Memphis Grizzlies being labeled “dirty”

The Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors are off to a bombastic start in their best-of-seven playoff series, each team having won a game apiece.

Game 1 saw Draymond Green ejected for his flagrant-2 foul on Brandon Clarke. Game 2 saw Dillon Brooks ejected and subsequently suspended for his flagrant-2 foul on Gary Payton II.

Both flagrant fouls were unnecessary and unfortunate. However, the foul committed by Dillon Brooks resulted in a fractured elbow on Payton II and he was subsequently suspended by the NBA two days later.

Coach Taylor Jenkins refutes accusations that Memphis Grizzlies are “dirty”

NBA analysts and experts seemed to be in near-unanimous agreement after Brooks was ejected for the flagrant-2.

Most experts, Shaq and Charles Barkley included, said Brooks did not intend to harm Payton and that he’s not a dirty player. Yet, a narrative was being crafted on social media that the Memphis Grizzlies are a dirty team full of dirty players.

This is a team is a lot of things— trash talking is one of them — but they most certainly are not dirty.

Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Taylor Jenkins had to set the record straight at the team’s practice May 5.

“We obviously wish Gary Payton a speedy, healthy recovery,” Jenkins said at the start of his comments. “You don’t want to see anybody get hurt it’s very unfortunate what happened there.”

“I also want to address a narrative that’s out there that was said between Game 1 and Game 2: we have to play more physical,” Jenkins said of the line item he highlighted for his team to improve upon in Game 2.

“Obviously [the word], ‘dirty’ has been thrown out there. But, you know, I look at my locker room and I look at our culture and what we exude— we’re the furthest thing from dirty,” he said. Adding, “We’re competitive.”

“I want that [narrative] to be squashed pretty quick here,” Jenkins said of his teaming being labeled “dirty.”

It’s definitely unfortunate. I know words only mean so much right here. We feel for what Payton’s going through now and it’s not going to change the course of action. But, our guys are going to rally and we’re going to go out there and focus on Game 3 right now.”

You can see Jenkins’ comments in the video above courteously of The Athletic. The Grizzlies and the Warriors are set to play on May 7 at 7:30 PM CT on ABC.