Are the Memphis Grizzlies the newest villains in the NBA?
By Noah Hancock
It is no secret that the Grizzlies are young, confident, and having fun playing the greatest game in the world. Memphis Grizzlies players have been “in the dark” all year, as the team set an early mantra of “Welcome to the Dark” as if they are the storied villains in a superhero movie.
Oh, you think the darkness is your ally, but you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it.
-Bane, The Dark Knight Rises
This mantra is a reference to the off-season work they put in when no one was around (aka the Dark), but many fans have speculated it is a reference to a quote from a Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises” where the main antagonist Bane (who Desmond Bane gets referenced to a lot, because of their shared name ) says:
Hence the phrasing: “Welcome to the Dark.” Whether this is merely a coincidence or a purposeful play-on-words, it adds to this Villain persona the Grizzlies are starting to find themselves in.