The Grizzlies are in one of their roughest stretches of the season. They are 3-8 in the month of January and now find themselves 2.5 games back of the 10th-seed Los Angeles Clippers for the final play-in spot. Given the current injury situation and the difficulty of the Western Conference, it is safe to say that the Grizzlies' season is heading in the wrong direction.
Previously seen as one of the most promising young teams in the NBA, the Grizzlies are currently closer to another rebuild than to reaching an NBA championship. With rumors of potential trades for Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., it cannot be ruled out that the Grizzlies go in a different direction in the coming months.
Tatum's latest comments will upset Grizzlies fans
To make matters worse, the Grizzlies were mentioned in Jayson Tatum's latest interview, and not in the way Grizzlies fans hoped for. On The Pivot Podcast, Jayson Tatum was asked about the pressure of being a Celtic. Tatum admitted that the players felt the pressure to win and mentioned how former players come back and talk about how the one thing they have in common is that they win championships.
However, the most striking part of his answer was his mention of the Grizzlies. Tatum said that if he had his current career with the Grizzlies, he would have a statue outside of the arena. Later in the interview, Tatum talked about how the winning expectations are different in Boston. Seeing how things have unfolded for the Grizzlies in recent seasons, it's understandable why fans are upset.
“Let’s be honest the career I have right now if I had it with the Grizzlies, I would have a statue outside the arena right now”
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) January 27, 2026
— Jayson Tatum on the pressure of being a Boston Celtic pic.twitter.com/gJ1clKiRGb
There is some truth to Tatum's comments
Since moving to Memphis, the Grizzlies have made it to the playoffs in 14 of their previous 24 seasons, an impressive feat for a small-market franchise. However, an NBA Championship is the main thing eluding the Grizzlies. The first and only time the Grizzlies reached the Western Conference finals was during the 2012-13 season, in which they were eventually swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
While this current era of Grizzlies basketball started with plenty of excitement, the furthest the Grizzlies have gone was to the second round in 2022, before falling to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Since then, the Grizzlies have been ravaged by injuries and inconsistency and could be nearing the end of this current era.
It is important to note that Jayson Tatum has ties to the city of Memphis. Tatum previously mentioned how he played for the Memphis War Eagles during his childhood and that he would visit Memphis all the time during his summers. While his recent comments likely won't sit well with Grizzlies fans, any star that eventually delivers a championship to Memphis will be forever immortalized in the city's history.