Grizzlies analyst slams NBA after 2024-25 schedule release: 'I see disrespect'

2024-25 is being viewed as a season of redemption for the Memphis Grizzlies.

After taking the league by storm from 2021-2023 by rattling off a combined 107 wins, claiming consecutive second-seed finishes in the Western Conference standings, and winning the franchise's lone two Southwest Division titles over this span, the team's upward trajectory came to a screeching halt last season due to key player absences and a record-setting number of injury-related issues.

With the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Marcus Smart all missing extensive action, Taylor Jenkins' squad finished with the sixth-worst record in the entire league at 27-55 and missed out on their first postseason run since 2020.

However, with each of these individuals slated to be back to full-strength in time for October's regular season tip-off, the belief among fans and pundits alike is that last year's campaign was a mere gap season, and, with their returns along with their teaming up with promising young ballers such as GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr., and 2024 lottery selection Zach Edey, excitment for a resurgenct season is reletively high.

Of course, even with this exciting narrative, it didn't seem to sway the NBA toward allotting them a substantial amount of nationally televised games during the upcoming campaign, as they are projected to have just 17 of their outings televised on such a stage, with only nine coming outside of NBA TV.

To Grind City Media's Gary Parrish, this is absolutely sacraligeous.

Gary Parrish calls lack of Grizzlies national TV broadcasts 'disrespectful'

During a recent episode of the Gary Parrish Show, the eponymous host went on a tirade bashing the NBA for their decision to limit Memphis' national audience, saying: "When I look at this, I see disrespect."

"How quickly we forget... before last season's disaster of injuries and other things, this is a franchise that finished second in the Western Conference standings two consecutive years, that had a young point guard many people believed was the future face of the league. And now you're telling me he's healthy, Jaren's healthy, Desmond Bane's healthy, GG Jackson looks like the best second-round pick in the history of the sport, Zach Edey's probably about to win Rookie of the Year, and I can't get but nine games on national television? That's disrespectful," Parrish said.

What's notable about their total number of nationally broadcast outings heading into 2024-25 is that, even with the excitement that this once again healthy team possesses, it's the exact same number they received at this time last year when it was already known that the Grizzlies would be without Morant for the first 25 games of the regular season as a result of a league-issued suspension.

Parrish would also go on to highlight what he suggests to be the audacity of the league to give a team like the Lakers -- who projects to have just slightly higher title odds than Memphis, mind you -- 22 more nationally broadcast games at a whopping 39 (most on the season), mockingly stating: "It doesn't matter if they suck or not... they got the gold and purple, they got the King, and that's enough."

Interestingly enough, the first non-NBA TV national game the Grizzlies will be taking part in will actually come against LeBron James and co. on November 13 out at Crypto.com Arena, followed directly by yet another ESPN-aired bout against the Golden State Warriors (rank second in the league with 36 national broadcasts) on November 15.

If we've learned anything over the last few seasons, it's that Memphis thrives when being viewed as the underdog. With a drive to take part in a revenge season already radiating from their core, this new level of "disrespect," as Parrish called it, may only add more fuel to the scorching hot proverbial fire that they have burning heading into the 2024-25 NBA regular season.