The NBA announced two international regular season games for the Memphis Grizzlies this upcoming season. The Grizzlies will face the Orlando Magic on January 15th in Berlin and January 18th in London. This means that the Grizzlies will play regular season games outside of North America for the first time in team history.
Being one of the smaller market franchises in the NBA, this is an exciting opportunity for the Grizzlies to gain more international exposure. However, this recent news has proven to be unpopular with Grizzlies fans stateside. Desmond Bane's return to Memphis will, unfortunately, be put on pause, but the team also will not get to play their annual game on Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day, which would have taken place on January 19th.
MLK Day is significant for Memphis on and off the court
During a visit to support the Black sanitation workers' strike in Memphis, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel. Eventually, in 1991, the Lorraine Motel was converted to the National Civil Rights Museum. As a part of the NBA's commemoration of MLK Day, the Grizzlies have played at home on MLK Day almost every year since they moved to Memphis.
This past season, the Grizzlies came back from a 16-point deficit against the Minnesota Timberwolves, thanks to a heroic 4th-quarter takeover from Jaren Jackson Jr. Other recent MLK Day performances include the Grizzlies beating the Suns by 30 points in 2023 and GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr. leading a short-handed Grizzlies team to victory over the Warriors in 2024. Despite the Grizzlies' all-time record on MLK Day being below .500, they have created many great on-court memories recently.
MLK Day is even more important for the Grizzlies beyond the game itself. The team has many traditions, such as the annual team visit to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium to honor Dr. King Jr.'s legacy. The Grizzlies also engage with the Memphis community through events such as the MLK Jr. Day of Service. The consequences of not playing on MLK Day go beyond basketball, as this is a lost opportunity for the organization to continue its efforts to engage with the Memphis community.
It is exciting to see the Grizzlies play international games; however, it is a mistake by the NBA to schedule the Grizzlies in a way that prevents them from playing on MLK Day. The NBA needs to ensure that the Grizzlies are scheduled to play on MLK Day for the 2026-27 NBA season and for many consecutive seasons to come. This will not only benefit the NBA, but MLK Day is an important day for the city of Memphis and the Grizzlies organization.