Grizzlies Retire Grindfather Jersey March 15

Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen played together for seven seasons on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jersey Retirement Announcement:

After a short delay, Allen’s jersey will be hanging alongside his teammates in March. The Memphis Grizzlies tweeted:

The “Grit n’ Grind” Era:

Allen made the All-Defensive Team six times while with the Grizzlies. This was when the team always made it to the playoffs and even reached the conference finals in 2013. Gasol, Randolph, and Allen were key players who focused on tough defense during a time when three-point shooting was becoming more popular.

The term “Grit n’ Grind” came from a game in 2011 where Allen stopped Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a postgame interview, before he was asked anything, Allen said: “All heart. Grit. Grind.” This became the team’s motto with Allen as its symbol, often called “The Grindfather.”

It’s unusual for someone who averaged only 8.9 points per game to have their jersey retired. But Allen wasn’t about scoring; he was about intense defense and stopping top players from scoring. Kobe Bryant even called him “the best defender I ever faced” and wrote this on a pair of shoes he gave to Allen.

Fans really appreciate how dedicated he was to defense.

Legal Troubles and Redemption:

Allen’s jersey would have been retired sooner if not for legal issues. He was involved in a $5M medical fraud scam with other former NBA players using fake invoices for payments from the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. Last summer, he pleaded guilty but got off lightly because he returned most of the money before being arrested.

Now that his legal troubles are over, the Grizzlies will retire his jersey on March 15th. He’ll be the third player in team history to get this honor; Mike Conley is expected to be next once his career ends.

Memphis fans can finally celebrate their beloved Grindfather!