Words of Wisdom

Story of a Late Blooming NBA Fan May 10, 2011

Growing up in Arkansas, I never had more than a passing interest when it came to NBA basketball. We didn’t have a team anywhere near us and with the stellar Nolan Richardson-led Razorback teams of the 80’s and 90’s, there was no reason for my close interest to extend beyond the college game. Sure, I watched the greats: Bird and Magic and Jordan, but outside of their heroic feats, it truly did not matter to me.

In 2001 the Grizzlies moved from Vancouver to Memphis, but by that time my apathy for the NBA was firmly set and, though they were relatively close to my central Arkansas hometown, it mattered little. A few years later, in 2004, circumstances changed and we found ourselves moving to the Memphis area and my interest was initially piqued, particularly since the team was winning at that time, so I began to occasionally watch with a cursory interest, but never truly jumped on the bandwagon. Soon their fortunes fell and the team became a veritable laughingstock of the league, where wins were few and far between and fans were hard to find. Thus, in keeping with my bandwagon jumping, my interest drifted to the University of Memphis basketball team with little care for the Grizzlies.

It was probably about two years ago that my NBA fanhood first began to really blossom. My friend Chance, a former University of Memphis football player and sports fanatic, and I began getting together, either at each other’s homes or out at places like Buffalo Wild Wings, during the NBA playoffs to watch games and visit with each other. There we would sit with beers in hand and he would talk of the game with such a deep affection, explaining the intricacies of the teams and the superb nature of their athleticism, that I could not help but become a fan.

Last season the Grizzlies fielded a decent team, one that actually made a run at the playoffs before falling short in the final weeks, finishing a respectable 40-42, and despite their failure to advance, I was hooked. This season promised even more from the team and I quickly became a regular spectator of their televised games – which was most of them. The lineup was young and talented, with the dual attack of Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay set to carry the majority of the load, who were joined by good players like Marc Gasol, OJ Mayo, and Mike Conley, all of whom were loaded with potential.

As the season wore on, the young Grizzlies exhibited the traits you might expect from a small market team, with numerous ups and downs, but generally staying right at or slightly above the .500 mark. But, as in all sports, things can often take a turn for the unexpected and in February, Rudy Gay was diagnosed with a season-ending shoulder injury. All of a sudden, the promise thusfar exhibited seemed for naught and it looked like the Grizz were destined for yet another season of futility.

That was when something amazing and unexpected happened. The team came together, the people of Memphis rallied around them, and somehow they started to win. Players began to emerge like the aforementioned Mike Conley and defensive specialist Tony Allen to pick up the slack. They were playing like a team possessed, working together with little ego while pushing for a long-elusive playoff spot.

And earn a playoff spot they did, solidifying their number 8 seed and a first round date with the star-laden, top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. In the history of their franchise, the Grizzlies had never won a playoff game. The franchise came into the series having made it to the postseason only three times in their 16 year history with an overall playoff record of 0-12, but hopes were high that they might win one game and break the drought. Little did we know what the scrappy Grizzly team had in mind and soon a hope for one win turned into a series victory, as the Grizzlies defeated the Spurs in six games and advanced for the first time in franchise history.

The second round produced another challenge, though, this one being the young and dynamic Oklahoma City Thunder, led by top NBA scorer Kevin Durant and the dynamic Russell Westbrook. But again, hopes were high here in the Bluff City. The games have been unbelievable, with the frenzied crowds creating a college basketball-like atmosphere instead of the normally subdued NBA. The series opened in OKC, where the Grizzlies pulled out all the stops in game one and came away with the victory. Their celebration was quickly ended, though, as the Thunder roared back in game 2 to even the series. Game three moved the teams back to Memphis where the Grizz excelled on their homecourt and again came away victorious, giving them a 2-1 edge in the 7 game series.

Last night was game four and let me tell you it was incredible. Both teams hit the court hard, neither wanting to be denied. The Grizz quickly built a large 1st half lead, which the Thunder summarily cut down and took their own rather large lead. But the Grizzlies would not be denied, and soon the game was sent into overtime. By this time, it was well past 11:00, probably more like around 11:30, and I was beginning to get a little worried about the time, I mean, I had to go to work the next day. But the basketball gods had it in for us working people of Memphis last night and soon one overtime gave way to another, which then begat a third. By the third overtime, two of Memphis’s starters and top ball-handlers had fouled out and the exhausted team was barely surviving by making one miraculous shot after another (I still don’t know how Vasquez made that one crazy three pointer). OKC’s stars took over and by the end of the third overtime, the Thunder were victorious by a score of 133-123. It was an amazing game, but, man, am I paying for it this morning at work.

With the Mississippi River getting dangerously high downtown, the Grizzlies give this troubled city a reason to believe and for that we should all be grateful.

And Wednesday night we’ll do it all over again. Go Grizz!