Last week, minutes after a one-point win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat in the FedExForum visitors’ locker room, doing a post-game media session on Zoom while noshing on lemon pepper chicken wings.

“What are you eating?” a reporter asked him.

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“Lemon pepper wings. This is Memphis,” replied the NBA’s reigning back-to-back Most Valuable Player. 

Outside of Memphis, the city is most associated with barbecue. But inside Memphis, chicken wings have long competed for the No. 1 spot. And Antetokounmpo isn’t alone among NBA visitors in chowing down on Memphis chicken during his annual stops. 

Having been around Grizzlies games for years, I’ve found the catered food that turns up most often in a visiting locker room or at visiting staff’s pre-game Media Room table isn’t barbecued pork but fried chicken, typically either Wing Guru (what Antetokounmpo was eating) or Gus’s Fried Chicken. 

I haven’t conducted a census, but I’d bet there are now more wing places in Memphis than barbecue shops (though, quietly, some of the city’s best wings are at barbecue restaurants). 

Not all wings are equal, but bad wings are rare. A good wing in Memphis is not hard to find. 

You can find good wings at 901 Wings and Mr. P’s Buffalo Wings on Hacks Cross, two of the 21 locally owned spots participating in this year’s Memphis Black Restaurant Week. 

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The Greek Freak will be happy to learn that he can get lemon pepper wings at either place, though that’s not my preference. 

Then again, my wing inclinations may be slightly off center: Whole wings > party wings. Spicy > sweet. Dry > wet. 

My preference for dry may be a carry-over from my rib biases. It’s definitely a minority wing order, but I like the crispness of a wing tossed in dry spices rather than heavily sauced.

At 901 and Mr. P’s I got whole wings, half dry seasoned and half honey hot. (“Party” wings — separate flats and drummies — and “boneless” wings are also available at each.)

This is not a “Food Fight,” but if it were it would be a toss-up. The wings were similarly cooked to order and well-cooked, the dry-seasoned wings crisp and both varieties tender. 

On the respective “honey hot” orders, I liked the look and flavor better at 901 Wings. Dark red with visible spice, they were reminiscent of the “sweet spicy love” at Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken, another Black Restaurant Week participant, but the sweet overwhelmed what was generally little heat. The honey hots at Mr. P’s packed a little bit more of a punch. 

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901 Wings has a more narrow band of flavors than many wing places, offering eight varieties: Mild, hot, honey hot, honey gold, honey BBQ, lemon pepper, seasoned and country.

The rest of the menu is similarly limited: salads, burgers, other sandwiches. (This seems fine: You go to a wing place for wings.)

901 Wings has three locations, in Cordova, Southaven and Downtown, though the Downtown location is currently closed. They also tout a “coming soon” location in Collierville. 

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I ordered takeout from the Cordova location, along Germantown Parkway, a bright storefront with five four-tops, three of which were taped off and only one of which was occupied. 

Mr. P’s, off Hacks Cross near Winchester, is a bigger place with a bigger menu. Signs outside advertised “street tacos,” tamales and other items. The wing varieties went 17 deep, standard variations augmented by options such as “Jamaican jerk,” “desert heat” and “Buffalo garlic parmesan.”

They had curbside pickup at Mr. P’s, but something odd happened with my order. I ordered online and showed up about five minutes after it was supposed to be ready. When I called from the curb, I was told that the cook had come in late and that they were just starting my order. That it would be another 20 minutes. 

I went to run an errand and came back 25 minutes later. When my order came out, the person bringing it remarked about how late I was and seemed confused when I said I’d shown up earlier and was told there was a delay. 

Last week, I had a similar experience at one of my favorite local restaurants, placing an online order and then showing up to find out that they didn’t realize it had been placed. This won’t deter me from going back. We all deserve a little slack these days. 

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Again, not all wings are equal, but the bar in Memphis is high and both 901 Wings and Mr. P’s clear it. We can argue about who in Memphis has the best wings, but our strength is our abundance. 

We were once promised taco trucks on every corner. That didn’t come to pass. But in Memphis, it seems like every neighborhood has a good wing spot, or two, or three, or …

901 Wings, 1134 N. Germantown Parkway; 901-425-2379. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. The Southaven location is at 1515 Stateline Road.

Mr. P’s Buffalo Wings, 4202 Hacks Cross Road, Suite 121; 901-756-5242. Open daily 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.