The Early Word: Where is Mongo now? And do where the Grizz go from here?
Good morning, Memphis. It’s Monday, April 28, and the state trial for three of the former Memphis Police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols begins today. Here’s a who’s who of the key players in the trial. As for the jury, they were all selected from way over in East Tennessee.
Also today, the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider eliminating restrictions on holiday decor that got the city sued earlier this year. For more on what’s coming, check out This Week in Memphis.
For the latest story in our Ask the Memphian series, we’re bringing back an old fave: Jody Callahan’s piece on Memphis’ most famous Zambodian, Prince Mongo. The story includes wild tales of the man who’s shown up to court wearing a loincloth and no shoes, once decorated his East Memphis yard with commodes and coffins, and may have altered Memphis history with his 1991 run for Memphis mayor. We’ve also got an update on where he is now — kind of.
Well, at least we got some new growl towels to add to our collections, huh? The Memphis Grizzlies’ short-lived playoff run ended on Saturday with a 117-115 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a four-game sweep for the Thunder, which was always expected to win the series anyway. The Grizzlies were minus star guard Ja Morant, who bruised his left hip in a hard fall in game three. The game was close through three quarters, but it just wasn’t enough. So, now the work begins to determine how to improve next season. The Grizzlies core three — Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane — have some thoughts. And general manager Zach Kleiman weighed in Ja’s future and the search for a permanent head coach. But our own Chris Herrington is asking the really hard question: Should the Grizzlies retain the core three?
Plus, gun violence is plaguing Memphis, an xAI meeting gets heated and Lakeland used to be a lot more fun.
Topics
The Early Word Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.