In the spring of 2013, as the Memphis Grizzlies were on the eve of hosting a Western Conference Finals game for the first time, I wrote something called “The Griz Glossary” for the Memphis Flyer. It was intended as an introduction/primer to Grizzlies fan culture for the wider NBA world. 

Six years later, with that era officially over and the Grizzlies turning the corner into a new period in franchise history, I brought it back (thanks to Bruce VanWyngarden, Ken Neill and the Memphis Flyer for permission to use elements of the original piece here), revised and greatly expanded, this time pitched more to the home crowd. 

This is a history of our world, one term at a time. It’s meant to be a living document, updated and amended from time to time.

This is one of those times.

As we take a pause at the 2023 All-Star break, we also take stock of the Glossary, adding some new terms that have joined the lexicon since the last update in April 2022 and corralling some elements of deep Grizzlies history that were unjustly overlooked in past editions. 

We’re now well into a third decade of Grizzlies basketball in Memphis and headed toward a third season of a third iteration of playoff hoops. We have eras now.

And each has forged memorable moments and embraceable bits of color. Some emanate from players, on the floor and off. Some from team marketing minds. Some from broadcasters or writers. Some from fans. They are all enriched by the relationship between various strands of what was once dubbed Grizz Country (you can look it up, here to be exact), where the culture we conspire to create is often what we most cherish about the whole enterprise. 

Eighteen new terms were added in this February 2023 update (full entries within the Glossary): 

• Baneville
• Big Memphis
• Call 12
• Dillon the Villain
• Grandmas
• “I’m fine in the West”
• Ja 1
• KAFKA 
• KLUB
• “Kudos to me”
• Next man up mentality
• Jakob Poeltl
• Regular pedestrian
• -skii
• Tuohy Math
• Tyus Stones
• “We in Minnesota now”
• Nick Young

Additionally, these preexisting entries were updated:

• Alley-Oops
• B1ock Panth3r
• Grizz Killers
• JaRaffe
• Mr. Do-Something
• Ninja and the Unicorn
• Stro Show
• Tee
• Whoop That Trick

A

@aa000g9: Tony Allen’s Twitter handle, less active since he stopped playing. The alleged code: "Anthony Allen, #9." You'll be forgiven for thinking the middle section means Allen's a "triple OG." It apparently really means he started from the bottom, as he once explained. @aa000g9’s greatest work of Tweet art: A live play-by-play of his post-fender-bender fallout with a middle-aged lady. ("She called her goons. LOL.")

All heart. Grit. Grind.: The opening incantation of Tony Allen’s culture-launching sideline soliloquy — or maybe it’s the Gettysburg Address of Grizzlies basketball — from February 8, 2011, in Oklahoma City.

It came following a 105-101 overtime road win in which the Grizzlies were playing without ostensible stars O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. Allen, new to the team that season and barely in the rotation for most of the first two months, scored 27 points, had five steals and sent the game to overtime with a 3-point play in the final minute of regulation.

In the moment, Allen’s address was as much about performance as phraseology. The grace note was silent: Marc Gasol walking by and interrupting Allen for a little head tap of deep gratitude.

In real time, it seemed like only a few dozen fans exulted in the moment on Twitter, with local radio's “Chris Vernon Show” turning the audio into a recurring soundbite the next day. But this cult classic became best-seller later in the season. (See: "Bootleg T-shirts.") By the time the season was over, Allen’s impromptu formulation had morphed into a franchise, and civic, rallying cry. (See: “Grit and Grind”) 

Alley-oops: Even though the Grizzlies tended to be pretty ground-bound before Ja Morant showed up, Kurtis Blow’s favorite play provided perhaps the three most spectacular on-court moments of the pre-Ja era that didn’t include any of the franchise’s top-tier talents. 

Oop No. 1: Bonzi Wells tosses it high to Stromile Swift, who reaches back for a one-hand flush to give the Grizzlies a 110-62 lead in the final minute, capping a blowout Pyramid Arena win over the New Jersey Nets (Dec. 13, 2003). 

Oop No. 2: Darrell Arthur blocks Tony Parker at the rim and then streaks past the San Antonio Spurs defense to catch and dunk an O.J. Mayo feed, pushing the Grizzlies to an 83-67 lead early in the fourth quarter of a blowout Game 4 home win (April 25, 2011). 

Oop No. 3: Vince Carter, the coolest guy in any room, holds the ball along the sideline, 0.3 seconds left and the Grizzlies down 110-109 to the Kings. His inbound oop finds Courtney Lee at the rim, for a reverse layup (!) finish and the completion of a comeback win. (Nov. 13, 2014). 

Once a novel sight on the Pyramid or FedExForum floor, alley-oops became more common once Morant and Brandon Clarke started wearing Beale Street Blue. Morant sometimes throws as many oops — and Clarke converts as many — in a game as it seems like the Grizzlies once did in a season. And Morant has broken new ground as a two-way oop threat: He’s the first Grizzly elite at both giving and receiving. 

Apaulogist: A defender of Pau Gasol at a time when the franchise’s best player was a source of some intra-fan-base friction.

Aquamane: Undeniable nickname and superhero alter ego of former Grizzlies super villain turned fan favorite Steven Adams. Yes, getting this requires a lot of you: You have to know that Adams bears a striking resemblance to actor Jason Momoa, that Momoa played Aquaman in recent movie versions of the DC comic and that “mane” (c’mon, mane) is a Memphism. Whatever. We’re not here to dumb it down. 

B

Baby Don’t Bluff: Headband-wearing, no-guff-taking infant mascot/meme of the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies was the daughter of then franchise game-ops honcho Jason Potter. 

Baneville: The “it takes a village” neighborhood/family compound in Richmond, Indiana, that produced shooting guard Desmond Bane.

Barone Ball: After playing at a crawl under control-freak head coach Mike Fratello, interim coach Tony Barone took over the Grizzlies for the second half of the 2006-07 season and put the air back in the ball. The change in pace and style was head-spinning … and not at all effective. That Grizzlies team was losing either way. Barone Ball served as a stylistic palate cleanser. 

Battle Ballz: A short-lived, during-timeouts tournament featuring media members charging at each other while encased in plastic bubbles. It was fun (?) while it lasted, but sanity/legal anxiety intervened. As former Grizzlies game ops director Jason Potter once explained: “One of the great ironies was my MCs wear earpieces so I can talk to them. (Arena MC) Joey (Thorsen) was walking out to the floor and I fed him a line about our attorneys clearing Battle Ballz once again … and that was the night we last did Battle Ballz.” Here’s then Memphis Flyer columnist/future (and now former) Daily Memphian Kevin Lipe catching the bad end of Battle Ballz action: 

.@local24doc Terminex's @FlyerGrizBlog in @memgrizz #BattleBallz. #NotInThisHouse pic.twitter.com/ZcT5NF4HGy

— Ross Wooden (@RossWooden) March 7, 2015

Beale Street Blue: The lightest shade of blue in the current Grizzlies color spectrum, and a bit of poetic nomenclature that Crayola should consider adding. (Obscure precursor, though probably not an inspiration: “Beale Street Green,” from the lyrics to the Big Star nugget “Dream Lover.”)

Bears of Summer: Catchall for the Grizzlies’ Summer League teams, who have won titles in both Orlando and Las Vegas over the years. 

Beat L.A.: The deafening chant of 19,351 at the Pyramid as the Grizzlies beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers 114-108 on December 21, 2001, maybe the first big win for the franchise in Memphis. With Shaq and Kobe in the house, Jason Williams was the star of the night, scoring 10 of his 26 points in an 80-second fourth-quarter stretch.

Beep! Beep!: The “Roadrunner” sound effect deployed in FedExForum whenever Mike Conley would turn the corner … and turn on the jets. 

Big Memphis: Official slogan of the 2022-2023 season, as an era of bigger-than-ever expectations dawned amid big talk, big plays and at least one big star. 

Big Spain: The nickname by acclamation for Marc Gasol, whose bigness waned somewhat as he replaced double-fisted Big Macs for homegrown produce. 

Bigger than basketball: Marc Gasol’s December 2016 declaration about his relationship with Zach Randolph (and, by implication, the rest of his Core Four teammates).

Bigger than basketball... pic.twitter.com/zixh0OPhHy

— Marc Gasol (@MarcGasol) December 7, 2016

B1ock Panth3r: Self-styled alternate nickname for #13-wearing Jaren Jackson Jr., richly earned during the 2021-2022 season by leading the NBA in blocks, a feat he’s on pace to repeat in 2022-2023.

Bloodsport: Arguably the best of a large array of nicknames for former Grizzlies forward and sometime professional kickboxer and MMA fighter James Johnson. Runners-up: Damage Hammer and Dr. JJ.

Blue-collar player, blue-collar town: After scoring 17 fourth-quarter points in a home Game 6 against the Spurs to give the franchise its first playoff series win, Zach Randolph greeted ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke with a postgame paean to getting what you got the hard way and making it better each and every day that might have been written by Grizzlies' season-ticket holder and “Soul Man” songwriter David Porter.

After a rough first three stops in his NBA career, Randolph found in Memphis a city that rallies around rough edges, sharp elbows, colorful personalities and generous spirits. A city that relates to bad reputations and bruising, bumping redemption stories like Z-Bo, who didn’t just seem like someone who had found a home in Memphis. He seemed like someone who was from here. As he said to Burke: "It's a fit."

Bongo Lady: The nom de hoop of Malenda Meacham, lower-bowl season ticket-holder who perhaps found her true calling when the Grizzlies experimented with an in-game Bongo Cam. Meacham’s total commitment to air-bongo playing eventually landed her a “Fan of the Year” designation from NBA TV, an appearance on “Good Morning America” and a profile in The New York Times. Other “celebrity” fans over the years: The self-described Cracker Rapper and Trophy Wife, the Brothers Who Wore Masks, the Big Man Who Dances, Lil Country and used car dealer Mark Goodfellow. 

Bootleg T-shirts: A Memphis Grizzlies cottage industry launched with the original gray grit grind back in the spring of 2011. Most ubiquitous of the followers: Probably the “Grindfather” ones using imagery from “The Godfather.” Best: Once-shirtless Al Green (from the cover of “Al Green’s Greatest Hits”) in a Grizzlies jersey. (Or, after legal intervention, just “Memphis.”)

Booray: A card game popular among NBA players, but one you maybe don’t want to play with Tony Allen on the team plane. 

Booty Call: Impolite nickname bestowed on journeyman center Ryan Hollins by always irreverent teammate Tony Allen. The Grizzlies signed Hollins five times (waiving him four times) during the 2015-2016 season. He was always there when the Grizzlies called. Needless to say, Hollins was not happy when this internal moniker went public.

Born Ready: Pre-existing nickname for Lance Stephenson, a throw-in when Jeff Green was dealt to the Clippers. As a key member of the Zombie Grizzlies (see below), Stephenson was Tony Allen’s sidekick during an unlikely win in Cleveland (see “The Hateful Eight”) and put up a 33-7-5 stat line in a Wrestling Night (see below) win over the Pelicans … because of course he did. Destined to be a Grizzly, Born Ready logged only 26 games for Memphis, but made them count. 

Bronchitis: The official listed reason why O.J. Mayo missed the Grizzlies home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 4, 2011. Apparently “bronchitis” is a Grizzlies euphemism for what happens to someone when a booray game with Tony Allen on a team flight goes wrong. “Bronchitis” really darkens the eye. 

Brooks: To trade Brooks or not to trade Brooks? That is the question. The Grizzlies having two Brooks – Dillon and MarShon – on their roster for the 2018-2019 season was the foundation of the most Abbott & Costello moment in recent NBA history. On the night of December 14, 2018, as the Grizzlies were finishing up a game against the Miami Heat, they thought they were sending MarShon Brooks to Phoenix in a three-team trade with the Suns and Washington Wizards. The Suns thought they were getting Dillon Brooks. It was a weird one. 

You vs. the guy they thought they were trading for pic.twitter.com/MrMoDBADHh

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 15, 2018

Bust his butt, Marc: The origin of a take-it-to-the-locker-room near tête-à-tête between Zach Randolph and Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins was Marc Gasol putting Perkins in the spin cycle, prompting Randolph's mocking exhortation, to which Perkins took offense. (Randolph’s oh-so-audible response to this offense: “I’ll beat your ass.”) Thereafter, the term was sometimes deployed whenever Gasol applied advanced post technique to a hapless defender. (See also: “Growl Towels.”)

C

Caesar salads: A bangin’ lunch, according to health-minded Grizzlies teenager Jaren Jackson Jr. during his first NBA summer league.

Call 12: The NXT GEN Grizzlies version of the Bat Signal.

Captain Clutch: Rather unfortunate cereal-derived nickname for Mike Conley. We preferred the simpler Clutch Conley, a once ironic designation that evolved into stone-cold truth. (Related: “Conley is for closers.”)

Cash considerations: A feature of most Grizzlies transactions during the team’s immediate post-Pau Gasol trade rebuild, at a time when owner Michael Heisley failed to sell the franchise (see: “Davis-Laettner”) and seemed tired of losing money. Between February, 2008, and June, 2010, the Grizzlies took cash considerations in eight different trades, culminating in the team selling a 2010 first-round pick to the Mavericks for $3 million. 

Champagne taste on a beer budget: Lionel Hollins’ enthusiastic analysis of the Rudy Gay Trade (see below).

Chancun: Literally, what Chandler Parsons and crew dubbed an All-Star break Mexican vacation in February 2017, when he was mostly not playing during his first season with the Grizzlies. Figuratively, either an emblem of self-absorbed obliviousness or of living one’s best life whatever the obstacles. You decide. (Either way, we’d love to have one of those Chancun caps.)

Chandler Parsons is gonna spend his All-Star break in #Chancun, it looks like. pic.twitter.com/BO1m2eG0G4

— John Martin (@JohnMartin929) February 16, 2017

Cheap Tyreke: The backhand compliment/honest hope Chris Vernon applied to bench scorer MarShon Brooks, a more affordable but ultimately not cost-effective replacement for departed bench scorer Tyreke Evans. 

Chili cheese fries and chicken fingers: Summer League snacks when the concession stand is out of Caesar salads (see above) and, according to one former Memphis sportswriter, a worrying sign that the Grizzlies MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A NUTRITIONIST. 

Chimney: How do you tell the difference between Santa Claus and Ja Morant? Santa comes down the chimney. Ja goes up. In a memorable post-game presser (see: “Ninja and the Unicorn”) after a win at Madison Square Garden, Morant said that there’s “no running in the M” but also that the Grizzlies “run up the chimney.” Confusing? Zach Randolph once said, in the same breath, that Memphis was the Bluff City therefore we don’t bluff. Just go with it. Real meaning, either way: Smoke is a thing Morant’s Grizzlies do not duck.

Chris Paul: The only NBA player to be both kicked in the face by Tony Allen and booed during another player’s jersey retirement ceremony … without even being there. 

Citizen Shane: Cinephilic nickname for Shane Battier, the Memphis OG (Original Grizzly) who made lower-bowl season ticket holders swoon by dropping comprehensible stock market similes in his introductory press conference and forever being the Grizzlies player you’d most want as a son-in-law or in the boardroom. 

The Conley Correlation: The tendency for the Grizzlies to go as their point guard did. That’s what happens when you’ve only got one decent perimeter scorer/creator on a roster. 

Convey: The linguistic ghost of Jeff Green. 

Core Four: Mike Conley, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Forever and always. 

The Custodian: Nickname for floor-burn forward Brian Cardinal, the biggest free agent signee Jerry West brought to Memphis. 

D

Davis-Laettner: Shorthand for the most preposterous moment in franchise history, circa October, 2006, when former Duke University teammates Brian Davis and Christian Laettner had a press conference at FedExForum to announce that they were purchasing the team from Michael Heisley and would soon be the Grizzlies’ owners. The final descent into farce: Laettner declaring that he would then become an owner-player. 

Dillon the Villain: An apparently preexisting nickname for defensive menace and constant instigator Dillon Brooks, which floated back to the fore as the Grizzlies returned to contender status and Brooks’ became a hated opponent in arenas from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis to San Francisco.

Double fouls: The likely result of any on-court interaction between Zach Randolph and Blake Griffin. 

Dunkshot: Favorite basketball play of undrafted Grizzlies bench player John Konchar. If the Grizzlies win a title with Konchar on the roster maybe instead of rings, the players should all get “Dunkshot” chains. Maybe the whole city should. (See: “Jitty,” “No Chill Konchar”.)

Dunkyland: A moniker from a misbegotten marketing campaign during an on-court down period. Give them a break; they were only trying to have some fun.

F

#FactsOnly: Owner Robert Pera’s hashtag punctuation for his first – and last – Twitter Q-&-A with fans. 

Feed 50: The Grizz fan clarion call whenever Zach Randolph began to find his groove. Add a hashtag and it becomes a Twitter drumbeat. 

50: The first number retired at FedExForum. But even before it was a number synonymous with Zach Randolph, it was the once-thought-impossible win threshold for Hubie Brown’s 2003-2004 squad, the cherry on top of Brown’s Coach of the Year campaign. Capping this 22-win improvement over the prior season, win No. 50 came on April 7, 2004 in a blowout over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game also marked LeBron James’ Memphis debut, where he was overshadowed by James Posey, who went for 35 that night. 

52: The franchise record for points in a game, set by Ja Morant in style against the Spurs on Feb. 28, 2022.

Fits: Mike Conley had a stylist that once put him in a bamboo bow tie, but previous iterations of the Grizzlies mostly didn’t put too much effort into their pre- and post-game attire. Not so with the NXT GEN Grizzlies, where Ja Morant’s rainbow-hued strands of hair have become a signature, Dillon Brooks will show up in (faux) fur and Jaren Jackson Jr. has turned the path from locker room to media room into a personal runway. 

The 5/5 Rule: My own attempt to impose order on Tony Allen's game early in his Grizz tenure: No shooting the ball unless you’re within five feet of the basket or there are fewer than five seconds on the shot clock.

First Team: Tony Allen’s declarative self-assertion was fact three times over (First Team, All-Defense in 2012, 2013, 2015), but the truth all the time. 

Fly Lounge: A doomed-to-fail attempt (for the 2013-2014 season) to create a post-game Vegas-club-style experience in FedExForum, where the home crowd is more of the beer/barbecue/bootleg T-shirt variety.

Fly-By King: Designation for Desmond Bane during the guard’s breakout second season, bestowed by game announcers Brevin Knight and Pete Pranica for Bane’s penchant for pump-faking, watching desperate defenders run past him and calmly drilling 3-point shots. Had Pete and Brev respected my self-appointed position as Grizz Culture ombudsman I would have suggested a Fly-By Kid edit. Alas, it’s too late. Fly-By King it is. 

G

Game Day Focus: Mike Conley’s social-media morning wake-up call. 

Kevin Garnett: In addition to Marc Gasol, the less obvious link between Pau Gasol and Jaren Jackson Jr., the two best rookie big men in Memphis Grizzlies history. Gasol the Elder announced his 2001-2002 rookie arrival with a baseline drive and dunk on Garnett at the Pyramid. Jackson’s 2018-2019 rookie season included some high-profile tutelage from a retired Garnett. 

Grandmas: Steven Adams’ answer to this query during a “Family Feud”-style in-game promotional bit: “Name something that moves very slowly.”

Blake Griffin: The power forward foil who completed Zach Randolph. The air to Z-Bo’s mud. The pretty boy to Z-Bo’s mean-mugging. The style to Z-Bo’s substance. The neck to Z-Bo’s choke slam.

Grind City: Improbably, not a Memphis strip club, but rather some civic branding created by the Grizzlies that’s actually taken hold.

The Grindfather: A riff on “The Godfather” but pretty much a perfect nickname for Grizzlies-era Tony Allen, who planted the seed for an entire era of basketball and culture. 

The Grindhouse: The moniker of choice for FedExForum, naming rights be damned. Everyone came to use it: Players, broadcasters, writers. The name has been widely misattributed to Tony Allen. It actually came from a local fan, Ryan Hamlin, who tweeted Allen the suggestion and was conferred a blessing.

The Grindson: Wishful, highly presumptuous nickname (mis)applied to defensive-oriented 2013 second-round rookie Jamaal Franklin, who played 21 of his total 24 NBA games for the Grizzlies before heading overseas. 

Grit and Grind: The popular shorthand that emerged from Tony Allen’s sideline soliloquy, an organic rallying cry that lives on, part style of play, part marketing slogan, part civic ethos. It even lives on in the inscription of the 2019 championship ring Marc Gasol won with the Toronto Raptors. If there were any doubt that “grit and grind” were an ethos that would survive the Core Four’s time on the court, I suppose Gasol answered that. Short version: GNG. (See: “All heart. Grit. Grind.”)

Grizz Country: Short-lived summer of 2009 attempt to brand the fan base in more novel geographic form. (Why does everything have to be a “nation”?) It didn’t take, but the effort was appreciated. 

Grizz Killers: Rueful term for opponents who go above and beyond to torment the home team. Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant have scored more points against the Grizzlies than anyone else, but they’re everybody killers. Grizz Killers include Erick Dampier, who made a habit of pushing around Pau Gasol; Kevin Martin, who got copious buckets against the Grizzlies until Tony Allen finally turned the water off; and, more recently, CJ McCollum, who seems to go for 30-plus every time he sees Beale Street Blue. McCollum has proven to be a Grizz Killer both in the streets (aka, on the court) and in the tweets, with his response to Phoenix’s 2023 trade deadline deal for Kevin Durant. (See: “I’m fine in the West.”)

Grizzilla: Center Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s self-rechristening during his 20-game cameo for the Zombie Grizzlies (see below). Grizzilla stood 14 feet tall and 300 pounds wide and his off-court sightings – Did he bring his harmonica to the clubs of Beale at night? Did he take up residence at Big Cypress Lodge and stalk the floor of the Bass Pro Pyramid by day? – were both provocative and, appropriately, unconfirmed.

Grizzly Adams: The obvious nickname after landing in Memphis for center Steven Adams, who even cuts a mountain-man-esque profile to match it. Sadly, the reference had grown too obscure to catch on. 

Growl Towels: The Grizzlies' spin on the old "terrible towel" conceit, with slogans growing bolder as the team’s playoff run grew longer, from the original “Believe Memphis” to the separate “Grit” and “Grind” to the nervier “We Don't Bluff,” which was used only because “I’ll Beat Your Ass” was a bridge too far. The Grizzlies’ penchant for sloganeering in Growl Towel-sized bits continued into the current era, Ya Hear Me? (See also: “Bust his butt, Marc.”)

GrzNxtGen: Where “Grit and Grind” was bottom-up, an impromptu utterance by Tony Allen that was embraced by fans, “GrizNxtGen” has been top-down, a marketing construct devised by the organization. But what’s key is that this sequel did travel, embraced by the players it was meant to embody, who appended a two-arm “X” as punctuation, both in physical and emoji form. It’s an ingenious formulation, preserving the “GNG” shorthand without risking stylistic anachronism.

H

The Hamed Haddadi Game: In retrospect, it’s wild that Haddadi, the NBA’s first and still only Iranian player, spent more than four seasons with the Grizzlies as a deep bench player, averaging 7 minutes a game. Haddadi only appeared in 134 regular-season games in that span, but Dec. 8, 2009, an overtime home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, looms over all. Haddadi became an overnight sensation by laying out LeBron James with a pick, dunking on Shaquille O’Neal and delivering perhaps the greatest post-game locker-room quote in team history to Sports 56’s Peter Edmiston: “I drop-step. I go around Shaq. I dunk that (stuff).” Legend has it that Haddadi walked into the Downtown Flying Saucer that night and got a standing ovation. 

Hammer, nail, coffin: Television play-by-play man Pete Pranica’s verbal victory cigar.

The Hateful Eight: Quentin Tarantino’s worst movie at least supplied a moniker for the motley crew the Grizzlies took into Cleveland on March 7, 2016. It was the second half of a back-to-back for the Grizzlies against a full-strength Cavs team that was then 44-17 and headed towards an NBA title. The Grizzlies were without stars Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and had only eight players available: Tony Allen, Lance Stephenson, Vince Carter, Mario Chalmers, JaMychal Green, Jarell Martin, Ryan Hollins and P.J. Hairston. 

In a rare leading man role, Allen scored 26 points on 11 of 17 shooting and had five steals in guiding the Hateful Eight to a 106-103 win. Sadly, Memphis failed to officially change Cleveland Street to Tony Allen Avenue afterward. 

He wit us: Indelible Tony Allen trash talk. In theory, when faced with an opponent whose shot you don't respect, you feign defense only to turn and head in for the rebound as their shot is going up, muttering “he wit us” as you do. Mostly apocryphal, but I swear I saw Allen do this to Tyreke Evans in a game once.

Headband 12: Apparently inspired by a hair-styling mishap, Ja Morant leaned into the headband look when he debuted it in the last game before the 2020 All-Star break, having himself introduced as “Headband 12” and even going out and getting a couple of Z-Bounds in fitting tribute. He kept the unconventional look for the subsequent Rising Stars game. Did it become his sartorial norm? Alas, it did not. 

Holy balls: Raging sideline obscenity, small-town upper Midwest version, courtesy of head coach Dave Joerger. Actual in-game usage, directed toward a referee while opponent LaMarcus Aldridge was at the line: “Man, if Marc and Zach got those calls … holy balls, we’d lead the league in free throws.” 

I

The Ibakas of the World: Code for all the role players in the league that must be contained. If you focus too much on an opponent’s stars, the Ibakas of the World might beat you. (See "All heart. Grit. Grind.") 

“I’m fine in the West”: Ja Morant’s brash response to a TV interviewer who didn’t find an initial response (Question, paraphrased: “What team are you most worried about?” Answer: “Boston”) colorful enough in an ESPN segment ahead of the team’s first Christmas Day game, against Golden State in 2022. Morant performed, and then had the juicy quote thrown back at him and his team when they struggled against conference opponents. Fair? Maybe not, but when you court smoke, sometimes you choke on it. (See: “Chimneys.”)

In the mud: A place into which the Grit-and-Grind-era Grizzlies would sometimes pull their opponents. Others merely adopted the mud; the Grizzlies were born in it. 

Instant Grits: The nickname Mike Miller bestowed on Spanish import Juan Carlos Navarro (known as “La Bomba” in his home country), who spent the 2007-08 season with the Grizzlies before heading home for good. Navarro’s NBA experience didn’t quite go as he expected, but mostly because the team fell apart. Navarro averaged 11 points a game and still holds the Grizzlies record (tied with Trae Young for 12th all-time) for made 3-pointers as a rookie, with 156. 

It’s just basketball: Lionel Hollins’ weary refrain whenever the press started to overcomplicate things.

Allen Iverson: The only player in franchise history — league history? — to never play a home game and still have his jersey pop up in the playoff crowd years later. In 2022, Iverson got an unexpected second Grizzlies life as a favored comparison for and an active endorser of Ja Morant.

J

Ja 1: Ja Morant’s “signature” sneakers, courtesy of Nike, which made him the first Grizzlies player to reach this rarefied air. Debuted in style during the 2022-2023 season.

Jackin’ dude: Zach Randolph’s self-description after his near-fight with Kendrick Perkins. (See: “Bust his butt, Marc”). He’s good with these hands. 

Jaggles: As a rookie, Ja Morant begain celebrating his sixth-sense assists by cupping his hands around his eyes, mimicking binoculars. As fans caught onto this bit, they started calling them “goggles” and Morant decided to assent to the will of the people, even using a “goggle” emoji on Twitter. Binoculars -- or Janoculars -- makes more sense, but the people had spoken. The people, however, never settled on a preferred spelling. You’ve heard of night-vision goggles? I guess when can think of Jaggles as court-vision goggles.

The Jaren Jackson Jr. Combo Meal: How do unicorns eat? By blocking a shot that flows into their own trailing 3-pointer. 

JaRaffe: Once the biggest — or at least the tallest — Grizzlies fan at the Memphis Zoo, JaRaffe has since relocated to Salt Lake City, following a path forged by Mike Conley.

JEGA: Apparently a Lithuanian word for “strength” or “force,” the Grizzlies television broadcast took to deploying it in celebration of Jonas Valanciunas’ feats of on-court strength.

Jerry, come get your boy: What Memphis native and Tigers star Antonio Burks said on the eve of the 2004 draft, encouraging Grizzlies lead executive Jerry West to keep Burks at home despite the Grizzlies having only one pick, at No. 49. Burks went No. 36 to the Orlando Magic, but West did indeed go and get him, acquiring the rights to Burks for cash. Unfortunately, this NBA meet-cute did not develop into a long-term relationship, as Burks played 81 games for the Grizzlies over two seasons before drifting out of the NBA.

Jitty: Nickname for Grizzlies bench ace John Konchar, whose deadpan zen is a state of mind. (See: “Dunkshot,” “No Chill Konchar.”)

Michael Jordan: Answer to a franchise trivia question: Who is the only opposing player to appear on the cover of a Memphis Grizzlies game program?

Jimmy Keep: Late World War II veteran, Battle of Iwo Jima survivor and big Zach Randolph fan. Their meeting was perhaps the franchise’s greatest moment of “game recognize game.”

Rest in peace, WWII / Iwo Jima Veteran & MY hero, Jimmy Keep. #AllHeart thoughts & prayers go out to the Keep family pic.twitter.com/5JAy0kKzEw

— Zach Randolph (@MacBo50) March 21, 2016

K

KAFKA: Stands for Known Advocates For Kyle Anderson, an underground society whose members appreciated the unconventional game of the one-time Grizzlies forward. In the 2022-2023 season, KAFKA bloomed again in Minnesota, where Anderson proved a revelation after signing as a free agent. 

KLUB: Stands for Kenneth Lofton Jr. Union of Believers, a new underground society that sees eventual NBA potential in the unconventional game of the young two-way-contract player, whose physicality and scoring touch has generated numbers for the Memphis Hustle but whose big-league future remains uncertain.

“Kudos to me”: Dillon Brooks’ self-appraisal after a strong late-2022 homecoming game in Toronto, in which his 25 points and strong defense were augmented by an atypical six assists. Brooks pronounced the word conventionally, bypassing the more creative pronunciation (KOO-DOOS) commonly deployed by former Grizzlies executive Chris Wallace. 

L

Let that (expletive) fly: “Let it fly” became an early mantra for new head coach Taylor Jenkins as he sought to radically change the Grizzlies’ low-pace, low-3-point-shooting style of play. But “let it fly” is pretty generic -- former Grizzly sharpshooter Mike Miller already had a sports bar open in town under the same name. More distinctive is what guard Dillon Brooks revealed as a practice-court rallying cry for the Grizzlies in 2019 training camp. 

Lightning in a bottle: Favorite phrase of longtime Grizzlies executive Chris Wallace, who had a penchant for novel, high-upside longshot signings. (Examples: Gilbert Arenas, MarShon Brooks.)

Litness: The apex of goodness, per Jaren Jackson Jr. Example, in Jackson’s own words: “The Litness transcended through everybody.”

M

The Machine: Mock-pejorative nickname for former Grizzlies exec and basketball “analytics” pioneer John Hollinger, derived from one fan on social media who was exasperated that “a machine” was now making all of the franchise’s decisions.

Marc Gasol of Memphis: A franchise-commissioned 2015 free agency video produced by “Hustle & Flow” director Craig Brewer. Best moment: When a woman daydreams about climbing Mt. Marc. 

MemThis: Official slogan of the 2022 Grizzlies playoff run. (See: “We Here.”) Have there been better team slogans? Of course. Have there been worse? I see your “MemThis” and raise you a “Dunkyland.”

Milk that horse: A memorable if unfortunate Tony Allen-ism. From the do as I do, not as I say department. 

Mr. Do Something: Television color commentator Brevin Knight’s moniker for Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton’s penchant for impacting the game in myriad ways: With defensive rebounds, deflections assists and above-the-rim finishes, among other ways. Melton didn’t do quite enough, apparently, as he was shipped to Philadelphia midway though the four-year contract he’d signed with the team.

N

Natch the Bear: Recurring nemesis for team mascot Grizz. Inspired by the real-life Natch, a Southern black bear who was the mascot for the Memphis Turtles baseball team at the dawn of the 20th century and whose care or lack thereof -- Natch was chained to a tree in Overton Park -- inspired the formation of the Memphis Zoo. 

NBA Now/No Taxes NBA: Dueling public campaigns – and yard signs – when the city was debating public financing of an arena that would land Memphis an NBA team. 

Neck Tattoo Night: The nerviest and most creative game-night promotion in a rich history of contenders. On Feb. 21, 2014, while hosting the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise gave away temporary “GRIZZLIES” neck tattoos, in honor of dynamic forward James Johnson, who had his son’s name tattooed on his neck. Johnson celebrated his night – a 102-96 win – with a self-assisted dunk.

Next man up mentality: Some of the most frequently touted of Taylor Jenkins’ copious coach-speak. Sounded good in the 2021-2022 season, when the team went 21-4 without Ja Morant and seemed to be able to survive any absence. Has been a shakier claim in 2022-2023. 

Ninja and the Unicorn: Ja Morant’s emoji-friendly duel appellation for his partnership with Jaren Jackson Jr. Morant actually introduced this in the pair’s Garden presser (see: “Chimney”) as Unicorn Man, but this is one edit upon which I insist. In the 2022-2023 season, the Ninja and the Unicorn headed to the All-Star Game together, the franchise’s first double-dip for that in-season honor. 

No Chill Konchar: So bestowed (ok, by me) for John Konchar’s tendency to go hard even late in blowout Grizzlies wins. (See: “73.”)

No. 50, for the city: Pregame player introductions grand finale coined and voiced by former public address announcer Rick Trotter, whose Grizzlies tenure ended ignobly. This testament to Zach Randolph and his meaning to Memphis deserves to live on. 

No. 9 when you need him: Verbal shrug of relief and delight in response to Tony Allen’s penchant to frustrate but still come up big when it mattered most. 

The Norma Rae Moment: With the Grizzlies trailing heading into the fourth quarter of Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2011 playoffs, the Grindhouse crowd somehow stopped waving their "growl towels," as had been the intended use, and instead held them stretched out above their heads in quiet defiance, displaying the slogan "BELIEVE MEMPHIS" like some kind of unintentional homage to the famous scene in the 1979 film “Norma Rae,” in which Sally Field's heroine stands on a workbench and holds a "UNION" sign up to her textile-mill co-workers. When the Grizzlies came back to win that game (though not the series) in overtime, a tradition was born.

Not this guy!: The comical — and prescient — mortal terror of a Toronto Raptors fan when Rudy Gay got the ball on the final possession with the game tied, Jan. 24, 2011. (NSFW video evidence.)

Not-Quite Highlights: Spectacular attempts that don’t quite connect have lost their All-Star weekend luster, but can still pack a punch in games that matter. Ja Morant’s “because it was there” nerve has resulted in a some all-timer “not-quite highlights.” Most infamously was the rookie-season moment when he tried to leap right over power forward Kevin Love:

O

Ol' Man River: Charles Barkley’s more-brilliant-than-he-knew nickname for Zach Randolph as the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies emerged, bestowed in tribute to Randolph's “old-man game” and the way he kept rolling along against younger, more athletic competitors. (They get weary and sick of trying.) Particularly appropriate given Memphis' perch on the river the song refers to as well as the song's own local history. 

Old-school jams: The Grindhouse probably isn't the only arena that plays Tag Team's 1993 hip-hop hit “Whoomp! (There It Is!)” when things are going well in the fourth quarter or the Gap Band's 1982 R&B banger “You Dropped a Bomb On Me” after big moments or big wins. But in the absence of contradictory evidence, we choose to believe that we enjoy them more than anyone else. 

Only in the movies and in Memphis: Late play-by-play man Don Poier’s instantly iconic call, on a big shot … in a preseason game. A bit of an exaggeration perhaps, but it captured the excitement of major-league sports finally arriving in Memphis after decades of various pursuits. 

Our Conductor: Mike Conley nickname variation derived from the conceit of the Craig Brewer-produced summer-of-2016 free agency video commissioned by the Grizzlies. (See: “Marc Gasol of Memphis.”)

P

Tony Parker: The Spurs point guard carved up the Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals but couldn’t get a table at Restaurant Iris. 

The Pau Gasol Trade: The widely reviled deal that ultimately set the stage for the Grit-and-Grind era. Now an object lesson in measured responses and the complexities of NBA rebuilding. 

Jakob Poeltl: Apparently “Poeltl” is German for “target,” at least in Ja Morant’s German-to-English dictionary. The only NBA player named after a Memphis fried chicken chain has also been on the bad end of arguably two of Morant’s five best career dunks. Both came when Poeltl was with the San Antonio Spurs. He’s with the Toronto Raptors now. Here’s betting Morant tracks his favorite poster-dunk prey across the border. (See also: “52.”)

Pow and Battman: Costume-clad promotional comic book alter egos of 2001-2002 Grizzlies rookies Pau Gasol and Shane Battier. Not embraced by Pau and Shane. 

Pursuit Team: The band of locals who helped bring the Grizzlies to Memphis. Ringleaders included Gayle Rose and future and current minority owners Pitt Hyde and Staley Cates. 

R

Regular pedestrian: Dillon Brooks’ priceless dismissal of ex-football star, current TV talking head and just another fan with a ticket Shannon Sharpe, who acted like he wanted to fight the entire Grizzlies team from his courtside seat during an early 2023 road game against the Lakers. Unfortunately, a week or so later, the Grizzlies discovered they had an over-stepping regular pedestrian in their midst as well. 

Ring it up! Put three on the board!: Radio play-by-play man Eric Hasseltine’s signature call for a Grizzlies made 3-pointer. For better or worse, the franchise has gone pretty easy on Hasseltine’s vocal chords over the years. 

Round Town: An early marketing campaign, emphasizing Grizzlies players as part of the community. In one ad, Memphis native Lorenzen Wright tries to explain local geography to rookie Drew Gooden. In another, Pau Gasol and Shane Battier sample some ribs. (“Caliente!”) The highlight: Jason Williams whipping a behind-the-back garbage-bag pass to a departing sanitation truck. The “Round Town” formulation has lived on in the form of the team’s annual late-summer “caravan” tours. 

The Rudy Gay Trade: The greatest franchise Rorschach test: An addition-by-subtraction swap that re-routed more offensive responsibility to better players (while also ducking future luxury tax concerns) or a ceiling-lowering abdication of title hopes? 

Running Alley-Oops: Formally an arcane designation on an NBA play-by-play sheet. Turned into an emblem of teamwork in full-throttle motion by Ja Morant and the 2021-2022 Grizzlies. (See: “Alley-oops.”)

Russdiculous: Nickname of Orlando Summer League champion and big-shot maker Russ Smith. Needless to say, these heroics never quite translated to the fall. 

S

Says Who?: The team-first catchphrase question of Ja Morant’s mid-season 2021-2022 Nike ad, the first ever major national ad campaign featuring a Grizzlies’ player. 

73: Sorry, Barry Bonds. Your PED-assisted single-season baseball home run record is now only sports’ second-greatest 73. We prefer to remember it as the Grizzlies’ NBA-record single-game scoring margin, which inspired a FedExForum “DEE-FENSE” chant on December 2, 2021 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Shane Battier Memorial Baseline Jumper: Whether behind the arc or its mid-range corollary, the bread-and-butter shot of one-time co-face of the franchise. Too little used by the Grizzlies in the years after Battier’s departure. It was a little disorienting to see Battier himself lofting SBMBJs in his 36-game 2011 return engagement. 

Shot clock: violated: An in-game Rick Trotter-ism for an era where the Grizzlies had one of the league’s most aggressively stingy defenses. Probably retired for good given former PA announcer Trotter’s unfortunate fall from grace. 

Showtime Selby: Lightning in a bottle that did not strike. Before Russdiculous (see above) there was Showtime Selby, wishful/wry nickname for Josh Selby, former top high school prospect, Grizzlies second-round pick and 2012 co-MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League. The young guard with whom Selby shared summer honors: Some guy named Damian Lillard. 

-skii: Ja Morant’s favorite suffix, a kind of all-purpose modifier, added to the end of seemingly everything during the 2022-2023 season by Morant and (too?) often by the team’s social media accounts. Endearing or insufferable? It’s a make-or-miss league, and perhaps this shot is still in the air. 

Slow-Mo: Preexisting nickname for forward Kyle Anderson, made perhaps more appropriate in Memphis, where he navigated the open floor like a barge, on a court with a subtle Mississippi River motif. 

Stro Show: Nickname for former No. 2 overall pick Stromile Swift, arguably the greatest athlete in Grizzlies history, pre-Ja Morant, and the most prominent on-court Vancouver import in Memphis. Stro Show highlights: Impossible alley-oop finishes (see: “Alley-oops”), more impossible posterizations (sorry Yao) and out-of-nowhere corner-three rejections. Then again ...

Strotential: Potential destined never to be realized, coined in dishonor (sorry) of former Vancouver Grizzlies No. 2 overall pick Stromile Swift, who tantalized through two tours of duty with the franchise. Strotential bit the team hard in the 2009 draft, when the Grizzlies passed on James Harden, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, and Ricky Rubio to take Hasheem Thabeet. 

Sunglasses: What do Dillon Brooks and 1980s’ hitmaker Corey Hart have in common, other than being Canadian? They wear their sunglasses at night. 

Super Grizz: Cape-clad alter ego of comparatively mild-mannered mascot Grizz. Super Grizz will put you through a table. Still awaiting his inclusion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Supreme Commander of the Mid-Range Leaner: Beno Udrih, getting to his spot and shooting his shot. 

T

Take that for data: David Fizdale’s instant quotable amid his lone playoff series as Grizzlies head coach. Low-key cooler claim from the same rant: “They not gon’ rook us.” 

Tee: Father of Ja. Usurper of sideline “fan” attention, for better or worse. 

Tell that [expletive] about me!: Ja Morant talking to no one in particular — and to the entire basketball-viewing world — during an NBATV game in which he went right at former MVP James Harden. The Houston Rockets star scored 41 points, but it took 37 field-goal attempts to get there. Morant scored 26 on a nifty 11, and then got the better of his new veteran nemesis where it counts most: On the scoreboard. If he didn’t know, now he knows. 

Ten-man rotation: Head coach Hubie Brown’s roster- and game-management philosophy in action, from an era when only 12 players could be active on game night. Brown’s theory: Only two guys will be mad at you in the locker room. With a young Pau Gasol still on the upswing, Brown’s 50-win Grizzlies squad was rooted in the kind of depth and individual anonymity to maximize a 10-man rotation. 

Thirsty dog: Tony Allen's own description of his defensive style, and a justification for breaking the 5/5 Rule (see above). Sometimes thirsty dogs gotta drink.

Three-year plan: Michael Heisley’s widely derided timetable for rebuilding the Grizzlies after the franchise’s initial playoff run. It essentially worked – the team was out of the playoffs for four years – but not quite in the way anyone, including Heisley or lead exec Chris Wallace, could have foreseen. 

Throwbacks: Since arriving in Memphis, the Grizzlies have donned throwback uniforms from each of the city’s three circa-1970s American Basketball Association teams: The Pros (navy and scarlett), the Tams (green and gold, modeled after the Oakland A’s) and the Sounds (red and white). The Sounds uniforms, with their zippy cursive script, proved the most popular, and perhaps inspired the color scheme for the G League Memphis Hustle. The Tams, with their two-toned jersey/shorts style, proved to be a tough look. Biggest throwback hit: Probably the teal-forward Vancouver-era look the team brought back in for the franchise’s 25th anniversary.

Trick or Treat: A nickname that followed Tony Allen from Boston, alluding to his penchant to both frustrate and thrill in equal measure. In Memphis, the thrills heavily outweighed the frustrations, but Allen still supplied more “No … No ... No … Yes!” moments than any player in franchise history. 

Tuohy Math: A regular feature of Grizzlies television broadcasts during some of the down years, when color commentator Sean Tuohy would rationalize early deficits with a ray of talk-yourself-into-it hope. “If we can just cut the deficit to 12 by the end of the quarter …”

Turn four!: What Grizzlies coaches Lionel Hollins and Dave Joerger barked from the sidelines when their team needed a bucket. Translation: “Give Zach Randolph the bleeping ball.” 

Turn the water off: Tony Allen's oft-used metaphor for shutting down his man. Solace for opponents who had Allen cut off their utilities? Zach Randolph was willing to help.

Two-on-Cue: An in-game promotion in which two fans team up to play hoops with a trio of rib mascots. This only-in-Memphis enterprise was inspired by local-color mascot races in other markets (presidents in Philadelphia, pierogies in Pittsburgh), with custom-made rib costumes ordered for a Bluff City variation. That didn’t quite work out. Instead, a great bad pun begat fans trying to launch jumpers over seven-foot ribs. The early days of Two-on-Cue featured some Ninja Warrior-level rib ringers. The ribs have been somewhat less intimidating in recent seasons. 

Tyus Stones: Preexisting nickname for backup point guard Tyus Jones, re-popularized by his teammates during clutch moments. 

U

Uncle Jo: If Marc Gasol played the stern dad while the Grizzlies shifted toward a youth movement in the 2018-19 season, Joakim Noah was the fun-loving uncle, stopping by for a half-season visit and taking the kids out for an after-curfew joyride. Everybody loved Uncle Jo.

V

Vitamins: A stand-in for Taylor Jenkins’ copious coachspeak. This is the individually tailored extra work assigned to each player. Results suggest Grizzlies players under Jenkins don’t forget to take their vitamins. 

W

We Don’t Bluff: A Zach Randolph proclamation that ran counter to Memphis’ longtime municipal moniker. But Randolph certainly backed it up. It inspired a ready-made rap theme from Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul and Memphis producer Drumma Boy.

We Got Thabeet: Rewrite of the Go-Go’s infectious 1981 hit “We Got the Beat” that was floated when the Grizzlies drafted Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 rookie draft. Scrapped when hope quickly gave way to regret. 

We Here: The culminating, summing-up moment of the Grizzlies’ breakthrough 2021-2022 season came on national television, at the conclusion of an “All Access” day on ESPN, after a win against the preseason title favorite Brooklyn Nets, and was appropriately a moment that united youthful nerve with a team-first, roll-deep ethos. Describe these Grizzlies for a national audience in one word? Sorry, Desmond Bane needed two: “We here.” 

“We in Minnesota now”: Taunt from Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, captured on TV cameras after the underdog Wolves split the first two games of the 2022 first-round playoff series and took control (for a little while) in their building in Game 3. Ja Morant threw it back at Towns when the Wolves blew a 26-point lead to lose the game, and eventually the series.

Wendigo: Per Wikipedia, “a man-eating creature or evil spirit native to the northern forests of Nova Scotia.” Also a cult-favorite nickname variation for Marc Gasol, coined and semi-popularized by national NBA writer and self-avowed Grizzlies fan Matt Moore. 

White Chocolate: Preexisting nickname of Jason Williams, for whom the Grizzlies traded on the eve of their arrival in Memphis. Williams brought a more exciting, though probably less effective, game to Memphis than departed Vancouver incumbent Mike Bibby.

Whoop That Trick: The Grizzlies were heading into the final season of an initial three-year playoff run when Memphis filmmaker Craig Brewer's rap-scene parable “Hustle & Flow” was released. “Whoop That Trick,” the would-be-rapper protagonist's signature song, courtesy of longtime local fixture Al Kapone, didn't quite fit the personality of what was then a Pau Gasol/Mike Miller/Shane Battier-led team. But the song's menacing three-note keyboard riff with skittering counterpoint became an in-game staple; a Memphis shibboleth, recognized by many, but still under the radar.

When the Grizzlies developed a playoff rivalry with the Los Angeles Clippers a few years later, the song materialized as an in-arena chant — whether it was “Whoop That Trick” or “Whoop That Clip” probably depending on who was doing the chanting. 

In Game 6, 2013, Super Grizz climbed to the top of a ladder at center court, unfurled a banner that read "FINISH THEM" and the beat dropped, with now 18,000-strong chanting “Whoop That Trick/Clip” (mostly trick) in unison. 

The NBA was a little skittish about this, but it has remained part of the FedExForum arsenal, spurring a new round of beyond-our-borders tsk-tsking during the 2022 playoffs, as well as an opposing player embrace from Golden State’s Draymond Green, who whooped along as his team was getting whooped. (And went on to have the last laugh.)

Still: If the moment is right, the home crowd doesn’t need much prompting. Just that bare snatch of a beat. 

Wrestling Night: What began with Memphis wrestling legend Jerry Lawler manning the in-game “prize cannon” morphed into an annual event that’s included visiting legends (Southeast hoops great Vince Carter dapping up Southeast wrestling great Ric Flair), halftime matches, high spots (how many times has Super Grizz put a heel through a table?), extended angles that paid homage to the storylines of week-to-week wrestling shows, a Grizzlyweight Heavyweight Title and various wrestling-themed fan giveaways, all a nod to the city’s deep history during wrestling’s “territorial” heyday. In the 2018-19 season, the franchise probably overdid it by making this annual event a recurring one. But it was an inspired idea to tie the Grizzlies to Memphis cultural history by evoking Monday nights at the Mid-South Coliseum and Saturday mornings on local TV. (Related reading: “That’s Zach Randolph’s music!”.)

Y

Ya heard me?: A favored Ja Morant-ism, usually dispensed after crashing a teammate’s post-game television interview. 

You ain’t gonna write nothin’, homeboy: Jason Williams’ eternal quotable, during a locker-room diatribe after the Grizzlies’ 123-115 Game 4 loss and series sweep to the Phoenix Suns (May 1, 2005). The “you” in question was then Commercial Appeal and current Daily Memphian columnist Geoff Calkins, whose critical piece ahead of the game had drawn Williams’ ire. Williams snatched Calkins pen from his hand as the columnist was trying to talk to teammate Mike Miller. “He ain’t gettin’ no interviews,” Williams insisted, before Miller pulled him away. 

Nick Young: Perhaps the ultimate Grizzlies boogeyman, a feast-or-famine gunner who drilled three 3-pointers in a single late-fourth-quarter minute as the Grizz blew a 27-point lead to lose Game 1 at home in a first-round playoff series in 2012, eventually losing the series. 

Young and Hungry: Marketing campaign as the Core Four/Grit-and-Grind era first began to come together. Probably a better fit for the Jaren Jackson Jr./Ja Morant Grizzlies of 2019-20. Look up to the right as you drive down Third Street, away from FedExForum, and you might see a decade-old “Young and Hungry” banner still lurking Downtown. 

Z

Z-bound: Pete Pranica’s term for when Zach Randolph would miss a shot but score off of his own offensive rebound.

Zombie Grizzlies: As injuries piled up and cornerstones Mike Conley and Marc Gasol went down for the season, the Grizzlies used an NBA record 28 players in the 2015-2016 season. Among the walking dead: Future footnotes Briante Weber, Alex Stepheson, Xavier Munford, Ray McCallum, Jordan Farmar and Bryce Cotton.