Herrington: Tony Allen took over and reminded Memphis why it loves him
Former Memphis Grizzlies player Tony Allen raises his arms while standing with family during his jersey retirement ceremony Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Chris Herrington
Chris Herrington has covered the Memphis Grizzlies, in one way or another, since the franchise’s second season in Memphis, while also writing about music, movies, food and civic life. As far as he knows, he’s the only member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association who is also a member of a film critics group and has also voted in national music critic polls for Rolling Stone and the Village Voice (RIP). He and his wife have two kids and, for reasons that sometimes elude him, three dogs.
Back in the day, when he was wearing Beale Street Blue, Tony Allen used to wander around the Memphis Grizzlies locker room after games, singing to himself.
“Ain’t no love in the heart of the city. Ain’t no love in the heart of town.”
It’s the chorus to a 1974 R&B song by Memphis music great Bobby “Blue” Bland, though Allen knew it via a sample used in a then-current song from rapper Jay-Z.
One imagines this particular song was not on Allen’s lips Saturday night when he was once again the center of attention in the arena where he built his legend.
If FedExForum is the heart of Memphis, and it was on this night, love was abundant.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis Grizzlies Tony Allen Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Chris Herrington on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Chris Herrington's stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Related stories
Calkins: How did Marc Gasol celebrate his moment? By sharing it, of course.
As a player, Marc Gasol always shared the glory. And so it was again Saturday night. How better to honor Gasol than by celebrating all four men who helped him transform a franchise and the city? On a glorious night for the Core Four.
Herrington: On Marc Gasol’s big night, he brought his team with him
It was appropriate that a night dedicated to celebrating Marc Gasol’s Grizzlies career instead became primarily a night to celebrate team.
Echols: Memories of Marc Gasol and the Core Four bring tears, grief and joy
“We were proud to be Memphians for a great many reasons, but underneath them all was a sense of citywide unity. For once, we were all on the same team.”
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.