Hardaway on Tyre Nichols: ‘My heart is big for the city’
“I want to be a part of the blessing and the positivity of it moving forward,” Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway said. “That’s just where I am with the city.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Penny Hardaway spoke of a serious topic during an otherwise lighthearted postgame press conference.
Memphis’ fifth-year basketball coach was asked Thursday night after the Tigers’ 99-84 win over SMU if he had any comment on the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols due to injuries sustained at a traffic stop.
“For my city, because this is where I’m from, I’m always about love,” said Hardaway, his tone somber just minutes after grabbing his 100th career victory. “I’m always trying to do my part to ensure that we’re better than we were. … We’re well aware of how our city needs to heal and grow. And I don’t want to speak out of turn about anything, but my heart is big for the city.”
Tyre Nichols died Jan. 10, days after being injured during a traffic stop by Memphis police officers on Jan. 7.
All five officers involved have since been charged with second-degree murder, acting in concert with aggravated assault, two aggravated kidnapping charges, two official misconduct charges and official oppression, according to court records.
“I want to be a part of the blessing and the positivity of it moving forward,” Hardaway said. “That’s just where I am with the city.
“Everyone knows me. I love this city. I came back home to make a difference and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Tyre Nichols
• Tyre Nichols died Jan. 10, days after being injured during an incident with Memphis police officers, Jan. 7.
• Chants could be heard outside the National Civil Rights Museum Jan. 16, as mourners of Tyre Nichols call for action from the Memphis Police Department.
• Family, friends and coworkers attend the memorial service for Tyre Nichols, remembering his “free spirit” and love for skateboarding.
• On Jan. 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols.
• The Daily Memphian reports Jan. 23 that one of the Memphis police officers fired in connection with Tyre Nichols’ death was previously accused of police brutality.
• After viewing the bodycam footage with the Nichols family on Jan. 23, civil rights attorney Ben Crump calls the video “appalling” and “heinous.”
• Tyre Nichols suffered “extensive bleeding,” according to results from an independent autopsy done by a pathologist hired by the Nichols’ family legal representatives.
• The Daily Memphian reports Jan. 25 the officers terminated in connection to Tyre Nichols’ death were affiliated with SCORPION, a Memphis Police Department special unit.
• Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis orders an investigation of all specialized police units Jan. 25, as she said that more police officers are under investigation than the five who were fired following the death of Tyre Nichols.
• On Jan. 26, charges were filed against the police officers fired in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.
• Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announces the date for the video of the incident between Tyre Nichols and police officers.
• On Jan. 26, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland confirms the city will release the police video recording of the Tyre Nichols incident sometime Friday, Jan. 27, after 6 p.m.
• At least two of the officers in the Tyre Nichols case post bond just hours after being booked in the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar Ave. on Jan. 26.
• On Jan. 26, attorneys for the family of Tyre Nichols call for an end to law enforcement units like the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION unit.
• A vigil is held at Tobey Skate Park for Tyre Nichols by his friends, family, mourners and a few of his fellow skateboarders.
Topics
Memphis vs. SMU Penny Hardaway Memphis Tigers Tigers Basketball Memphis Tigers Basketball Tyre NicholsParth Upadhyaya
Parth Upadhyaya covers the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team. A Raleigh, N.C., native and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Media and Journalism, Upadhyaya is a longtime college hoops junkie. Prior to joining The Daily Memphian in 2022, he covered high school sports in western Pennsylvania for the Beaver County Times and Penn State football for the Centre Daily Times.
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