Calkins: Before Elon Musk, there was Jerry West.
Jerry West, president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, answers a question during the Grizzlies' media day on Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, in Memphis. Under West’s leadership, the Grizzlies won 50 games for the first time in franchise history and made three consecutive playoff appearances. (Mark Humphrey/AP Photo file)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He is host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" from 9-11 a.m. M-F on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
“Nobody believed Jerry West would take a job with the Grizzlies. He was too famous, too big, for this town. But West never thought that.”
Related story:
Jerry West, a 3-time Hall of Fame selection and the NBA logo, dies at 86
Topics
Jerry West Memphis Grizzlies Elon Musk Hubie Brown Mike Heisley Andy Dolich 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.
Geoff Calkins on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Geoff Calkins' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Related stories
Calkins: Can a 30-year-old whiz kid save the Grizzlies?
The Grizzlies took a risk when they hired 30-year-old Zach Kleiman to lead their personnel department. But that doesn't mean Kleiman can't do the job.
Remembering the deal that brought Z-Bo to the Grizzlies
It took Zach Randolph nine seasons and some fortuitous moves to find his way to Memphis.
Herrington: Grizzlies face — and embrace — battle with history in Los Angeles
“They’re obviously battle-tested way more than we have been,” coach Taylor Jenkins said of the Lakers. “With championship pedigrees and experience. That definitely shows up this time of year, and we’re learning on the fly. Last year, we learned a lot. We carried it over to this season.”
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.