Memphis is a rag tag group, and that's okay

[Zordor]

The more I think about it, yes the memphis grizzlies are an NBA team, and a very good one at that! But the Grizzlies are more than that, they are an ideal. The ideal that its not over till its over, that the difference between being good and being great is just effort, when you aint got nothing left, when you are beaten, broken, and with no hope of winning, that is when winners are made, when from the ashes he who is great divides himself from he who is good, when he is able to claw his way out of hell one inch at a time, to give it one more breath.

Consider how much TA gives when he is on the court AND when he is off of it, he is never sitting down it seems like as he gets the crowd and the players pumped and on the court he forces guys to constantly look over their shoulders.

Consider Mike Conley as he comes back from so many injuries and still gives it his all and without complaining, and how people thought he was a draft bust for so many years, only to show he was so much more than anyone thought.

Consider Gasol, he was said to be too big, not the right proportions, too slow, and yet now he is the best Center in the league.

Consider how much of a headcase Z-Bo was before Memphis but now how much he relates to the community, his team just wanted to be rid of him, but he showed them what he was worth.

Jeff Green comes back from heart surgery to play at an NBA level, even could be a starter on most teams, so everytime I yell at the TV when he misses a shot I remember how incredible it is that he is even there.

As you watch Vince Carter age and starts to wear down, you remember what a career he had, and what he stands for, his veteran leadership to the team and the community, no one imagined carter would be playing for memphis one day!

See Lee as he is the tentative guy on the Grizzlies who is sometimes quiet during games and you wish he would take that shot, but when he does decide to attack, he is deadly, Boston traded him for a point guard they didnt even keep, Lee has always been an underdog, and now he has had the chance to show what he is worth.

Stokes was a huge Grizzlies fan when they were in Memphis and now he gets to play for his favorite team with his best friend Jordan Adams, it has to be a dream come true, showing if you can dream it, you can do it.

Udrih is another guy who was cut, who was old and who shouldnt have had anything left, and yet he came back to prove himself, and udrih is one of the most low key and likeable guys in the league and the "where's Beno" in Memphis is great seeing him ride his bike different places and meet fans always with a smile.

Russ Smith resembles the swag and hype of the city, yes there are times you have to grind it out to find the money to play for this or that, but Russ resembles the life in the city , the Russdiculousness of it all, he is not afraid to call people out and he is not afraid to try some crazy stuff whether it works or not, but he is always looking for something new, and where everyone else shows the old school, he resembles the new life in the city.

Consider if Greg Oden came here and revived his career atleast to being a backup after the injuries and the arrests he has suffered, being as it stands among the biggest draft busts, to come back to play with an old friend in Mike Conley, whether he is good or bad, it shows the way the players and the fans are like one and embrace each other like brothers, they know they are only human.

Consider if Tyrus Thompson plays for Memphis as he comes off of spinal surgery , as he claws his way back into the NBA after losing everything, the way he beats all odds.

Memphis might not draft the greatest guys , may not be the best at developing rookies, and they dont have a superstar, but what they do have is heart, tenacity, and a will to succeed. They are the ideal and the image of the city, whether they bring a trophy home or not is not as important as what they represent to the city, to the fans, and to all those across the globe, showing no matter what, nothing is impossible.

How many games would we have won this year if Memphis simply "gave up"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk56bUDrIcs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_TLXGh5ayY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HCK6eZatU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1bOwM97Ros
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-r68qRA-Sc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X265E0pRq2k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTttsoI-Wy4