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The Memphis Grizzlies was founded in 1995 and their first home was in Vancouver. After five unsuccessful years in Canada led by players such as Mike Bibby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bryant Reeves, the team relocated to Memphis and found good success.
The team made the playoffs three times in the 2000s with Pau Gasol and Jason Williams. However, they failed to win a single postseason game until this decade when the Grizzlies reached it seven times.
Despite the short history of the Grizzlies, they have produced a lot of good players and future Hall of Famers. Pau Gasol put the team on the map while Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph represented the team’s Grit and Grind Era.
Without further ado, here the five players who made the all-time starting five of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Guard – Tony Allen
The Grit and Grind Era of the Memphis Grizzlies was the most successful time in franchise history. No Grizzlies player epitomized that motto more than Tony Allen. “The Grindfather” arrived from Boston via free agency and he quickly established himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA.
Allen was named to three All-Defensive First Team and three All-Defensive Second Team during his seven-year tenure with the Grizzlies.
He ranks second in all-time steals for the Grizzlies and his defense helped the team make the playoffs seven times during his seven seasons. The great Kobe Bryant even named him the best defender he has ever faced.
Honorable Mention: Guard – Mike Miller
Quite possibly the best shooter in Grizzlies history, Mike Miller was with the team from 2003 to 2008.
He sits seventh in the all-time leader for points, seventh in minutes played, tenth in rebounds, sixth in assists, and second in three-pointers made. Miller won the Sixth Man of the Year in 2006.
Guard – Mike Conley
The most underrated player of his generation, Mike Conley has never made an All-Star team in his 12-year career. He deserved it in 2017 when he averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Conley has been improving yearly until he reached his prime in 2014.
He continued development of his shooting and followed it up by being great defensively has been key to the Grizzlies’ recent success.
Conley is second in points, first in assists, first in steals, and first in three-pointers made in the team’s all-time leaderboards. If he can finish his career with the Grizzlies, he will go down as the team’s greatest player ever.
Honorable Mention: Guard – Jason Williams
Along with Pau Gasol, Jason Williams helped built the Grizzlies after the team’s relocation from Vancouver to Memphis.
The Grizzlies made the playoffs twice during his four-year stint but they never won a single game. He is third in all-time assists and three-points made by a Grizzlies player.
Forward – Pau Gasol
The first superstar for the Grizzlies in Memphis, Pau Gasol was drafted third overall in 2001 and he became the first international player to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
He led the Grizzlies to three straight playoff appearances from 2004 to 2006 but all ended in four-game sweeps. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008 wherein he won two NBA titles in 2009 and 2010.
In six and a half seasons with the Grizzlies, Gasol was named an All-Star once and he was also able to rank fourth in points, third in rebounds, fifth in assists, and second in blocks.
His trade to the Lakers also brought his brother Marc to Memphis, which turned out to be a good thing for the franchise.
Honorable Mention: Forward – Rudy Gay
Known as a scorer, Rudy Gay was with the Grizzlies from 2006 to 2013. He would have been included in the all-time starting five if he was efficient. He was vital in early part of the Grint and Grind Era but the Grizzlies realized that they were better off without him.
Forward – Zach Randolph
There was no fanfare when the Grizzlies acquired Zach Randolph from the Clippers in 2009. Randolph was not a star and he did not live to his potential.
However, he was able to turn it around in Memphis and became one of the greatest players in franchise history.
Randolph was an All-Star in 2010 and 2013 while also helping the Grizzlies make seven straight postseason appearances.
He led the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2013 but they fell to the San Antonio Spurs. He left Memphis last season third in points scored, first in rebounds, seventh in assists, sixth in steals, and third in minutes played.
Honorable Mention: Forward – Shane Battier
Shane Battier had his best season offensive in his rookie year with the Grizzlies. He became a more prominent defender in his five-year stint in Memphis.
He was one of the first true three-and-D players of the modern NBA. His tenure with the Grizzlies helped him develop into one of the best role players in NBA history.
Center – Marc Gasol
The prized asset from the Pau Gasol trade, Marc quickly got out of his brother’s shadow in Memphis.
After just his fourth season, Marc already established himself as one of the best centers in the league. He is a much stronger version of his brother with the same passing ability but better defensively.
Marc is a three-time All-Star and the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. He also made the All-NBA First Team in 2015 and the All-NBA Second Team in 2013.
He currently ranks first in points, blocks and minutes played, second in rebounds and assists, and third in steals in the Grizzlies all-time leaderboards.
Honorable Mention: Forward – Shareef Abdur-Rahim
The first superstar of the franchise, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was drafted third overall in 1996 by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies.
In five seasons in Vancouver, he failed to lead the team to the playoffs and he was subsequently traded to the Atlanta Hawks wherein he became an All-Star. He is still in the top ten of the all-time leaderboards for the five major statistics.
Guess the Lakers players!
