Tony Allen may be wearing a New Orleans Pelicans uniform these days, but his heart will always be in Memphis.
The Grizzlies announced Thursday that Allen, who played with them for seven years and was a crucial part of their identity, will be getting his jersey retired.
"We are proud that @aa000G9's #9 jersey will hang in the rafters of @FedExForum alongside Zach’s one day.”https://t.co/hEpfJDtuYe pic.twitter.com/zc2UuIOcgL
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 12, 2017
Speaking with reporters shortly afterwards, Allen had an emotional reaction.
.@aa000G9’s emotional reaction to having his jersey retired in Memphis. pic.twitter.com/skSGoPaFLn
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 12, 2017
“I wasn’t doing that for no notoriety,” said the six-time All-Defensive selection. “I was never trying to be in your paper, your latest magazine. I was doing it just playing hard, playing the right way, trying to win. Never cared about the fanciness and the All-Star games.
“All I wanted to just be known for is to be one of the greatest defenders that ever played the game,” Allen continued. “I just think Memphis allowed me to have the opportunity to be able to play. That’s that.”
The Grizzlies, who were founded in 1995, actually have yet to retire a single player’s jersey. Thus, it’s obviously a huge honor for Allen, who defined the Grit-N-Grind era and earned the respect of his contemporaries in the process.
