The weirdest saga in the NBA that doesn’t involve Donald Sterling is now over. After it looked like Grizzlies head coach David Joerger was about to leave due to front office turmoil, he pulled a 180 and decided to stay in Memphis. Now, Joerger will be in Memphis for a while after signing an extension.
Via ESPN:
The Grizzlies announced Joerger’s extension Tuesday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed by the team, but Joerger said on ESPN 92.9 FM in Memphis that owner Robert Pera guaranteed the fourth year of his contract with a fifth-year team option
“He put his money right where his mouth is, and I put my money right where my mouth is …” Joerger said. “It’s good for both parties. Mike Conley and I were talking about we’ve been together for a long time, brother. Now we’ve got another three-, four-, five-year run on this deal.”
[…] Joerger went 50-32 for the best record among 10 first-year coaches and helped Memphis earn the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference during his first season on the job after being an assistant the previous six seasons. The Grizzlies lost in seven games to Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs.
But he was the Western Conference coach of the month in January and April, the only first-year coach to win twice since the NBA split the award by conference in 2002-03. Joerger said three other teams called for permission to talk to him last week only to be turned down. The Minnesota native was allowed to talk to the Timberwolves and now is thanking Pera for believing in him.
“I am 100 percent committed to leading the Grizzlies and I could not be more proud to call Memphis home,” Joerger said.
