The Memphis Grizzlies made an announcement this week that they will retire the jerseys of two franchise icons during the 2021-22 season. First, the team will retire Zach Randolph’s No. 50 jersey on Saturday, Dec. 11 when they take on the Houston Rockets. Then on Friday, Jan. 28th the team will honor Tony Allen by sending his No. 9 jersey to the rafters when they play the Utah Jazz.
Tony Allen heard the news on The Chris Vernon Show.
“It’s a dream come true… it’s like a complete honor. I’m thankful.” – @aa000G9 @ChrisVernonShow announced today that both Tony Allen and @MacBo50 will have their jerseys retired this year.
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) September 1, 2021
Details: https://t.co/GFSEwFEU7N pic.twitter.com/0QXXaydBgi
These two players were part of the “Grit and Grind” era which was Memphis’ most celebrated run. The team had seven straight playoff appearances from 2011-17, with a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2013.
Randolph was a two time All-Star who averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during his NBA career. While suiting up for Memphis, he led team in scoring three times.
Allen averaged 8.9 points per game during his seven year run in Memphis, but he was the team’s most versatile defender and help create the defensive identity with a hard-nosed, defensive reputation.
