Chandler Parsons of the Memphis Grizzlies recently wrote a heartfelt message to the city in The Players' Tribune, and expressed his determination to make things right with the franchise.
“I know the last thing you want to hear from me is a promise about my basketball performance — I know I need to show it on the court,” he wrote. “I guess all I really wanted to say … is that I’m here. I’m here in Memphis. I still love it here. I’ve struggled here, too, which makes me want to prove myself here more than ever. I’m here to work, and I’ve got work to do. I’m not proud of how I dealt with my injuries publicly. On the bright side, I’m feeling stronger physically and mentally than I did two years ago. So I plan to do now the same thing I planned to do two years ago … come in fresh, as the new guy. With a lot to prove.”
Memphis fans have voiced out their frustration with Parsons following two injury-riddled seasons that saw him suit up for just 70 total games in that two year span. What makes it worse is the amount of money that is invested in Parsons, who signed a four-year $94 million deal with the team in 2016.
While it may not be fully Parsons' fault that his health has not held up, the eight-year veteran admitted that he did have shortcomings by seemingly not caring about his situation.
Photographs of Parsons'going out to vacations and fancy dinners usually surface around the net care of the paparazzi. This sends the wrong signals to the Grizzlies faithful that he's not doing his best to get back on the court.
Parsons says that he refocused and revamped his routines, and worked hard to rehab this past summer. He claims that this is the healthiest he's felt in a long time, and is determined to prove himself anew.
But he also knows that the last thing he can give the fans of Memphis is a promise – he needs to show it to them… on the basketball court.
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