Memphis Grizzlies legend Tony Allen might be best known for his stout defense, but he is not getting the respect he deserves.

Allen, now 37 years old and semi-retired after he was waived by the Chicago Bulls in 2018, took issue with a graphic posted on Twitter by Sports Center. The image displays 10 current and former NBA players and a question prompting social media users to answer who they would choose to defend Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.

Allen, often cited as one of his generation's best defenders, was aggrieved by the perceived slight. He tweeted a shrugging emoji when re-sharing the tweet and image.

For what it's worth, Bryant himself mentioned the former Grizzlies wing as the ā€œbestā€ defender he faced.

Allen was never an offensive force in the NBA. In his 14-year career, he averaged 8.1 points per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field. Nevertheless, Allen was able to maintain longevity in a league that easily chews and spits out good players due to his immense presence as a defender.

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With the Grizzlies from 2010 to 2017, Allen became known as one of the peskiest defenders on the team's ā€œGrit ā€˜n' Grindā€ era.

Despite never reaching the NBA Finals, Allen,Ā Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley are fondly remembered in Memphis, with all likely to have their respective numbers retired. It has already been decided by the Grizzlies organization that Allen's No. 9 will hang in the rafters upon his official retirement announcement.