Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. That sums up the message point guard Mike Conley tearfully delivered to Memphis Grizzlies fans in an Uninterrupted video posted on Friday.

Memphis traded its long-time floor general to the Utah Jazz in June prior to the 2019 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies decided to head into a new era, as the trade cleared the way to draft Murray State point guard phenom Ja Morant with the second overall pick in the draft.

Despite leaving Grind City unceremoniously in a trade, Conley took the move in stride and composed his thoughts in an emotional letter entitled “Dear Memphis.” He shared it for fans to hear and remember him by before the underappreciated player left for good.

In the letter, Conley recites a few memories and what he’ll glean from his experiences playing for the Memphis franchise for 12 gritty years.

With Conley on the team, alongside former compadre Marc Gasol — who was traded to eventual champions Toronto Raptors —  the Grizzlies were perpetual playoff participants. Although the team never appeared in an NBA Finals, they made the playoffs six times during Conley’s tenure. They made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2018 under then-head coach Lionel Hollins.

Conley’s departure represents possibly the final piece of the “Grit ‘n’ Grind” era — which also consisted of Gasol, power forward Zach Randolph, pestering wing Tony Allen, and a defensive mindset that perturbed opponents for a generation.