Subscribe
Follow Us
David Fizdale started this week in the unemployment line after the Memphis Grizzlies’ management handed him his walking papers Monday. The Grizzlies are currently in a rut right now, as they are on an eight-game losing streak, a stretch that included last Sunday’s disappointing 99-88 loss at home against the Brooklyn Nets, a team even the struggling Grizzlies shouldn’t be losing to.
Fizdale made quite a controversy in that game for refusing to play Grizzlies center Marc Gasol in the fourth quarter, a decision that looked like a death wish in retrospect as it probably played a part in the Grizzlies front office opting to sack the 43-year-old mentor.
But whatever the true story was behind the firing of Fizdale, it definitely caught a lot of people by surprise. Among them is long-time San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who had kind and encouraging words to say for Fizdale, per Tom Osborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
Article Continues Below
Pop on Fizdale firing: "Fiz is a fine young coach. Nobody likes to see those guys have a short tenure. He did a hell of a job, and I don’t think he is going to have any problem landing some place. He is a good man. He knows what he is doing, is tough minded. He will be fine."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) November 28, 2017
Fizdale leaves the Grizzlies with a 50-51 record as the team’s coach for almost two seasons. Before being hired by Memphis as head coach in 2016, Fizdale spent several seasons as an assistant in Miami, Atlanta, and Golden State.
J.B. Bickerstaff is set to take over Fizdale’s role for the meantime as coach of the Grizzlies, who are set to play Popovich’s Spurs this Wednesday in San Antonio.
