The Memphis Grizzlies are putting themselves on the NBA map for two reasons: they're winning and they're letting you know about it. After refusing to back down from LeBron James, the Grizzlies are showing their teeth and rolling to one of the best records in the league.
With strong performances from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., as well as a once-in-a-lifetime stat line from Desmond Bane, Memphis beat the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Late in the game, Bane and Julius Randle got physical with each other after Randle approached the Grizzlies' bench. Randle would end up getting ejected late in the game, which the Grizzlies won 120-108.
Morant said in the postgame press conference that Memphis isn't backing down from anything or anyone, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN:
“There ain't no running in the M, man,” Morant said. “We climb up the chimney. We ain't ducking no smoke. We're gonna let everybody know we're here.
“We're gonna play hard. We're trying to get a win, and if you don't like it? Oh well.”




Jackson added that trash talking doesn't bother the Grizzlies.
“Ain’t no running in the M. We climb up the chimney. We ain’t ducking no smoke…If you gonna cry, what the babies gonna do?”
Ja & JJJ on the Julius Randle exchange
🥷🦄 #GrzNxtGenpic.twitter.com/oakGwV4962— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 3, 2022
The Grizzlies, after showing flashes of brilliance, are coming into their own and terrorizing the league. They own a 36-18 record and the third seed in the Western Conference. Morant is an All-Star starter and Memphis has more good players besides Jackson and Bane, many of which are very young.
Before Morant and the current Grizzlies core was assembled, Memphis embraced a “grit and grind” culture. Now, this era of Grizzlies basketball is picking up right where that era left off.