Memphis Grizzlies Biography: Players, Net Worth, History, Stats

The Memphis Grizzlies might not be a dominant team in the league for now. However, they are still young and figuring out their place in the NBA as competent players who can put the fight in front of the powerhouse teams in the league and keep them on edge till the playoffs. The team came into effect in 1995 as an expansion team in Canada. Originally, they were carrying the name of the Vancouver Grizzlies, which were later based in Memphis, Tennessee.

A part of the Western Conference's Southwest division, the Grizzlies don't hold big trophies in the league, yet their hunger for a fight in a game has earned them a powerful, dedicated fanbase. So, let's go through the journey of this young team in the NBA.

Memphis Grizzlies Profile

Memphis Grizzlies' profile description in the following table describes the fundamental details of the NBA franchise. It includes the founding year of the team along with owners, home arena, conference, and head coach, among other details.

Memphis Grizzlies History

The Grizzlies were founded as Vancouver Grizzlies in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1995. That's why they belonged to the Midwest Division in the Western Conference at that time. Their name was inspired by grizzly bears related to British Columbia. When the team was based in Vancouver, they used to play in the General Motors(GM) Place arena. The franchise relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, in July 2001 and renamed themselves the Memphis Grizzlies.

Pau Gasol was traded to the Grizzlies in 2001 from the Atlanta Hawks. Then, the Grizzlies also got Shane Battier and Jason Williams as a part of their squad. It was a great year for Gasol since he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award, after which Hall of Legend Jerry West took the role of GM for the franchise. The next year, in the 2003-04 season, the team made it to the playoffs for the first time under the guidance of Hubie Brown. However, Brown stepped down from the role in the 2004-05 season.

For the next two seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies continuously made it to the playoffs. In the 2007 NBA Draft, the team picked up Mike Conley Jr. as the fourth overall pick. The NBA enthusiasts named this era of the Grizzlies as the "Grit and Grind" era(2010-2019). The team played a tough and defensive playing style during that period and emerged with players like Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen. This squad pushed to the playoffs and even reached the Western Conference Finals in 2013. Gasol was named the Defensive Player of the Year, but the San Antonio Spurs wiped them out in the 2013 Conference Finals.

After 2019, when the previous stars left the franchise to move on, the controlling coach, Robert Pera(2012), proposed restructuring. Later on, they received Ja Morant as the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant earned the Rookie of the Year title and then pushed the league to playoffs in the 2020-21 season. Jaren Jackson Jr. also joined the role to keep the playoff streak rolling in the 2002-23 season. He not only won the All-Star place and then the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Memphis Grizzlies Stats

In the current season, the Grizzlies have a 39-24 win-loss record with a 61.9 winning percentage. So, they are one of the favorites to feature in the upcoming playoffs. In the past, they have showcased splashes of brilliance in the early 2000s and then during the early 2020s. Here is a tabular breakdown of all the special appearances that the Memphis Grizzlies have made so far in the NBA, including their winning percentage according to the basketball reference data:

Memphis Grizzlies Famous Players

No doubt, the Grizzlies are young in the NBA in comparison to other teams. However, some talented players have blessed their roster, which can be mentioned as follows:

Pau Gasol

Gasol was the all-time leading rebounder in his fifth season with the team. He was a Core Four player during the Grit'N'Grind era. However, he was unique due to his international roots. That's why he was the first Spanish basketball player and the first Grizzlies player to ever make it to the All-Star Game. When Gasol requested a trade in 2007, he was then moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008. Later on, Gasol went on to win 2 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mike Conley

The Captain Clutch for the Memphis Grizzlies is the franchise all-time leader in points, assists(4,509), steals(1,161), games played(788), and three-pointers made(1,086). Notably, he scored 25,700 points in his career, all while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. Even after his retirement from the game, he made sure to contribute to the cause of the Memphis Grizzlies. That's why he promotes Grizzlies Prep, a program that helps close the opportunity gap for young men of color in Memphis.

Zach Randolph

The 2X NBA All-Star was part of the Marc Gasol era and took the team to the playoffs multiple times. The fans had even given Zach Randolph a nickname during the Grint and Grind era, which was titled ‘Z-Bo.' It was given due to his tough style of play, in which he used to take on his opponents with physical force. While playing for the Memphis team for 8 seasons, he dished out 15.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Due to his contribution to the legacy of the Grizzlies, the management inducted Randolph into the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame.

Ja Morant

He is one of the leading point guards in the league. That's why, even after sustaining injuries or suspensions, he returned to the league without deviating from his form. He recently scored 31 points against the Dallas Mavericks to get an 11-point margin win. He is currently playing for the team and building his legacy as an individual. Recently, he went on a 44-point haul against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was his 10th consecutive game in which he scored 20 or more points.

Marc Gasol

He won the Defensive Player of the Year title in 2013 and led the Grizzlies to 7 consecutive playoff appearances. The monster under the rim was also a 3x NBA All-Star. As a center, he was not just good at scoring, but scoring, assisting, and rebounding. Even to this day, he holds the franchise records for blocks, rebounds, and minutes played for the team. For his part in making the Memphis Grizzlies a competitive roster, the Grizzlies' management retired his number 33 jersey in 2024.

Memphis Grizzlies Roster

The Memphis Grizzlies traded players like Marvin Bagley III and Johnny Davis. Derrick Rose retired from the league. In addition to it, the players like Johnny Davis, Miles Norris, and David Johnson were waived from the squad. After these offseason changes, the current 2024-25 season squad looks something like the table below:

Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach

Taylor Jenkins took charge of the Memphis Grizzlies on June 11, 2019. He even won the Western Conference Coach of the Month award in January 2020. Before Grizzlies, Jenkins was an Assistant Coach for the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-2019) and Atlanta Hawks (2013-2018). Taylor guided the Bucks to a 60-22 regular season record and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

During his stint with the Atlanta Hawks, coach Jenkins led the Hawks to four NBA Playoffs and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance (2014-2015).

Memphis Grizzlies Owner

Robert J. Pera took over the Grizzlies in 2012. He is a businessman and founder and CEO of wireless equipment company, Ubiquiti Networks. He is the youngest controlling owner in the league. He bought the franchise for $350 million, and since then, he has been hell-bent on improving the squad without any compromise. That's why the team is hailing a much better winning percentage than in the past.

Memphis Grizzlies Net Worth

According to Forbes, the net worth of the Memphis Grizzlies is estimated to be around $3 billion. Forbes has marked the net worth of the NBA franchise based on parameters like revenue, operating income, player expenses, gate receipts, and revenue per fan. Currently, the Grizzlies are generating $291 million from the revenue with $31 million in Gate Receipts. The amount that the team receives per fan is $76.

Memphis Grizzlies Stadium

The Memphis Grizzlies' home stadium is titled FedEx Forum, which is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It first opened in September 2004. It is an indoor arena that was built with $250 million of funding. The FedExForum has a seating capacity of 17,794 for basketball fans, while for the Ice Hockey games, it is 16,411. There are also concerts held in this arena, where 19,000 fans can attend the event at a time. It was designed by the architectural firm Ellerbe Becket. Concrete work was done with the help of Dowco Construction and Apac.

Memphis Grizzlies Championships

The Memphis Grizzlies have not won a single NBA championship despite their efforts to get past the playoffs. They reached the 2013 Western Conference Finals but their hopes got wiped out as they could not clinch the Western Conference title.

Memphis Grizzlies Records

There are not many humongous milestones in the record book of the young Memphis Grizzlies. However, they do have some records under their belt which can be mentioned as follows.