Grizzlies will retire Tony Allen’s jersey, honoring Grit ‘N Grind forever

The Memphis Grizzlies announced their decision to retire Tony Allen’s No. 9 jersey alongside Zach Randolph’s on Thursday, noting that his jersey will hang from the rafters “one day.”

“Tony was a driving force behind the Grizzlies’ seven straight playoff appearances and he remains a beloved member of the Memphis community,” said Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. “Tony played with a level of passion that is unrivaled. He helped establish a Grizzlies culture focused on toughness and effort, and he challenged every player that put on Beale Street Blue to match his fiery intensity.”

“There would never have been seven straight years of playoff appearances, the incredible electricity in FedExForum for home games, ‘Grit and Grind’ and ‘Believe Memphis’ without Tony Allen’s contributions to the team,” said general manager Chris Wallace. “In the process Tony became more than just one of the toughest defenders in the league – he became a true cult hero who was intertwined with the soul of Memphis like few athletes ever have in any city.”

The Grizzlies have never retired a jersey in their 22-year history, but lifting Allen’s — alongside Randolph’s — would be a fitting start to commemorating a key era in franchise history. He went by “The Grindfather” during his time with the Grizzlies for a reason: He’s been the most rugged, scrappy, tough-nosed non-scorer the league has seen since he entered the NBA in 2004.

To keep it simple, he was First Team All-Memphis.

After all, Allen left the Grizzlies for the New Orleans Pelicans after Memphis reportedly would offer him only a veteran’s minimum contract of around $2.4 million. In fact, The Grindfather didn’t relocate to New Orleans until mid-September, becoming one of the last household names to sign in free agency.

That, and Allen still plays in this league. Teams normally wait until a player has retired to announce plans to — you know, retire his jersey.

It’s an incredible and worthy gesture of a Memphis legend — just odd timing given the way things ended.

For what it’s worth, Allen was reportedly “tearful and appreciative” when he heard Memphis was retiring his number. So maybe this was the happy ending he wanted all along.