Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace and president Jason Wexler jointly penned a thank you letter to former team captain Zach Randolph, who left the franchise for the Sacramento Kings this summer by way of a two-year, $24 million deal:
Grizzlies retire Zach Randolph’s number with tear-jerking open letter
Z-Bo meant a lot to the city of Memphis. Now, his number is immortal.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The eight years Zach spent in the mud, in Memphis, are special. They are filled with franchise-defining basketball success, but they are so clearly about more than that. Every Memphian felt it and all of us believe it.
Zach helped establish what it means to play for the Grizzlies on the court and in the community, and in doing so helped forge an identity for our City.
In addition, Grizzlies owner Robert Pera wrote a separate note thanking Z-Bo for turning the lottery-laden franchise into perennial contenders. Pera also revealed his intention to retire Randolph’s number this summer.
“Zach, you helped turn a lottery team into a perennial playoff contender,” Pera wrote. “You helped make a basketball team a model of community service. Thank you for all that you put into this community and this organization. #50 will never be worn by another member of the Memphis Grizzlies.”
Randolph joined the Grizzlies in 2009 after six seasons in Portland and brief stints with the Clippers and Knicks. A bully in the low post with a soft touch from mid-range, Z-Bo utilized a unique blend of brute strength, deft footwork, and a crafty pump fake to develop into one of the toughest frontcourt players to defend — especially one without much of a vertical leap.
He played in at least 68 games in all but one of his eight years in Memphis, embodying the “Grit and Grind” mantra Memphis adopted as it became one of the most feared dark horse playoff teams in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies never made the NBA Finals in Randolph’s tenure and made the conference finals only once, but Memphis knocked off several favorites in the playoffs, including the Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers.
Randolph, who turns 36 on July 16, joins a young Sacramento team as a mentor and veteran presence. He is expected to help turn the Kings around the same way he helped turn the once cellar-dwelling Grizzlies around almost a decade ago.
See More:
