Tony Allen says Grizzlies retiring his jersey is 'a dream come true' for Grit-and-Grind legend (2024)

CHICAGO — The grays in Tony Allen’s beard and the healed battle wounds on his body are reminders his playing days are long gone, but the youthful fire in his belly, and his love for basketball, still burn bright.

The 42-year-old Chicago native is hidden in a vacant section in Wintrust Arena, fixated on a scrimmage. Allen still gets a kick out of a good physical defensive possession. In a lot of ways, the NBA draft combine mirrors some of what Allen’s 14-year career in the NBA stood for — competition, even when your name is less heralded than some of your peers.

Recently, Allen learned that his No. 9 jersey will be immortalized in Memphis’ FedExForum, a testament to his sacrifices over the years as a member of the Grizzlies. For the majority of the last decade, Allen was the symbol of Memphis. Blue collar. Hardworking. Tough. Grit and grind.

In return, Memphis adopted him as one of their own. The Grizzlies teams in the early 2010s weren’t glamorous, players such as Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley don’t exactly scream box-office draws, but they were unified. The Grizzlies were more than just a team in that era, they became a cultural phenomenon in Memphis. And Allen, who was named to six All-Defensive teams during his time in Memphis — and also won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 — lived it to the fullest.

His retirement has not been quiet. In April 2023, Allen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as one of 18 former NBA players accused of defrauding the league’s healthcare plan for $5 million in medical and dental claims, according to court documents. Allen paid back most of the $420,000 he illegally obtained before he was charged, according to reporter Peter Brush. He was charged and sentenced to community service and three years probation.

“As a member of the NBA community, I failed to uphold our core values,” Allen said in court last year.

Recently, Allen sat down withThe Athletic to discuss his upcoming jersey retirement, the “Grit-n-Grind” era, today’s Grizzlies, Ja Morant’s challenges and more. He declined to comment on his past legal issues.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When you hear about your jersey getting retired in Memphis given everything you’ve given the city and Grizzlies in your career, how does that resonate with you?

Oh man, It’s a dream come true, honestly. This is every hooper’s dream and I’m very thankful. Big shout out to the Grizzlies for always holding it down for me. Embracing me. Acknowledging the fact that I struck a match to the organization with my phrase ‘Grit-n-Grind’ and that lives forever. Now we’re going to raise the jersey of No. 9. I’m a Grizzly forever.

When you initially coined the phrase “Grit-n-Grind” was it meant to serve a cultural purpose? Was it personal? It took on a life of its own almost immediately.

All in one. The personal side of things, man, just the way I had to grind and give. The work I had to put in, the guys that I had to compete against, me thinking that I was a top 10 pick at the time. My mindset was seek and destroy, it’s been that. Even when I was in college trying to be player of the year, fighting to scratch the surface in the first round. Overcoming and perseverance, the mindset that I’m gonna get things done. I’m gonna turn it around.

As far as culture, it was one of those things where my preparation before games, the way I train, coming in at night time, getting shots up, getting extra conditioning in, just to be prepared to play against all the elite players. It fit the organization and the city well because the city’s a blue-collar town. You got to work for just about everything. … Not playing as much, having a short window to be on the court to get the coach to believe in me that I am a force to be reckoned with. So Grit-n-Grind fits culturally and personally.

Has the game changed much from when you were in the combine 20 years ago? The top players don’t want to compete anymore (at the combine), which wasn’t how it was back in the day.

Back in the day, it was guys that would come in, take some pictures, do a few drills, you know, take a physical and then leave and would be ready for the green room. If (more players) are competing now, it changes the dynamics because you have guys who are probably late first-rounders who can move up just doing the right things and impressing the right people at the right time. I wish it could have been that way back then, because if we look at my performance when I played those combine scrimmages — and you let me tell it — I could have been top five.

But I like the way the game is evolving. That’s what we need, man. We need the competition to be at an all-time high. Right off the rip, you can tell who wants to compete in those specific scrimmages because everybody’s trying to impress those guys up there.

Your Grizzlies didn’t have the best regular season — injuries, missed the playoffs — but the young talent, specifically GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr., improved. You spent time around this team this season, how was it?

Those guys are some gems. Every time I see (Grizzlies GM Zack Kleiman), I always ask him, ‘Damn, how did you pull that off? You got an eye for this sh–‘ My bad, but big shout out to Zack. He found those guys and gave them that opportunity. And those guys took it and ran with it. Vince has a high motor, loves to play. Starts his game on the defensive end. He’s a knockdown shooter and it’s only going to improve with all the work he’s going to put in this summer. And I like the fact you can put him on just about anybody. The one, two or three, sometimes a four if we go small.

And then you have GG Jackson. He’s shown flashes of being some type of poor man’s Kevin Durant, some poor man’s Carmelo Anthony, some poor man’s LeBron James with a high ceiling. Yeah. And just to say that for a guy who was (drafted in the second round), that’s a huge compliment. To be scoring 45 points in a game, competing with some of the top guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and actually winning. Once he learns the game, it can be scary. I could see him being maxed out one day, getting one of them big lucrative contracts with the way he’s shown flashes of being great in his rookie season.

Wanted to get your thoughts on Ja Morant, just as the leader of this team with a lot on his shoulders.

Two things. For one, a lot of guys have gotten the spotlight due to his injury. He’s still one of the guys that could be the face of the league. He’s a force to be reckoned with. I think he’s a superstar and must-see TV. … I think this summer is one of the biggest for him. This is gonna put a lot of fuel to the fire, simply because you see a lot of cats getting notoriety right now, which was his spotlight. He’s learned from a lot of things that he’s done in the past. This is a perfect time for him to come back in the best shape, come back with the best handle, improved jump shot and lead his team to the promised land. He has the tools around him with Jaren Jackson Jr, (Desmond) Bane and (Marcus) Smart. Veteran poise in the locker room with Derrick Rose. Looking at the Grizzlies with the ninth pick, it’s a lot they can do if they want to get a big or something. But he is the head of the snake. This is the return year of Ja Morant to take the league back by storm.

So it’s only right that the young core keep that same focus. Because you don’t want nobody coming in here thinking it’s going to be a light walk in the park. This is definitely going to be a fight. A battle we’re definitely looking forward to, competing with any team in the league. Myself, Zach (Rudolph), Marc (Gasol) and Mike (Conley) laid the foundation for that mindset and we got to carry it on. And I think this group has the right tools to bring home a championship.

It felt like once he came back, he was about to light up the league but then succumbed to another injury. What’s the process of returning from another setback like that? And what advice do you have for him as far as keeping basketball a focus?

I want him to take his time with his injury. Give himself the proper healing time, get his strength and conditioning up to be ready for the next season. Getting back to being himself, having fun on the court. He knows he’s electrifying. Just be Ja, the Ja that we’ve known up until this point on the court. Everything else will take care of itself.

I’m a huge fan of Ja Morant. I look at him like a little brother. Real cool with his dad, his mom is a very sweet lady. It was a minor setback, it’s behind him. Basketball is the first priority and I’m sure he’ll cherish that moving forward.

It’s easy to tell, just by being around you, that the fire for the game still burns. Have you considered getting into coaching? Does something like that have any interest in the future for Tony Allen?

Well with the way they’re letting defense come back in the game now, I wouldn’t mind coaching. Coaching is an opportunity for me to pull out some of these slick techniques I used to use when I was playing and if I ever got the opportunity, I definitely wouldn’t shy away from it. I definitely would embrace it like I do anything else — give it 110 percent. Giving my knowledge to the game, would be me giving back, honestly. Because they took the art of defense out of the game for these past six, seven years. And to see how they’re calling the game now, letting you be a little more physical, if coaches need that deep, physical presence, I wouldn’t mind sharing. I wouldn’t shy away from the opportunity. Trust.

(Top photo: Mark Humphrey/AP Photo)

Kelly Iko is a staff writer covering the Houston Rockets and the NBA for The Athletic. The upcoming 2023-24 season will be his eighth following the NBA, having previously worked with USA Today and ESPN Houston. Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyIko