The Memphis Grizzlies are making a lot of noise right now because the team is fighting for the top of the conference. It didn’t always use to be this way. The Grizzlies entered the league in 1995 as the Vancouver Grizzlies. The team transitioned to Memphis, Tennessee, in 2001 and has played there ever since. In the team’s history, the team owns just one division title, which was won last season, and has never made the NBA Finals.
The team won one trip to the Conference Finals in 2013, but with Ja Morant and company leading the way, there is the belief the team could make a run back 10 years later. While the Grizzlies are not the championship caliber level franchise like the Lakers and Celtics, the team owns a deep background of solid players.
It goes back to drafting. When you have a small-market franchise, luring free agents is not going to be the first option. The Grizzlies own a very strong background in drafting strong NBA players. That is evidenced by the greatest Memphis Grizzlies players to ever wear the jersey. Let’s take a look at those players right now. These are the 10 greatest Memphis Grizzlies players of all time.
Honorable Mentions
Jason Williams
Years in Memphis: 5 (2001-2005, 2010-2011)
Memphis: 11.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career: 10.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Honors: None
After a rough relationship with the Kings, Williams joined the Grizzlies in a trade that involved Nick Anderson for Mike Bibby and Brent Price. The team had just relocated to Memphis at the time. In his first season under Hubie Brown, the Grizzlies improved by a franchise record 28 games.
Williams was a solid guard for the team. He is third all-time in assists (2,069) and three-point field goals (500). He also ranks eighth in (372) steals. Even though he never won any major awards, history shows that he is one of the better guards to go through the franchise.
Bryant Reeves
Years in Memphis: 5 (1995-2001)
Memphis: 12.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Career: 12.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie Second Team (1996)
Reeve is one of the original greats. When the Grizzlies assembled in 1995, he was the No. 6 overall pick. It was the first-ever draft selection in team history. Nicknamed “Big Country,” the 7-foot-0, 290-pounder played his entire career in Vancouver. He left the NBA when the team relocated due to a back injury. During the preseason in 2001-02, the back pain was so severe he was carried via stretcher by eight of his teammates.
Reeves ranks in the top 10 in team history for games, minutes, field goals, two-point field goals, and free throws. His best mark is where he ranks seventh in defensive rebounds (1,889), sixth in total rebounds (2,745), and fifth in offensive rebounds (856). He also is one of eight players with at least 300 blocks.
Mike Bibby
Years in Memphis: 3 (1998-2001)
Memphis: 14.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career: 14.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (1999)
The Grizzlies know how to draft, given that the next three honorable mentions were members of the All-Rookie First Team. Bibby was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in 1998. He was a consistent player for the team. He set a franchise record for steals in a game with seven two times in 2000.
Bibby ranks fourth (1,675) in assists and 10th (317) in career steals. The 7.8 assists for a career remains a record for the Grizzlies. If Ja Morant continues to play at a high level, he could be a player that eventually breaks the two-decade record.
OJ Mayo
Years in Memphis: 4 (2008-2012)
Memphis: 15.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 13.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (2009)
When Mayo came into the league, he impressed many. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of USC. The Timberwolves used their pick on Mayo, and the Grizzlies traded draft rights to Kevin Love, as well as Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins. Looking back, keeping Love might have been the better move, but Mayo was still productive.
Mayo was the runner-up to Derrick Rose in the Rookie of the Year voting. Mayo scored 40 points in a game in his sophomore season. However, a fight with Tony Allen and a positive test for a steroid put a bad illustration on his career, and he eventually left the team in 2012. Mayo ranks ninth in field goals (1,708) and sixth in three-point field goals (477). He is also ninth in steals and 10th in points (4,584).
Shane Battier
Years in Memphis: 6 (2001-2006, 2011)
Memphis: 10.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Career: 8.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (2002)
Battier began his career in Vancouver before shifting to Memphis with the team. Battier was the No. 6 overall pick by the Grizzlies in 2001. He was selected in the same draft as Pau Gasol, who was eventually traded to the Grizzlies. Battier was seen as a hustle guy and someone that could lay defense.
Battier can lay shooting guard, small forward, and power forward. Fans loved him for his ability for taking a charge. He ranks ninth in games played and eighth in minutes. His 403 three-point field goals are seventh. Rebounding-wise, he ranks sixth (764) in offensive rebounds. Defensively, Battier is fourth (428) in blocks and fifth (523) in steals. To this day, his value over a replacement player ranks fourth all-time.
10. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Years in Memphis: 5 (2018-Present)
Memphis: 15.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.9 BPG
Career: 15.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.9 BPG
Honors: All-Defensive First Team (2022), All-Rookie First Team (2022), Blocks Leader (2022)
At 23 years old, Jackson will be moving up this list eventually. Since being drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2018, he could potentially leave his Grizzlies career as the best defensive player ever. Last year, Jackson made his first appearance on the All-Defensive First Team and led the league in blocks.
For now, the 1.9 blocks per game for his Grizzlies career is a team record. His 414 blocks rank sixth all-time. It will only be a matter of time before he joins Marc Gasol as the only player in team history with over 1,000 blocks for their Memphis careers.
9. Rudy Gay
Years in Memphis: 7 (2006-2013)
Memphis: 17.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Career: 16.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (2007)
Gay is the former No. 8 overall pick by the Grizzlies in 2006. He spent seven seasons with the team as a dependable swingman. He made the All-Rookie First Team in his first season after averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 43 starts. In his second season, Gay set a team record for points in a single season. He even participated in the Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest and was second in the 2008 Most Improved Player Award voting.
When Gay left the Grizzlies in 2013, he was the all-time leader in steals but now ranks fourth. Among his other honors with the team, Gay is fifth in field goals, two-point field goals, three-point field goals, defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, and blocks. He is also a fixture in the top 10 in offensive win shares, defensive win shares, and win shares.
8. Mike Miller
Years in Memphis: 7 (2003-2008, 2013-2014)
Memphis: 13.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career: 10.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: Sixth Man of the Year (2006)
After playing for the Magic, Miller was acquired in a trade with the Grizzlies. Miller won the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2006 when he averaged 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 47% from the field and 41% from three-point range. Miller often closed out games that season, as he averaged over 30 minutes per game.
Miller is one of the best shooters to play for Memphis. He is seventh in field goals (2,180) and left the team as the all-time leading three-point shooter with 844 threes. He is now second on the list to Mike Conley Jr. Miller also has appearances in the top 10 for rebounds and assists and is ranked seventh in points with 5,982.
7. Tony Allen
Years in Memphis: 7 (2010-2017)
Memphis: 8.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career: 8.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Honors: 3x All-Defensive First Team (2012, 2013, 2015), 3x All-Defensive Second Team (2011, 2016, 2017), No. 9 retired by Grizzlies
Allen is one of two players to have his number retired by the team. He is the best defensive player to ever wear the jersey. He didn’t have to be an offensive powerhouse because he played alongside some of the greats in Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph. Allen knew his role, and that was to play defense. That included finishing in the top 5 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2011 and 2013. Altogether, he made six All-Defensive First Team selections with the Grizzlies.
His defense didn’t go unnoticed. Allen ranks ninth in offensive rebounds (741), 10th in blocks (217), and second all-time with 796 steals. Allen ranks fourth in defensive win shares and is ninth in win shares and value over a replacement player.
6. Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Years in Memphis: 5 (1996-2001)
Memphis: 20.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Career: 18.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (1997)
One of the all-time great Grizzlies spent his career with Vancouver. He was the No. 3 overall pick by the Grizzlies in 1996 and played with the team all his years in Vancouver. In his first season, he set a franchise record for points per game with 18.7. That naturally grew as he got older after finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. Abdur-Rahim finished with four seasons of at least 20 points per game.
What others may not remember is how durable he was. The 38.0 minutes per game played for his five-year career remains a Grizzlies record. Among his other accomplishments, Abdur-Rahim is sixth in minutes and field goals. He is fourth in free throws, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, and total rebounds (3,070).
5. Ja Morant
Years in Memphis: 4 (2019-Present)
Memphis: 22.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 22.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: All-Star (2022), All-NBA Second Team (2022), Most Improved Player of the Year (2022), Rookie of the Year (2020), All-Rookie First Team (2020)
In his fourth season, Morant is already a special player. Luckily, after signing a max deal with the team, he will be a special player with the franchise for many years to come. Morant is one of two players to earn All-NBA Second Team status. He is also one of five players in franchise history to ever be named an All-Star. Last year, Morant had a magical run when he averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.2 steals en route to winning Most Improved Player of the Year.
Morant is already clawing his way toward the top in several categories. He is 9th in made field goals, ninth in two-point field goals and seventh in free throws. Morant already owns the record for triple-doubles with seven. His 1,614 career assists are fifth. For now, the 22.2 points per game average and the usage rate (29.7%) are franchise records. If Morant stays throughout his new contract, he has a ceiling to be the best player in franchise history.
4. Pau Gasol
Years in Memphis: 7 (2001-2008)
Memphis: 18.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Career: 17.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG
Honors: All-Star (2006), Rookie of the Year (2002), All-Rookie First Team (2002)
It was a wild time when Gasol won the Rookie of the Year Award. When he won, it was right after Mike Miller won the award in 2001. Gasol was the better player, though, and that was evidenced by his All-Star nod in 2006. Gasol was the missing piece that helped the team make a run for the playoffs. When he began his career, he was the 10th fastest player ever to reach 5,000 points and 500 blocks in his career.
Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008 and helped the team make three appearances in the NBA Finals and win two championships. When he left, Gasol was the all-time leader in rebounds, blocks, and points. He now ranks fourth in points (8,966), third in rebounds (4,096), and second in blocks (877).
3. Zach Randolph
Years in Memphis: 8 (2009-2017)
Memphis: 16.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 16.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Honors: 2x All-Star (2010, 2013), All-NBA Third Team (2011), No. 50 retired by Grizzlies
The Grizzlies acquired Randolph in 2009 by trading Quentin Richardson to the Knicks. This was one of the best trades ever. Randolph made an All-Star appearance immediately and went on to have one of the best careers ever in Memphis. Randolph is one of two players to have a jersey number retired for his efforts with the franchise. With Randolph bullying his way down low, opposing teams had a tough time stopping the double-double machine.
Randolph ranks third in games, minutes, and field goals and is second in two-point field goals with 3,668. He is second in defensive rebounds (3,717) and total rebounds (5,612) but is the all-time leader in offensive rebounds (1,895) by over 600 offensive boards. His 9,261 points are third on the all-time list. Among the advanced stats, Randolph ranks third in defensive win shares.
2. Mike Conley Jr.
Years in Memphis: 12 (2007-2019)
Memphis: 14.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career: 14.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: All-Defensive Second Team (2013)
It’s a shame that Conley never received an All-Star nod with the Grizzlies. Conley spent 12 seasons with the team but didn’t get an All-Star nod until 2021, when he was a member of the Utah Jazz. Those who watched him in Memphis remember how reliable he was. After getting selected with the No. 4 overall pick in 2007, Conley had a successful career with the team that is remembered in the record books.
Conley owns the team record for games played (788), field goal attempts (9,484), three-point field goals (1,086), three-point field goal attempts (2,894), field goals missed (5,302), assists (4,509), steals (1,161), and points (11,733). Conley is the only player in team history with at least 4,000 assists, 1,000 three-point field goals, and 1,000 steals, and he is one of two players to own at least 10,000 career points. Conley is also the team leader in offensive win shares and is second in value above a replacement player. Conley will have his jersey retired one day but remains in the league right now.
1. Marc Gasol
Years in Memphis: 11 (2008-2019)
Memphis: 15.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Career: 14.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Honors: 3x All-Star (2012, 2015, 2017), All-NBA First Team (2015), All-NBA Second Team (2016), Defensive Player of the Year (2013), All-Rookie Second Team (2009)
Some could call this a toss-up between Gasol and Conley, but the right answer is Gasol. The brother of Pau Gasol, the younger brother, was a steal for the franchise. In 2007, Gasol was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 48 overall pick and then traded to the Grizzlies in a deal that involved his older brother Pau. With the Grizzlies, Gasol became the only player in team history to earn All-NBA First Team. That is a nod that remains to this day, though Ja Morant could join him one day. Gasol is the only Defensive Player of the Year Award winner and a three-time All-Star. Gasol was the league’s top defensive player when the team made the Conference Finals appearance in 2013.
Among his team records, Gasol owns the record for minutes (25,917), field goals (4,341), two-point field goals (4,040), two-point field goal attempts (8,103), free throws (2,701), free throw attempts (3,474), defensive rebounds (4,624), total rebounds (5,942), blocks (1,135), turnovers (1,607), personal fouls (2,242), defensive win shares (37.1), win shares (77.4), and value over a replacement player (33.6). Gasol is one of two players to own at least 5,000 rebounds and is the only player to own over 1,000 blocks. He joins Conley as the only player with over 10,000 career points (11,684). Eventually, Gasol should have his jersey retired by the team as well.
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