MEMPHIS, Tenn. — From the time the Utah Jazz announced they had acquired guard Mike Conley in a major summer trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, the news sent shockwaves all over the Beehive State as well as throughout the Mid-South fan base of “Grit and Grind” over 1,500 miles away. The difference was Jazz fans were excited about the possibilities that lie ahead with a proven point guard joining the fold, while Grizzlies fans and people of the Bluff City were losing a favorite son.
Before the July blockbuster trade sent Conley west, he had played his entire 12-year NBA career in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform. The son of Olympic gold and silver medalist Mike Conley Sr. — a track and field star, the younger Conley was drafted fourth overall by Memphis in 2007 from Ohio State and went on to become the team’s all-time leading scorer and the face of the franchise for years.
“In our short history of the franchise, he is probably the most significant player to wear the uniform,” said Elliot Perry, director of player support and radio analyst for the Grizzlies. A Memphis native, Perry said Conley’s community involvement has endeared him to the city in a lasting fashion.
“Obviously, he played here for a long period of time,” Perry said. “But he has invested in our community probably more than any player in the history of the franchise.”
Three years ago, Conley gave $1 million to the Grizzlies’ charitable foundation, which includes a particular focus on youth mentoring.
“We decided to use our platform to attack mentoring,” Perry explained. “We think that if we can connect people with people (and) mentor our young people and make a tangible difference in the community — as opposed to just doing basketball, we can make a greater impact. We can use the organization and make a great impact.”
It was the largest gift any player has ever given to the foundation, Perry noted. Conley also was very generous in giving his time in the community, which in many ways was even more important than money, he added.
“How I evaluate a player is how much time do they give? The most precious gift God gives you is your time. It’s the one thing you can ever get back and how you choose to use that time says something about you. Mike Conley epitomizes exactly what any franchise would want out of a player, particularly the Memphis Grizzlies.”
On a personal level, Perry described Conley as a man of high character as a player and as a person.
“I have a lot of respect for the way he approached the game, the way he approached life,” he said. “I have a great deal of respect for Mike Conley.”
The decision to part with such a player was a difficult one for a franchise that had spent so much time trying to establish an identity after relocating from Vancouver after the 2000-2001 season. The Grizzlies are the only major professional sports team in the Memphis area — Nashville has the Predators (NHL) and Titans (NFL) — and Conley had become Tennessee’s most important and recognizable player. That made his departure especially hard, Perry noted.
“It was the perfect storm,” he explained. “It was a time when the franchise was moving in a different direction.”
While in Memphis, Conley had several head coaches, most notably former NBA Coach of the Year Lionel Hollins, whom Perry credits with putting Conley on the path to stardom and team leadership.
“Lionel came in when we had two point guards — (current Toronto Raptors star) Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley,” he said. “Lionel was the one who said, ‘I think Mike Conley is best for this team.’”
Perry noted the decision was based primarily on the makeup of the team at the time, which included all-star forward Zach Randolph, all-league defensive guard/forward Tony Allen and then future all-star center Marc Gasol. Considering the myriad talents possessed by both Lowry and Conley, Hollins preferred Conley’s pass-first mentality to that of Lowry, who was more a shoot-first point guard.
“I think (Conley) was the perfect point guard for that kind of set,” Perry said. “It was the development of the whole ‘grit and grind’ thing. It was a hard-nosed, bring your lunch box, half-court game. Our players dictated that (style). Those were the kind of players we had.”
“If we would have had a different point guard who wanted to play a different style, it wouldn’t have worked,” he added.
With Conley at the point, the “grit and grind” Grizzlies made several playoff appearances and developed a reputation around the league as one of the toughest opponents in the NBA. It also established Conley’s reputation as a leader on the court and in the Memphis community.
Perry said Conley’s ability to adapt is among his best attributes as a player, which allows him to observe what’s happening on the floor and suit his game to what is needed in a given situation.
“When you’re thinking about a point guard, you are looking at a guy who can actually lead first, score (and) facilitate,” he said. Regarding his standing in the greater Memphis area, he noted that Conley’s long tenure there allowed him to establish deep roots that remain strong even though he no longer wears the Beale Street Blue of his former team.
A former NBA player himself, Perry noted that the team one plays for the longest always has a “place in your heart” in describing the mutual affection Conley and the City of Memphis have for each other.
“If you polled most people in our community and asked them who is the most significant player to wear the Grizzlies uniform — no question about it, it would be Mike Conley.” — Elliot Perry
“If you polled most people in our community and asked them who is the most significant player to wear the Grizzlies uniform — no question about it, it would be Mike Conley,” Perry said.
For his part, Conley told the Deseret News that he is excited and a little anxious for his first game back in his adopted hometown. He said he will have members of his family at the game to share in the moment he hopes will be one to remember as well as many friends from the local community that he still keeps in contact with since his recent departure.
When asked what he believes the reaction from the fans on-hand to watch the game will be Friday night when Conley is introduced wearing a Jazz uniform, Perry was definitive.
“Absolutely, a standing ovation,” he said.