The Memphis Grizzlies are the new San Antonio Spurs
Gregg Popovich approves.
The San Antonio Spurs had a hellacious run to start not just the 21st century, but my time on this planet. I was born on February 4th, 1987 - I turn 36 next month. Since I have been alive, the Spurs have made the playoffs 30 times. 22 of those occurrences (the 1996-1997 season until the 2018-2019 season) were consecutive, including 6 NBA Finals appearances and 5 NBA championships. Its a phenomenal stretch of success for any franchise, but especially for one like the Spurs, located in non-major market San Antonio.
All of those 22 consecutive playoff seasons were led by the same head coach - Gregg Popovich, arguably the most influential builder of the Spurs dynasty. That streak saw 4 U.S. Presidents across 7 elections. It experienced both dial-up and wireless internet. Discmen and IPods. Whatever the measure, Popovich’s reign with multiple Hall of Fame talents (David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard) executing his vision should stand the test of time of one of the best in NBA history.
So, when you get an endorsement from Gregg Popovich, it means a bit more than most. Which is why this tweet caught my eye earlier this week.
Gregg Popovich knows something about the Memphis Grizzlies. He understands what Grit and Grind was capable of after the 2011 ousting of his #1 seed Spurs by Zach “Super Z-Bo” Randolph and the #8 seed Grizzlies prematurely called out the end of the San Antonio era. He seemingly let that impact him enough as a coach that whenever the Spurs played Memphis moving forward fans and media would jokingly say San Antonio and “Coach Pop” were more aggressive because of how that series went down.
They were rivals. They helped San Antonio reinvent themselves. And Popovich showed the Grizzlies what small market greatness looks like.
Fast forward to the now…and Pop seemingly looking in the mirror a bit.
What he would see staring back at him would be a Memphis Grizzlies franchise that has done its best to emulate the blueprint that Popovich and company laid out all those years ago. It isn’t a perfect alignment - Ja Morant is the Grizzlies best player, not a big man like Tim Duncan. No one is calling anyone in Memphis the “Big Fundamental” - there’s too much drip and swag for that. And no one - not even the mighty Spurs - has had this level of consistent success at this age for the Grizzlies in a long while.
But there are some noticeable similarities - even beyond the obvious “Grizzlies Head Coach Taylor Jenkins got his start in San Antonio” narrative. For all the Spurs greats mentioned above - from Robinson to Leonard and the “Big Three” inbetween - we either drafted by the Spurs or acquired via trade during the draft (which is the case with Leonard).
The Grizzlies, of course, have been built in a similar fashion - Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Dillon Brooks are Memphis’ best players. All are Memphis (NBA) born and bred, having a direct hand in establishing what it means to be a Grizzlies player in this new era of (hopefully) sustained success.
For the Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed Ja Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane will almost certainly join them this offseason. And those three in particular - much like Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili before them - have a high likelihood of being together for a long time. And around them would rotate a world of key role players, both from elsewhere as well as being developed by the Spurs themselves, for almost two decades.
In small market San Antonio, those three stayed. And made the Spurs an exception to the NBA’s rule of dynastic dominance. They made their own mark in that legacy, so much that while Boston, Chicago, Golden State, and Los Angeles will always be synonymous with champions so too will the Spurs. Their recent struggles (4 years without the playoffs) may have muted that for some. But not for those that came of age during their greatness.
The same is more than possible in Memphis. For as long as Ja Morant is a superstar, and Jaren Jackson Jr. a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and Desmond Bane an All-Star caliber sharpshooter, the Grizzlies will have a chance. The Memphis front office has shown an understanding of what makes them successful and know the players that must be brought in - draft, perhaps eventually free agency - to maintain that progress.
It won’t be easy. What made the Spurs so special was the ability to evolve with the game of basketball. Within their streak of postseason appearances they went from the era of the big man and David Robinson/Tim Duncan twin towers to the dominance of guards like Ginobili and Parker to the start of positionless basketball with Kawhi. It was Pop’s willingness to do what it took to win that elongated the greatness. Memphis Head Coach Taylor Jenkins has a ways to go to show that level of coaching acumen.
But between age (the Grizzlies are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, Jenkins at 38 years old is one of the league’s younger coaches) and roster alignment, no team in the NBA is better positioned to be the next San Antonio small market dynasty. To keep together their best players, and maintain their cap sheet if they choose to with draft selections and rookie contracts. To help move the game along not just in Memphis, but around the league and perhaps the world.
Popovich acknowledging the state of the Memphis Grizzlies is noteworthy. Because while San Antonio perhaps did not have the traditional “superstar” like Memphis does in Morant, they boast a Hall of Fame list over their run. As the Spurs won their first title Duncan was led by Robinson - no such veteran is currently in place with the Grizzlies. But make no mistake - Popovich knows greatness. He has seen it. Helped make it.
And when he looks at Memphis, perhaps he sees a bit of what he was in what the Grizzlies may be some day. There’s no core, no organization, better set up to carry the torch for what San Antonio was. But before they can take it, they must do what the Spurs did.
Win at the highest level the NBA has to offer. And their chance is coming.