Tony Allen is becoming the latest member of the Memphis Grizzlies’ famous “Grit and Grind” era to have his jersey hang in the rafters of the team’s FedExForum arena.
The Grizzlies announced earlier this week that Allen’s No.9 jersey will be retired at a ceremony on March 15 when they face the Miami Heat. Allen is the third player in Grizzlies’ history to have his jersey retired. The other two are his “Grit and Grind” teammates Zach Randolph (No. 50) and Marc Gasol (No. 33).
After spending his early career as a role player with the Boston Celtics, Allen signed for the Grizzlies as a free agent ahead of the 2010-11 season. He immediately became a key player for the Grizzlies, helping the franchise to seven straight playoff appearances and a West Conference Finals trip in 2013.
Allen was considered a key figure in Memphis’ “Grit and Grind” style of play that was characterized by toughness and relentless effort on defense. Allen himself received six NBA All-Defensive selections during his time with the franchise.
Allen left the Grizzlies after the 2016-17 NBA season as a free agent, at which point the franchise promised to retire his No. 9 jersey after he retires. He went on to play 22 games with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017–18 before being traded to the Chicago Bulls, who waived him before he played a single game for them. This marked the end of Allen’s NBA career.
