The Memphis Grizzlies firing longtime coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday and replaced him with interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo. While those who covered the team weren't shocked that Jenkins was fired, the timing was surprising as there are just two weeks remaining in the regular season and Memphis is headed for the playoffs.
General manager Zach Kleiman briefly addressed the media on Saturday morning to try and explain why the club made the move, and many people were left with even more questions. Kleiman held court for less than three minutes with one media member saying it was "Easily the shortest media availability Zach Kleiman has given in my time covering him."
The main gist of Kleiman's comments was that he was the one who made the call.
Zach Kleiman spoke for 2 minutes and 40 seconds this morning.
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) March 29, 2025
He said multiple times, “This decision was mine and mine only.”
He didn’t want to talk big picture. When asked about the future of the head coaching spot, he said the focus is on the Lakers tonight.
Asked about the timing, Kleiman said that the team believes in urgency.
"I came to the conclusion that this was in the best interest of the team," he said. "Urgency is a core principle of ours. So, (I) decided to go on with the move."
“I’m not trying to absolve myself of anything.”
— Avery Braxton (@Brax_Avery) March 29, 2025
Zach Kleiman said he fired Taylor Jenkins now because urgency is a principle of the organization. Taking responsibility for coaching and roster construction pic.twitter.com/NK6WvC5iTw
Again reiterating that he was the one who made the decision, Kleiman also insisted that no players were involved in the coaching change.
Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman spoke this morning on the Taylor Jenkins dismissal and was asked if any of the players were consulted on the firing. “No,” he said. “This decision is mine and mine only.”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 29, 2025
The Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grizzlies GM Offered Thin Explanation for Firing Taylor Jenkins.
