Longtime NBA guard Tony Allen had his No. 9 jersey retired by the Grizzlies on Saturday night in Memphis. A defensive stalwart, the 2004 first-round pick earned the nickname "the Grindfather" for his tenacious play throughout his 15-year NBA career.
More specifically, during his time with Memphis, Allen earned All-Defensive First Team honors three times (2012, '13, '15) as well as Second Team honors three times ('11, '16, '17). During his speech at Tennessee's FedExForum on Saturday, he spoke about both his and his teammate's style of play throughout those years, leading to an awesome—but rather profanity-laced—description:
"We weren't no glitz and glamour-y team," Allen explained. "You come in here, we might slap the sh-- out of you."
https://t.co/WhE5K5d3h7 pic.twitter.com/41N3JxpSnI
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) March 16, 2025
Noted.
Allen's impact on the Grizzlies over his seven-year tenure was certainly felt. While they never advanced to the NBA Finals, Memphis qualified for the postseason every year Allen played for them—peaking in 2012-16 with a 56-26 regular season record before ultimately losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Despite being widely regarded as one of the best defenders in NBA history, Allen shockingly never won a Defensive Player of the Year award. Hopefully his No. 9 jersey now being a part of Grizzlies lore will suffice.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tony Allen Had Perfect Profane Description of Grizzlies During Jersey Retirement.
