RESTORING ‘HOOP CITY’ Penny, Madlock honored
J.B. Bickerstaff got off the escalator, unnoticed by anyone milling around the hotel lobby, and walked to the sign-in table like every other guest Wednesday morning. The woman checking in guests for “The Game Plan of Memphis Basketball” event then asked for his organization and name.
When they couldn’t find “J.B., Memphis Grizzlies,” on their list, the 39-year-old head coach had to inform her he was actually one of the guest speakers.
This was in stark contrast to what happened a few minutes later, when University of Memphis men’s basketball coach Penny Hardaway arrived.
In a scene Hardaway encounters during every public appearance these days, old friends came up to hug him, local dignitaries and business leaders made sure to shake his hand and complete strangers just wanted to say hello
Memphis Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway and assistant coach Tony Madlock have been named grand marshals of the Southern Heritage Classic Parade on Saturday in Orange Mound.
Fred Jones Jr., founder of the Classic, said adding the two local products speaks to the how well Memphis embraces the event.
"The Classic is about the community and both of these guys are from the Memphis community," Jones said. "People are really excited that these two guys are part of the parade." and thank you.
But then, Memphis’ two most prominent basketball coaches took the stage together for a question-andanswer session hosted by the Memphis Business Council, accepted keys to the city from Mayor Jim Strickland and struck a similar tone about their new jobs leading, and reigniting, two institutions that resonate so deeply in this town.
What Hardaway, Bickerstaff expect this season
Hardaway reiterated that he believes the NCAA tournament is “realistic” in his first year, that he found preseason predictions of the Tigers finishing in eighth place in the American Athletic Conference to be “really disrespectful.”
Bickerstaff, meanwhile, used buzzwords like “overlooked” and “underdog” to describe the national perception of the franchise. But he made clear "our expectation is to make the playoffs."
This past year, after all, was an odd one for a town that calls itself "Hoop City." For the first time since 2002, both the Tigers and Grizzlies missed postseason play.
In Hardaway and Bickerstaff, the city is hitching its hardwood fortunes with two men who will be head coach-
es for a full season at their respective levels for the first time. Bickerstaff served as interim head coach of the Houston Rockets and Grizzlies during parts of the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
They admittedly didn’t know each other well before Wednesday.
One is a local hero and icon who returned to Memphis after becoming an NBA star. The other is the son of a former NBA head coach, who only moved here with his family two years ago.
The dynamic is different than anywhere else in the country. Only in this city is the college basketball coach a bigger attraction than his NBA counterpart.
How Memphis can help its basketball teams
But their responses to a question about how local business leaders can help their teams reflected a common challenge each faces.
“Keep coming to support at the games," Hardaway said. "The kids need that. We feed off of that. That’s the main thing. We need to see people in the stands. We need to feel that energy because ... coming to the games shows them that you care and that’s all they want to know, that you care.”
Added Bickerstaff: "We have to go out in free agency and convince people to come to Memphis. Memphis, to me and my family, has been a hidden gem … but when you come to town and you’re here just for a short period of time, you don’t get the opportunity to explore the city and see what the city has to offer."
"So the more you guys continue to push how great this city is — and not just locally, but on a national level — continue to push it and continue to grow it and continue to make it a place where people want to be, I think that’s how you guys can help us.”
It's a reminder that their success will hinge, in part, on the city’s image and embrace, and their ability to recruit talented basketball players to come here. Not the hoopla surrounding their hiring, or lack thereof in Bickerstaff's case.
So around the same time Memphis Madness tickets went on sale, Hardaway talked about how his first team at Memphis will be “centered around our guards." He then raved about the backcourt trio of local freshmen Alex Lomax and Tyler Harris and returning senior Kareem Brewton Jr.
Minutes before the Grizzlies announced the start of this year's training camp, Bickerstaff said he’s simply excited for opening night to arrive because “we’re going to be a completely different team." He pointed to a roster full of savvy veterans to better accentuate Marc Gasol and Mike Conley and a defensefirst style that runs counter to current NBA trends.
When they were done on stage, the Grizzlies' coach walked out of the ballroom without being stopped and the Tigers’ coach got swarmed by well-wishers.
But these two men, and the two teams they now lead, have the same responsibility: Restore Hoop City's basketball fortunes.
“The city is passionate about Tiger basketball and about Grizzlies basketball,” Hardaway said. “That synergy is great for the city.”