During a discussion about the aftermath of the Memphis Grizzlies trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith provided a piece of analysis explaining why he feels NBA players would prefer not to play in the city of Memphis. After guest analyst Markieff Morris asked Smith why he thought players preferred to avoid the city, Smith responded by saying players have told him it’s not the safest environment and that local authorities need to “clean some of that stuff up.”
In response, former Grizzlies player Tony Allen, who was a guest co-host on Tuesday’s edition of The Chris Vernon Show—which is based in Memphis, TN—shared his perspective. Allen, who was born in Chicago but played seven years for the Grizzlies, addressed Smith’s opinion on the city of Memphis directly.
“Memphis ain’t really what you hyping it up to be, Steven A. Memphis is a real wholesome city. We grind down here. We work blue collar people, and we love basketball,” said Allen. “That’s what you call people doing salt shaking. He’s slick hating on the side.”
Additionally, Vernon, who has lived in Memphis for the past quarter century, expressed disappointment in Smith’s commentary, calling it deeply irresponsible.
“Talk about somebody that’s been here. That’s what’s fair,” said Vernon. “We have our problems. Nobody is denying that Memphis has got its own problems. We are talking about a very specific thing, which is that NBA players don’t want to come. He is saying on national TV that players don’t want to come to Memphis. If that’s true, why have none of them requested a trade? Why have none of them left?”
Furthermore, Allen went on to emphasize that he has seen the city of Memphis hold a different type of respect for NBA players during his time playing and living in the community. When asked by Vernon if he had ever, in his career, heard a player speak about the city of Memphis in the way Smith described, Allen simply responded, “Ain’t nobody ever said that.”
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