I’m sure former Ohio State point-guard Mike Conley, Jr. could have only realized what’s happened to his life in wildest dreams. He got to play at a big time college basketball school, made a run to the championship game of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, became a lottery pick, and now this.
According to a release by the Memphis Grizzlies Public Relations department via its Twitter Feed, the organization will be retiring Conley’s No. 11 jersey. There has not been a date announced for the ceremony, but the following statement was released by Grizzlies Owner Robert J. Pera.
“Mike Conley represented the Grizzlies and the City of Memphis with true heart and class during his 12 seasons. His talent, determination and resilience elevated our team to a perennial playoff contender, and his altruism ad sportsmanship helped shape the community focused nature of our franchise. For his innumerable contributions on the court and in our community, Mike will always be a beloved Memphian. We are proud that Mike’s #11 jersey will one day be raised to the rafters in the FedExForum.”
Conley spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies — averaging 14.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He had one of the best seasons of his career last year while pouring in 21.1 points per game.
What an honor and what kind words from the Grizzlies owner. A nice gesture from the organization just a couple of weeks after trading him to the Utah Jazz, and right after the former Buckeye was awarded a couple of sportsmanship awards from the NBA.
