While the other teams have started to pick up their paces in the young NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies are still stuck in the mud, unable to get out of their sluggish start.
In their most recent clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, the team was still in their worst form, performing relatively poor throughout the game and lagging immensely behind their opponents by as much as 24 points by the end of third quarter, 90-66.
And as the team huddled for the last timeout, veteran point guard Marcus Smart, who couldn’t believe what he had witnessed, burst into a passionate speech in front of his team.
Smart caught on camera
Caught on camera, Smart was seen fuming mad at the losing team.
During last timeout Marcus Smart screaming at his teammates “it’s embarrassing, it’s embarrassing” among other things. pic.twitter.com/fiKziJYOmG
— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) November 27, 2023
Although his speech had mostly been inaudible due to the loud drums thumping in the background, at one point, one could make out the words that he was shouting while addressing the team: “This is embarrassing!”
According to Molly Morrison of Bleacher Report, who happened to be seated within earshot of the Grizzlies’ bench, Smart’s pep talk was one of the most passionate speeches she’s ever heard.
Morrison also added that Smart also talked about how the fans paid to watch them play, but they weren’t even trying.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins commented on Smart’s speech, saying, “I don’t know exactly what was said, but I love the fire. We need that fire. I’m glad he’s bringing that fire.”
Being on the same page as their coach, the team also didn’t harbor any negative feelings towards Smart for telling them that their play was ‘embarrassing’.
Roddy had concurred with Smart and said, “”He is right. It’s just the simple things. You don’t want to lose a game on the simple things.” Bane, on the other hand, stated that the team really needed to be better.
Grizzlies lost
Despite the inspiring speech, the Grizzlies still lost to the Timberwolves, 119-97, bringing their record to an abysmal 3-13.
Their home record also stands at 0-8, which is a stark contrast to their impeccable record of 35-6 last season.
Cover Photo: YouTube