The Toronto Raptors found themselves in the middle of an odd discussion on a recent ESPN show put out this week.
On Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective podcast hosted by Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon, the trio was discussing Tony Allen’s jersey retirement over the weekend with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Allen, who played for the Grizzlies from 2010 to 2017, was the centrepiece of the “Grit and Grind” era in Memphis in which the team was lauded for its strong defensive play and hustle all over the court.
And when praising the Grizzlies’ connection to their fanbase, MacMahon offered a strange opinion as to where it relates to the Toronto Raptors.
“They didn’t get to the finals, they obviously didn’t win a championship, but they were a very good team for a long time that epitomized the culture of the city they’re in,” MacMahon said. “I think you could almost even make the argument that the ‘Grit and Grind’ Grizzlies are more beloved in Memphis than the Toronto Raptors title team is in Toronto.”
His co-hosts didn’t quite seem to let him get off easy with that sentiment.
“I would have to stop you there, a team that does not advance to the finals even does not [compare to the 2019 Raptors],” Windhorst interjected.
“The reason I say that is because the Raptors there were obviously guys there who were there for a while but a mercenary led them to that championship,” MacMahon added, in reference to Kawhi Leonard’s departure from the team after just one season, shortly after winning Finals MVP.
“Alright, we’re gonna set that aside and make room for Bontemps here,” Windhorst deflected, before turning the conversation away from that talking point.
While MacMahon correctly identified that Leonard ended up bolting to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, it’s an opinion that seems out of touch with anyone who experienced the Raptors’ connection to the city in 2019.
Furthermore, it’s an unnecessary connection to make, given that the only real history the Grizzlies and Raptors share is briefly being the only two NBA franchises in Canada before the former moved from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001.
And lastly, given that one of the stars of the Grizzlies era MacMahon was referencing — Marc Gasol — became a beloved Raptor on that 2019 team, it seems his argument wasn’t exactly the most well-thought-out point.
