MLK Celebration Day and Game

Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis, Tenn. — Due to inclement weather in the Memphis area, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. NBA Tournament slated from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Grizzlies Center at Memphis Athletic Ministries has been postponed.

In light of the postponement, each participating pre-registered youth and adult team leader will receive a pair of tickets to the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game, as the Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers Monday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m.

Tickets will be available for team members to pick up starting at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15 in the Grand Lobby of FedExForum. Only pre-registered names and participants will be honored. Tickets are non-transferable. Also available for pick up will be a Jr. NBA jersey and gift bag for each participant.

For any other inquiries please contact jrnba@nba.com. For more information, visit grizzlies.com/youthbasketball, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@memgrizz).

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Martin Luther King Jr. NBA Tournament postponed due to inclement weather

Michael Wallace Grind Cit

MEMPHIS – Growing up in Alabama, Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green has heard or read stories about the life and enduring times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for as long as he can remember.

At times, King almost seemed like a superhero or some other fictional character for most kids like Green, who grew up decades after the Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s redefined the country. But the impact of King’s legacy didn’t personally resonate with Green until he reached high school.

Green vividly recalls the day, as a 10th-grader a decade ago at Montgomery’s St. Jude Educational Institute, when he learned that King and dozens of other Civil Rights activists had stayed on the school’s campus in preparation for the iconic Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965.

“We were told how he spent some nights on our campus and stayed at our school,” Green, 27, reflected ahead of Monday’s matchup against the Lakers in the 16th Annual MLK Jr. Celebration Game at FedExForum. “Just knowing about that history, that’s when I started to learn more and more about it. So even back then, just being somewhere where you felt like you were in Dr. King’s presence, it was surreal. And coming here to play for Memphis, it’s even more surreal because this is where he lost his life. Right here. You still feel in his presence because of all he stood for. There’s still so much to learn.”

Perhaps no team is more intimately connected to King’s legacy and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement than the Grizzlies, whose partnership continues with the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel as the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of King’s death on April 4, 1968.

In addition to Monday’s game, events planned for the MLK50 Celebration feature the annual Sports Legacy Award presentations, social justice and community activism panels and National Civil Rights Museum tours for NBA and WNBA players, league legends and executives, including NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Players Association executive director Michele Roberts.

The festivities culminate on Monday’s national holiday that would have been King’s 89th birthday.

The Grizzlies are never far removed from the influence of King’s legacy. Both the church where King delivered his final sermon on April 3, 1968 and the Lorraine Motel balcony on which he was assassinated a day later are only blocks away from the franchise’s FedExForum headquarters.

In some ways, the buildup to the MLK50 Celebration began a month earlier for Memphis’ players, coaches and staffers, who visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington before a Dec. 13 game against the Wizards.

During their 90-minute tour of the immaculate, year-old facility in the nation’s capital, the Grizzlies explored interactive artifacts, exhibits and stories that bridged the African-American existence from pre-slavery to modern social justice movements that impact today’s sports, music and cultural landscape.

“It was just dope to see all of our history and culture in one building, showing from the hard times, the uprisings to coming together as a people,” Grizzlies guard Mario Chalmers said. “But I’m a big music person, so I kind of snuck away to see the little hip-hop spot where it showed the New York scene, the spots where the jazz and stuff started, the beatbox and breakdancing. That was real cool to me, and I’ve got a lot of pictures and videos of that. It was one of the key things that stuck out to me.”

Chalmers said he’s always taken an interest in his historical roots. It started with the lessons learned from his father and grandfather, both of whom served in the military and experienced racism during the Civil Rights era and afterward. Chalmers said his curiosity with cultural studies increased even more once he took several history classes while attending the University of Kansas.

Taking pride in sharing a birthday with slain Civil Rights leader Malcolm X, Chalmers also appreciates how basketball has given him opportunities to visit historic landmarks. That includes repeated trips to Memphis’ Civil Rights museum and three invitations to the White House, twice while with the Miami Heat’s championship teams to meet Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president.

The magnitude of the moments leading to MLK50 isn’t lost on anyone.

“It definitely means a lot to me – a kid who grew up in Alaska, which is basically all the way on the other side of the world,” Chalmers said. “It’s just something important to always know where you come from and your heritage and what people fought for. And it means a lot to be here, in the heart of the city and right down the street from where MLK lost his life. We’re literally standing on the same blocks where he fought for us, and you feel honored to go out in this city and represent what he stood for.”

As center Marc Gasol reflects on the nation’s strides and struggles to come together, he also thinks about the issues in his native country as Catalonia pushes for political independence from Spain. The controversy has caused recent civil unrest in the region and could impact relations throughout Europe.

Gasol recently addressed the issue in Memphis and said there’s only one way toward progress.

“Just like anything in this life, you need to compromise and communicate,” Gasol said of the developments in Spain. “And the leaders of both parties should do a more responsible job of communicating. I think if we get extreme messages from both parties, I don’t think we’ll ever get anything out of it. We won’t come to a true compromise and it will be hard to repair down the line.”

Responsible leaders, Gasol said, find ways to compromise for the benefit of future generations.

“We need everyone to keep in mind how actions right now can affect the next generation’s lives and mindset moving forward,” Gasol added. “We don’t want anything like that to happen the next 40 years.”

Among the Grizzlies’ strengths as a team is the diversity of their roster. Players come from uniquely different backgrounds – from Gasol’s European heritage to Green’s deep-south roots to Tyreke Evans’ inner-city upbringing to Dillon Brooks’ Canadian descent.

The struggles the Grizzlies face during a tumultuous season have challenged them to communicate and find common ground. The mid-December trip to Washington came when the team had lost 15 of 16 games, faced key injuries and endured an abrupt coaching change. There has since been improvement as Memphis entered MLK50 Celebration Game weekend having split its last eight games.

Last month’s museum visit in Washington and Sunday’s trip back to the Lorraine Motel site offered a bit of a reprieve and some level of perspective outside of basketball challenges.

“When you look around, whether it’s at what Dr. King and them went through here or what we saw there (in Washington) and people had to overcome, it really makes you think,” guard James Ennis III said. “Because we didn’t live in that era, me and my teammates going there showed us what they went through and how mentally tough they had to be just to live in that environment and still do what they did every day. And they still had people against them, just trying to live their lives.”

Andrew Harrison tries to live his life following guidelines of King’s legacy. Injuries at the guard position have created more opportunities for Harrison on the court for the Grizzlies in recent weeks. Off the court, he’s having a significant impact as a mentor for young students at Grizzlies Prep school. Harrison also raised funds and awareness to help those impacted by floods in his Houston hometown.

“I wouldn’t say it’s something you think about every day,” Harrison said of living and working in the shadows of the Lorraine Motel. “But it’s definitely something you can see and you can feel and you know that something powerful – very bad but powerful – happened here. But something good came out of it with that museum still standing to teach the world about Dr. King and what Civil Rights are about.”

Those lessons involve harsh realities and triumphant breakthroughs.

Evans insisted he’ll never forget the exhibit he saw in the Washington museum of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered and disfigured in 1955 by white men in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Till’s actual casket is part of the display in the museum.

“That open casket, pictures of how his face was, that was different,” Evans said. “A number of things we’re always going to remember. For us to see that … we’ve got Marc from overseas and Dillon from Canada, and they might not have been exposed to things like that. So it was good for the team to go through it. We all have to take advantage and learn from it, and not just when it’s Black History Month.”

Each player spoke of how those lessons in history are bonding experiences. Nearly 50 years after MLK’s death, Green said he doesn’t take the sacrifices of the Civil Rights movement for granted as an athlete.

“What they did gave us the courage today to have freedom of speech, to not look over our shoulders and not have to worry as much about what people are going to say about how we feel,” Green said. “That’s the main thing for me; being able to feel free to say what we want and get our point across.”

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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MikeCheck on Grizzlies: Civil Rights museum visits from Memphis to D.C. help Grizzlies reflect on MLK50 legacy

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American soul singer-songwriter Don Bryant featuring the Bo-Keys will hold a special halftime performance presented by Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers on Monday, Jan. 15 when the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of Memphis and Shelby County host the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game as the Grizzlies take on the Los Angeles Lakers at FedExForum.

Tickets for the game are still available and can be purchased by calling(901) 888-HOOP, at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, or online at grizzlies.com.

Memphis native Don Bryant began his career as a songwriter in the 60s, penning multiple tunes for soul artists including “I Got to Know You” for the 5 Royales and “Do I Need You” for Ann Peebles. He released his first solo album in 1969, Precious Soul. However, with the success of many other vocalists at the time such as Al Green and Otis Clay, Bryant’s career focused more on writing rather than singing. In 1973, Bryant and Ann Peebles co-wrote the top 40 hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” After a decades long hiatus from recording, Bryant returned to the studio in the fall of 2016 to record his second album with The Bo-Keys. Bryant’s second studio album Don’t Give Up on Love was released in 2017 and was nominated this week for Album of the Year at the upcoming 39th Annual Blues Music Awards.

Fans are encouraged to get to their seats well before tip off as R&amp;B singer-songwriter and keyboardist PJ Morton will perform the National Anthem. Morton has released four solo studio albums. His most recent 2017 album, Gumbo, was nominated for Best R&amp;B Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Morton is most famously known as the keyboardist for pop rock band Maroon 5. His work with Maroon 5 began in 2010 as a touring member, and Morton officially joined the group in 2012.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies by purchasing tickets to the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Tickets for all games are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX or (901) 888-HOOP.

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Don Bryant featuring the Bo-Keys to hold special halftime performance during 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration game on Monday, Jan. 15

On Monday, Jan. 15, the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of Memphis and Shelby County will host the 16th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Game, presented by Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, in a side-by-side telecast, regionally on Fox Sports Southeast and nationally on TNT vs. the Los Angeles Lakers at 4:30 p.m. The celebration game will help tip-off events commemorating MLK50, the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination and include the Sports Legacy award presentation, annual symposium, museum conversation and other activities designed to engage Memphis-area youth in an effort to remember, celebrate and act on Dr. King’s legacy. Associate celebration and game sponsors include The Hyde Family Foundations, Ashley HomeStore, FedEx and Coors Light.

This year’s honorees of the 13th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award, presented by Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, feature a star-studded lineup of NBA and WNBA greats: Swin Cash, Penny Hardaway, Sam Perkins and James Worthy. All will be honored during the MLK Jr. Celebration Day events, including the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the Hyde Family Foundations on January 15 at 3 p.m., for their dedicated contributions to civil and human rights and for laying the foundation for future leaders through their career in sports in the spirit of Dr. King.

Tip-off for the Grizzlies vs. Lakers matchup is at 4:30 p.m. with the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award Ceremony also broadcasting live on Fox Sports Southeast and TNT. The ceremony will present the honorees with the Sports Legacy Award. Later in the game, this year’s MLK Day halftime ceremony, presented by Ford and your Mid-South Ford Dealers, will feature a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute video and special halftime performance. The national anthem and halftime performer will be announced at a later date this week.

Set to debut at the game is the 2018 ‘MLK50’ City Edition uniform that will support the National Civil Rights Museum ‘s anniversary programming. In collaboration with Nike and inspired by the storied history that shaped a movement and the City of Memphis, the story behind the uniform’s design dates back to February 1, 1968, when two Memphis Sanitation workers, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning garbage truck. The uniform’s story, stark use of color, iconic type and design is intended to shine a national light on the events that led up to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of the ongoing movement forward for social justice that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. defined in life and in death.

The Grizzlies’ Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events start on Saturday, January 13 with a Martin Luther King Jr. NBA Tournament from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Grizzlies Center at Memphis Athletic Ministries. Together, the Grizzlies and the Jr. NBA, the League’s official youth basketball program, will conduct a 3-on-3 MLK Jr. NBA Tournament. The tournament is open to boys and girls ages 14 and under. The Jr. NBA teaches the fundamentals and the values of the game at the grassroots level to help improve the youth basketball experience for all. Also featured at the event will be a one-hour panel conversation with special guests, including Cash and former NBA players Jason Collins and Mike Miller. Registration is currently open through January 12. The entry fee is $20 per team and pre-registration is required. Visit www.grizzlies.com/youthbasketball to register.

The following day on Sunday, January 14, the visiting Lakers, a number of Grizzlies players along with Cash, Hardaway, Perkins, Worthy and other special guests will tour the National Civil Rights Museum. Following the tour, special guests will attend a community conversation, MLK50: Where do we go from here? hosted at the National Civil Rights Museum beginning at 5:30 p.m. and streamed live on Grizzlies.com. Discussion guests will include Sports Legacy honoree Cash, Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, PolicyLink CEO Angela Glover Blackwell and Lakers center Brook Lopez, and will be hosted by National Civil Rights Museum President Terri Freeman. The conversation will focus on issues at the intersection of race and sports.

Celebration events will continue on Monday, January 15 with a free Martin Luther King Jr. Day Nike Youth Basketball Clinic, presented by Ashley HomeStore, from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the FedExForum main court. The clinic will serve and welcome over 75 Memphis-area youth, including groups from Grizzlies Prep, Porter Boys &amp; Girls Club and Lester Community Center, and will help teach the values of the game and skills needed to improve their basketball experience. Each participant will also attend the Sports Legacy Symposium and receive complimentary tickets to the game that afternoon.

In addition, before the symposium and celebration game, a Martin Luther King Jr. NBA Coaches’ Forum &amp; Reception will be held in the Draft Room at FedExForum on Monday, January 15, from 1:30-3 p.m. Participants will include Bernie Bickerstaff, former NBA head coach and father of Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, WNBA star and Sports Legacy honoree Cash and former NBA player Collins. The forum is designed to engage coaches as positive influencers and to equip them with tools to develop young athletes of character. Local coaches and sports administrators can visit www.grizzlies.com/youthbasketball to register.

The event lineup will continue with the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the Hyde Family Foundations, from 3-4 p.m. on Monday, January 15 in the Grizzlies Built Ford Tough Training Facility at FedExForum. The symposium, hosted by Grizzlies television play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica, will feature Cash, Hardaway, Perkins and Worthy, who will share stories of their community work and experiences through their career in sports, in the spirit of Dr. King. The symposium will be live on FOX Sports Southeast. While admission is free to the symposium with the purchase of a ticket to the Grizzlies vs. Lakers game, space is limited. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies by purchasing ticket to the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Tickets for all games are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX or (901) 888-HOOP.

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Grizzlies to honor Swin Cash, Penny Hardaway, Sam Perkins and James Worthy as part of 16th Annual MLK Jr. Celebration game on Jan. 15 vs. Lakers

Check out photos, video and more to relive the events that took place during the Grizzlies' Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration weekend.

Learn more about the 15th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Game and related events.

From Grind City Media’s Michael Wallace:

Legacy Award is latest lasting bond that binds Hill, Smith and Leslie

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Grizzlies MLK Jr. Celebration weekend recap

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Grizzlies MLK Jr. Day of Service presented by AutoZone

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MLK Jr. weekend NCRM Museum visit & Symposium photos

MEMPHIS — On Sunday,  Jan. 15, the Memphis Grizzlies, National Civil Rights Museum, City of  Memphis and Shelby County will host the 15th  Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Game, presented by AutoZone, in  a nationally-televised contest on ESPN vs. the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m.   The celebration game events will also include the annual symposium and  three other events to remember, celebrate and act on the legacy left by Dr.  King with this year’s honorees of the 12th Annual National Civil Rights  Museum Sports Legacy Award.  Associate celebration  and game sponsors include The Hyde Family Foundations, Ashley Homestore, Memphis  Area Ford Dealers and Coors Light.

This  year’s honorees of the 12th Annual National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award feature a  star-studded lineup of NBA and WNBA greats: Grant Hill, Steve Smith and the second-ever female honoree, Lisa  Leslie*. All will be honored during the MLK Jr. Celebration Day events,  including the newly renamed Earl Lloyd  Sports Legacy Symposium presented by the Hyde Family Foundations on Jan. 15, for their significant  contributions to civil and human rights, and for laying the foundation for  future leaders through their career in sports in the spirit of Dr. King. 

Watch the Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium and other events LIVE on Grizzlies.com.

Tip-off  to the Grizzlies vs. Bulls MLK Jr. matchup is at 8 p.m., with the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award Ceremony also broadcasting  live on ESPN. The ceremony will present the honorees with the Sports Legacy  Award.  This year’s MLK Jr. halftime ceremony will be presented by Memphis  Area Ford Dealers, broadcast live on ESPN, and will include a MLK Jr. Tribute  video and live music from Grammy-nominated artist, Gallant.

Also that evening, the Grizzlies will debut  their MLK50 Pride uniforms in primetime to a nationally-televised audience, tipping-off the  National Civil Rights Museum’s upcoming remembrance of the 50th Anniversary of  Dr. King’s assassination. In collaboration with adidas, and inspired by the  storied history of The Lorraine Motel, the uniform’s use of iconic imagery,  color and design is intended to bring greater awareness to the National Civil  Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, and the museum’s mission to drive a deeper  understanding of the history behind the ongoing movement forward for social  justice that defined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in life and in death. For more  information on the uniform and its roots please visit grizzlies.com.

The Grizzlies’ Martin Luther King, Jr.  Celebration events tip-off by recognizing January as National Mentoring Month.  Grizzlies Prep Ambassador Vince Carter will  participate in the Martin Luther King  Jr. Youth Summit at Grizzlies  Preparatory Charter School on Monday, Jan. 9 at  approximately 4 p.m.. Carter will be  joined by four youth mentors and other special guests along with Grizzlies Prep  scholars for a roundtable conversation about the challenges facing urban youth  in their own words. The event will be hosted by Grizzlies Partner, Foundation  Board Chair and Grizzlies Prep Mentor Elliot  Perry. Grizzlies Prep is the Memphis Grizzlies’ namesake charter school in  downtown Memphis, serving 6-8th grade middle school boys with the  tools necessary to develop a strong educational foundation that will better  serve them for the rigors of high school and higher education. This event  will be streamed live on grizzlies.com and is closed to the public. Media is  invited to attend.

Together, The Grizzlies and the Jr.  NBA, the League’s official youth basketball program, will conduct a 3-on-3 MLK  Jr. NBA Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Rhodes College. The tournament is open to boys and  girls in grades 5-8. The Jr. NBA teaches the fundamentals and the values of the  game at the grassroots level to help improve the youth basketball experience  for all. Also featured at the event will be a one-hour panel conversation with  NBA &amp; WNBA legends and local law enforcement about the Grizzlies’ P.A.L.  initiative held between approximately 12-1  p.m. Finalists from each division of the 3-on-3 MLK Jr. NBA Tournament will  be treated to an NBA experience.  Championship games will be held on the  main court at FedExForum on Sunday, Jan.  15 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. In addition, all teams that qualify for the  finals will receive game tickets for players and coaches to the 8 p.m.  Grizzlies vs. Bulls game.  Winning teams will also get a Jr. NBA trophy.  Registration is currently open from now until January 12.   The entry  fee is $20 per team and pre-registration is required, so visit www.JrNBA.com/Tournament before space is gone.

Also,  on Saturday, Jan. 14, Hill, Smith  and Leslie will tour of the National Civil Rights Museum. Media availability  for the honorees will be at the conclusion of the tour.  (A separate media advisory will be sent at a later  date).

Following  the tour, Hill, Smith and Leslie will join Grizzlies Head Coach David Fizdale, Marc Spears from ESPN’s The Undefeated and other special guests for  a reception, presented by Coors Light, and discussion of topics at the  intersection of race and sports. The reception for invited guests will begin at  4 p.m. and the discussion panel will follow starting at 5 p.m. and will be  streamed live on grizzlies.com. The panel will be hosted by ESPN’s Mark Jones. This event will be streamed  live on grizzlies.com and is closed to the public. Media is invited to attend.

Celebration  events will continue on Sunday, Jan. 15 with  the Martin Luther King Jr. High School Classic, presented by Ashley Homestore,  between the Whitehaven High Tigers and Bartlett Panthers on the main court at  FedExForum. The High School Classic will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. and admission to the game is free with a ticket to the  Grizzlies vs. Bulls game.

In addition, before the symposium and celebration  game, a Martin Luther King Jr. NBA Coaches’ Forum &amp; Reception will be held  in the Draft Room at FedExForum on Sunday, Jan. 15, from 4-6 p.m. Participants  include Smith, former NBA player Jason Collins and former WNBA player Jennifer  Azzi, along with invited coaches  who participate in Grizzlies youth basketball programs. The forum is designed  to engage coaches as positive influencers and to equip them with tools to  develop young athletes of character.

The event lineup will continue with the Earl  Lloyd Sports Legacy Symposium, presented by the Hyde Family Foundations, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15 in the Grizzlies Built Ford Tough Training Facility  at FedExForum. The symposium, emceed by Grizzlies television play-by-play  announcer Pete Pranica, will feature  Hill, Smith and Leslie who will share their unique stories and experiences  about their contributions to civil and human rights in the spirit of Dr. King. The  symposium will be steamed live on grizzlies.com. While admission is free to  the symposium with the purchase of a ticket to the Grizzlies vs. Bulls game,  space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Starting this year, the symposium will be  renamed in memory of Lloyd as recognition  of both his legacy as a pioneer in sports, being the first African-American  player to play in an NBA game on October 31, 1950, and as the first recipient  of the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy award in Memphis in January  2005. Lloyd’s son Kevin Lloyd will  be on hand and recognized both at the symposium and during the celebration game  to commemorate this honor posthumously.

To  conclude the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, the entire roster of Grizzlies  players and coaches will participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of  Service presented by AutoZone from 11:45  a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16. The team will provide, prepare and  serve a holiday meal to over 200 homeless and families in need through a  partnership with Memphis Union Mission, the largest homeless shelter in the  city. A separate media advisory will be sent closer to the event with  additional details.

Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies  by purchasing ticket to the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Game can do so  now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Also MLK50 Pride  uniform and other inspired gear is now available for purchase in the Grizzlies  Den by adidas and online at grizzliesstore.com. Tickets for all games are  available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, the  FedExForum Box Office, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX or  (901) 888-HOOP.

*Due to a family emergency, Lisa Leslie will not be able to attend the events &amp; game. Former WNBA player Jennifer Azzi with accept the award on her behalf and former Sports Legacy honoree Jason Collins will take part in the symposium with  Grant Hill and Steve Smith.

MORE ON GALLANT:
  The push-and-pull  that drives Gallant’s music is like  a pendulum swinging back and forth between genres and influences.  His combination of muscular vocal acrobatics  and sonic unpredictability has attracted universal tastemaker praise and a  growing global fan base. Complex championed the Los Angeles-based singer and  songwriter as “The R&amp;B game changer,” LA Times claimed, “Precise writing of  Frank Ocean, big vocal runs of Sam Smith,” and NME predicted, “the voice that  will redefine R&amp;B,” while Entertainment Weekly, The Fader, Billboard, LA  Weekly, and more have shown support. Sir Elton John summed it up best saying,  “Gallant is gonna be huge.”  Now, the  artist is nominated for his first ever Grammy alongside Beyonce &amp;  Rihanna.  He continues questioning, learning,  and progressing on his full-length debut, Ology [Mind of a Genius/Warner Bros.  Records].

ABOUT THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS OF THE 12TH  ANNUAL NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM SPORTS LEGACY AWARD:NBA Inside Stuff co-host Grant Hill will be honored at this year’s events, celebrating his  18-year NBA career (1994-2013) that featured seven NBA All-Star appearances and  one selection to the All-NBA First Team in 1997. Hill starred for the Detroit  Pistons while also playing for the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles  Clippers. As the 3rd overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft by the  Pistons, Hill helped turn the corner for Duke University in its rise as a  national powerhouse. During his four years as a Blue Devil, Duke won the first  two national titles in school history (1991, 1992) and returned to the national  title game in 1994 during Hill’s senior season. As a senior, Hill was named the  1994 ACC Player of the Year and a 1994 Consensus first team All-American. In  international play, Hill won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games with Team  USA. Off the court, in 1999 Hill served as vice-chairman of the Special  Olympics World Games. Two years later in 2001, Hill received the Rich and Helen  DeVos Community Enrichment Award for his work in the Central Florida community  as a member of the Orlando Magic. Additionally, Hill is very active and  passionate about youth fitness and health. In 2010, President Barack Obama  named Grant as a council member on the President's Council of Fitness, Sports &amp; Nutrition. Hill is also  involved with First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, which  provides access to nutritional and physical activity information and  suggestions while also by providing opportunities for families to have access  to healthy, affordable foods. In addition, Hill is part of the Atlanta Hawks’  ownership group.

NBA  TV studio analyst Steve Smith enjoyed a 14-year NBA career (1991-2005) that featured one NBA All-Star  appearance (1998) and time spent with the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Portland  Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets and Charlotte Bobcats. In  2003, Smith helped the Spurs to their second NBA championship alongside future  Hall-of-Famers Tim Duncan, David Robinson and current Warriors head coach Steve  Kerr. Smith averaged over 20 points per game twice in his NBA career.  Additionally, he won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games with Team USA and  received the 2002 NBA Sportsmanship Award.   Smith spent four years at Michigan State (1987-1991) under legendary head  coach Jud Heathcote. In addition to having his No. 21 retired by the Spartans,  Smith left the school as its all-time leader in points scored (2,263) while  ranking fourth all-time in assists (453) and fifth in rebounds (704). In 1991,  he was named a Consensus second team All-American while earning third team  All-American honors by the AP and UPI as a junior in 1990. Off the court, Smith  received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. The award is given to a NBA  player or coach who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the  community." Smith is well known for his charitable pursuits and in 1997 he  made a $2.5 million donation to his alma mater that helped fund the Clara Bell  Smith Student Athlete Academic Center, named for his mother. It was the largest  gift from a professional athlete to his or her university in history. In  addition, Smith runs The Steve Smith Charitable Fund. It began as a benefit to  those students from Steve’s alma mater, Detroit’s Pershing High School, who  wished to attend Michigan State University and has since grown to meet broader  needs in the communities that have supported Steve throughout his life.
  One  of the greatest women’s basketball players of all-time, Lisa Leslie enjoyed a 12-year WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks.  Her on-court achievements at multiple levels have resulted in her induction to  the Basketball Hall of Fame (2015) and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2015).  Leslie’s WNBA career boasts two championships in which she was named Finals MVP  both years (2001, 2002), three MVP awards (2001, 2002, 2003), eight All-Star  appearances and All-WNBA First Team honors and two WNBA Defensive Player of the  Year selections (2004, 2008). Leslie also became the first woman to dunk in a  professional basketball game. In addition, Leslie was named one of the WNBA’s  Top 20@20 in 2016, referring the league’s Top 20 players of all-time chosen on  the occasion of the WNBA’s 20th season. In international play,  Leslie won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008) and  two FIBA World Championships gold medals (1998, 2002).  Off the court, Leslie became a co-owner of  the Los Angeles Sparks in 2011 and also launched the Lisa Leslie Basketball and  Leadership Academy, focused on benefitting both the player and the person. In  2008, she became an author and published her book ‘Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool  You’, where in her own words, she points the spotlight onto her remarkable  life off the court, where being a confident champion was not always simple.  During the latter stage of her career she began the process of obtaining her  business degree in the offseason of 2006. In 2009, shortly after her  retirement, she finished her M.B.A. program at the University of Phoenix. In  2014, Leslie attended Super Bowl XLVII on behalf of the American Children’s  Federation in hopes to bring awareness to parents who should have a choice of  what school their kids to attend.

grizzlies-to-honor-grant-hill-steve-smith-and-lisa-leslie-as-part-of-15th-annual-mlk-jr-celebration-game

Grizzlies to honor Grant Hill, Steve Smith and Lisa Leslie as part of 15th Annual MLK Jr. Celebration Game

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