A remarkable honor is in store for guard Tony Allen as the Memphis Grizzlies have decided to retire his No. 9 jersey on March 15, as announced by the team on Tuesday.
The ceremony will take place at FedExForum following a game against the Miami Heat. With this honor, Allen becomes the third player in Grizzlies history to have his jersey retired, joining former teammates Zach Randolph (No. 50) and Marc Gasol (No. 33).
At 42 years old, Allen played seven impactful seasons with Memphis from 2010 to 2017, representing the heart and soul of the franchise’s “Grit and Grind” era. The team shared details about the upcoming celebration on X.
During his tenure, Allen earned All-Defensive team honors six times and played a crucial role in leading the Grizzlies to the playoffs every season, including a memorable run to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. He currently ranks second in franchise history for steals (762), sixth in games played (462), and tenth in blocked shots (217).
In his career, Allen averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 steals across 820 games, which includes stints with the Boston Celtics (2004-2010), Grizzlies, and New Orleans Pelicans (2017-2018).
He was selected by the Celtics as the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft and won an NBA championship with Boston in the 2007-08 season.