Amazing that the writer conflates fan sentiment about a player who signs with another team with sentiment about a player who is traded away. They are vastly different in the fans' eyes.
Initially I was unconvinced about Marc and upset about losing Valanciunas.
It's nice to be wrong.
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Not mentioned is the fact that the Grizz were born in Vancouver.
It's a slightly touchy issue around here though.
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The Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens should read this to understand the meaning of genuine support and love for the game of basketball and its players. He's a disgrace. "Marc" and Memphis are the opposite.
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Folks forget that Marc's brother Pau was the first player the Memphis Grizzlies ever drafted. Also, when Marc graduated from high school here in Memphis, John Calapari, then coach at UMemphis didn't even give him a sniff at a scholarship ( or any encouragement as a walk on)
Pau never got the love he deserved in Memphis, and frankly neither did Marc.
I have no bone to pick with "Bongo Lady" but this is the first time I have ever heard her speak. Didn't know that 3 minutes of fame at Grizzly home games makes one a NYT commentator as well.
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Umm, he was traded; it wasn’t like he left on his own volition. Big difference between him and LeBron or KD. And LeBron has done as much for his community as anyone else has. Fans don’t recognize that sometimes.
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Gasol was the final piece that Raptor management put together in moulding a championship ready Raptor team. TONITE is the NIGHT!!! Go Raptors !!! We wait with fingers crossed. Go Raptors!!! TONITE!
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Oh wow.
I lived in Memphis when Gasol was playing for the Grizzlies. He was viewed as an outsider by many locals who failed to appreciate his talents. There were no tears, far as I could tell, when he left, despite his performance while with the Grizzlies.
This article appears to be a pleasant rewrite of the sad reality of this athlete’s time in Memphis.
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@Chickpea This is really surprising. I've been a Grizz fan since Marc started his career here. I've never met another Grizz fan who didn't adore Marc. He was embraced by Memphis in every way. Not sure what locals you talked to.
Fans were devastated when he left because it solidified the end of an era. But fans also realized it had to happen and are happy for him.
Memphis got back three younger players for Gasol. Jonas Valanciunas is a very special player who I think Memphis will come to appreciate. No question Marc Gasol makes the Raps better and his experience in the playoffs and with Spain has added tenacity and resilience to this Raptor team. If the Raps can win, hope Marc brings the trophy back to Memphis to share with his family there.
Lets Go Raptors!
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Still trying to figure out the headline of this story
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@Pat Filbert "Jurassic Park" is the name given to a designated area outside of the arena in Toronto where thousands of Raptors fans congregate and watch the game on a big screen, for free. Other sanctioned "Jurassic Parks" have cropped up in the Greater Toronto Area and around Canada.
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Of course in Toronto we don’t see him as someone who came to be part of a winning team. We see him as a key player who helped make it a winning team.
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The roots players develop with their host communities is very important to a professional league's sustainability. The more that diminishes, the weaker the league becomes. In the long term, this matters.
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