Grizzlies Legend's Brutally Honest Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley Statement

When the Grizzlies hired Lionel Hollins as head coach in 2009, he made it clear to Lowry that the team would be moving forward with Conley at the point guard position. Understandably upset with those developments, Lowry's attitude soured to the point where he was shipped off to the Houston Rockets at the 2009 trade deadline, where he spent three seasons before signing with Toronto in 2012.

During a recent episode of Zach Randolph and Tony Allen's "Out The Mud" podcast, former Memphis Grizzlies star Rudy Gay spoke on the competition between Conley and Lowry and revealed an interesting take about Lowry's career that will certainly prompt some discussion.

Legendary Competition

"That's the most competitive (expletive) I've ever seen in my life," Gay said. "Between Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry, two lottery point guards. Two great point guards who still play until this day. Who were we going to give the keys to? But what had happened shaped both of their careers.

"Kyle Lowry is a dog, right? But I don't know if he's that kind of dog without being put in that situation, being the second fiddle to Mike Conley, you know what I'm saying? Everything that happens is for a reason. Kyle Lowry is a Hall of Famer. He's about to have a statue in Toronto."

Things ended up working out alright for the Grizzlies, too. The "Grit and Grind" era led by Conley, Randolph and Marc Gasol and supported by an elite cast of surrounding players like Allen and Gay is widely looked at as the "Golden Era" in the larger history of Memphis (and Vancouver) Grizzlies basketball. They went as far as the conference finals in 2013 before being swept by the Spurs.

The Grizzlies will look to replicate some of the success of that era this coming season, as they are set to open the year at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 22.