In 2015, I had my first advertising internship with the Memphis Grizzlies. If you’re not from Memphis, you may know them as - the least valuable professional basketball franchise - or - that team who drafted current Japanese B League back-up center Hasheem Thabeet over James Harden and Steph Curry. So I’ll admit, we don’t have the most elite reputation (below are some former player’s quotes for additional reference):

“God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.” - Allen Iverson, before God told him to leave 3 games later

“We suck. We suck. We’re the worst team in the league. You can print that.” - Jason Williams, on sucking

“We’re going to milk that horse.” - Tony Allen, hopefully not milking that horse

But the records and percentages and trades and drafts - those are all just facts. In Memphis, the Grizzlies represent so much more than that. They’re the embodiment of an attitude even more so than a team. All heart, grit and grind. A team perpetually powered by assets from salary-cap scraps and botched trades, undervalued role players and forgotten journeymen. But here, they thrive. Because in Memphis having a chip on your shoulder is more baseline than burden, and being counted out is the only thing you can count on *reminder to embed ESPN 30 for 30 soundtrack here*.

Getting the chance to work for the Grizzlies was a dream come true. I was able to help create content and campaigns around these undervalued superstars, and help tell their stories to the city that sculpted them. Below is some of that work, which was featured on ESPN.com, Grizzlies.com, and the front page of The Commercial Appeal newspaper - as well as printed and passed out as posters at a Grizzlies press conference summer block party at the FedexForum.