Geoff Calkins

The Commercial Appeal

Can you imagine the ovation? Can you imagine what FedExForum will sound like when Zach Randolph makes his return?

Can you imagine the headbands and the emotion? Can you imagine what it will be like to hear 18,119 chanting “Z-Bo” one final time?

It will be the sound of love and gratitude. Of Memphians thanking Randolph for changing not just the way we feel about our basketball franchise, but the way we feel about ourselves.

We don’t bluff.

At least, now we don’t bluff. We take that as an article of civic faith.

But we used to bluff, more than we’d like to admit. Then Randolph arrived, and showed us how to wear a blue-collar jersey with relentless pride.

He was unstoppable, so we were unstoppable. He was unruly and joyful, so we could be both of those things, too.

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So, yes, the building will be unimaginably loud when Z-Bo returns to his city. It will always be his city, whether he lives here or not.

But Randolph’s in-season life in Memphis came to an end Tuesday, when he accepted a deal to play for Dave Joerger’s Sacramento Kings.

The Kings offered Randolph a two-year contract worth $24 million, more than the Grizzlies could have offered him. At least more than the Grizzlies could have offered him since they’ll be paying Chandler Parsons more than $47 million over those same two seasons. Out with grind city, in with refined city? It’ll certainly be a different feel.

But this is not the day to be lamenting past personnel moves. This is the day to celebrate the Grizzlies all-time leader in field goals (3,731), offensive rebounds (1,895), defensive rebounds (3,717) and MLG&W bills paid.

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He is the greatest of all Grizzlies. And it’s not me saying this, it’s y’all. When this paper held a greatest Grizzly contest a year ago, Randolph received 92 percent of all votes cast.

Why?

Because he was rough around the edges, just like we are.

Because he, too, was mischaracterized and misunderstood.

Rick Reilly once wrote that Randolph had an extra punk chromosome. Maybe Memphis has an extra punk chromosome. Or maybe it’s those who say such things about Memphians who do.

But let the record show that in July of 2009, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace acquired Randolph in a trade for — really! — Quentin Richardson. The previous three years, the Grizzlies had won 22, 22 and 24 games. Their first year with Randolph, that number jumped to 40. Seven straight years of playoff bedlam followed that.

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I am certain each of you have your favorite Z-Bo moments. The transcendent performance against the Spurs in 2011, the destruction of Blake Griffin and the Clippers in 2013. But Z-Bo became more than a basketball player in this town, he became an icon and a fable, both.

He showed us how a man can change his reputation. He showed us that ferocity and gentleness can go hand in hand.

That phrase, “We don’t bluff?” It really was Z-Bo who said that. And it was Z-Bo who showed us what it meant.

It meant, you shouldn’t be ashamed of where you come from. You certainly shouldn’t use it as an excuse.

It meant, it doesn’t matter what other people say about you. It matters only how hard you work and what you give.

To those outside of Memphis, it may be hard to understand what Randolph — and Tony Allen, who may be the next to leave as a free agent — have meant to the psyche of this town. But they helped change it from a place with an inferiority complex to a place of authentic, boisterous pride.

Now Randolph will play out his career in Sacramento, and maybe that feels wrong to you. It felt wrong when Michael Jordan didn’t end his career in Chicago, when Joe Montana didn’t end his career in San Francisco, and when Joe Namath didn’t end his career in New York. But nobody was ever confused about where those players did their most important work, or where they left their hearts.

Nobody will be confused about Randolph either, about the Grizzly who was even shaped a little bit like a bear. He gave us Z-bounds and deep thoughts, gave us rump slaps and sweet floaters, gave us eight years of triumphs and joy.

So Godspeed, Z-Bo. We wish you nothing but the best. You may wear a different uniform for the next couple seasons, but you’ll always be the No. 1 Grizzly to us.