After a loss in his first season with the Grizzlies, David Fizdale went around the locker room asking each player if they believed he could win a title. Fizdale said that they didn't belong on the Grizzlies if they lacked belief.

"No," said Marc Gasol. "We don't have the right leader."

"I get it, you want Gregg Popovich, and I want LeBron James," Fizdale replied.

The relationship between Fizdale and Gasol continued to fray. Fizdale alienated Gasol by disregarding his accomplishments both in the NBA and overseas while also helping push out Zach Randolph and Tony Allen.

"He had it in where Marc was going to be a certain way and he didn't care who Marc was and he didn't care how the offense was, he didn't care about the style we were playing. It was going to be about – 'This is a new era. The Memphis stuff is over. That Grit n Grind is done,' " a source said. "Then he turns around and says, 'We're going to do it the Miami Way.'