How David Fizdale went from South Central LA to head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies head coach joins Brian Berger on Sports Business Radio to share stories of his youth, early influences, and coaching philosophy.

This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

On making it out of South Central LA

David Fizdale: Really a lot of luck a lot of a lot of blessings. I’m sure my mom said a lot of prayers every time I walked out of the house and I had good people.

There were moments and a ton of situations that I was in that could have went the wrong way. I could have been the one that got hit.

There were moments and a ton of situations that I was in that could have went the wrong way. I could have been the one that got hit.

You know a village truly raised me and I had solid role models all throughout my life whether it was my coaches or my brother.

My brother is a true inspiration to me. He played Division 1 football at the University of Hawaii. He got a scholarship out of the neighborhood.

He was the first person to really show me that this is possible. And, in fact, that it’s expected of you.

My brother expected that out of me. He was the first one that bought me a pair of sneakers — he was my role model. I looked up to my brother big time.

On Developing His Playing Style

My cousin Bernard Perry literally created me, as a coach, because when I was a kid, he would make me watch film of Mark Jackson, Walter Berry and Chris Mullins.

He would record the games and would watch the film with me and he would always tell me “your half white guy and you’re slow. You’ve got to watch Mark Jackson if you want to play basketball. You got to learn how to play like Mark Jackson, because you’re never going to be fast.”

We would study film on Mark Jackson and I parodied my whole game after him

On his Grandfather’s influence on his life

Brian Berger: Part of your time you’re spending in South Central. The other part of your time you’re spending in Century City where your grandparents live. Spock was living near your grandparents, Leonard Nimoy, in the same condo building on Avenue of the Stars!

David Fizdale: My grandfather was well-to-do, an engineer and lawyer, and had done really well for himself. And they had retired there, him and my grandmother.

That’s a short drive in L.A. when you think about it.

It was just a whole another world for me to just keep bouncing back and forth from the hood to Century City and but I really learned a lot from them.

It was just a whole another world for me to just keep bouncing back and forth from the hood to Century City

You know how people say ‘what would Jesus do? I would always say what would papa do?’ My grandfather’s voice was in my ears during those moments of making those tough decisions.

My grandparents are a really good example of how people should be in this world and how accepting and wonderful way they treated me and they raised me really to be cultural and experience the world. They’re the ones that got me into reading — they bought me my first subscription to National Geographic.

My grandmother traced our ancestry for me and gave it to me in a book for Christmas. How cool is that?

I’m a 10 year old and they’re really making it important that I understand.

These are the things that are important to not only this side of the family but you need to know this about your mom’s heritage and your grandfather’s heritage. They were were real influential in my life.

On his outlook on coaching

I look at life different than everybody else I guess. Coaching is actually my vehicle to help. My life’s goal wasn’t to be a head coach. I just like to compete.

And basketball is my way of expressing my urge of competition and the life lessons you gain through camaraderie and having to connect to people and brotherhood. That’s what basketball fulfills for me.

My life’s goal wasn’t to be a head coach. I just like to compete.

Basketball is just the instrument that provides me a platform, provides me the finances, the image, to actually do what I care about, which is help people. That’s what I want to be remembered for.

I would much rather be remembered as somebody that was huge in his community and helped people. And someone who did what he could to better the world around him.