Memphis Head coach David Fizdale was fired Monday afternoon while his team was in the midst of an 8-game losing streak. It was reported that Fizdale and franchise center Marc Gasol’s relationship had deteriorated over time.
The friction between the two came to an ugly head when Fizdale benched Gasol during the fourth quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The firing came as a shock to most, if not all, of the NBA community. Fans, analyst, pundits, and even players expressed their feelings toward the sudden dismissal of Fizdale who marched the Grizzlies to the playoffs in rookie season as head coach.
Fizdale spent some time with the Miami Heat during their championship run, and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade weren’t particularly enthused to see a talented coach get the boot.
I need some answers. Feels like my man was a fall guy
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 27, 2017
I need answers!!! WTF https://t.co/z39oNRQok0
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) November 27, 2017
Other players like Vince Carter, Damian Lillard and Isaiah Thomas took to social media to voice their displeasure with the firing. Suffice to say, Fizdale’s popularity in the league was on full display with players showing their collective support the second-year head coach.
Wow smh????? just wow!!!
— Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) November 27, 2017
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) November 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas/status/935280302573916160
Jonathan Givoney alluded to Sunday as the straw the broke the camel’s back in Fizadale and Gasol’s already rocky relationship.
Word out of Memphis this past summer already was Marc Gasol and Coach Fizdale were on very poor terms after some confrontations in practice. Seemed inevitable they'd have to pick between one or the other eventually. This isn't some recent thing.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) November 27, 2017
The speed at which events develop in the NBA is unmatched by any other sports league. Gasol had only just recently told the media how he felt about having to sit on the bench during winning time.
Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns summed up the wackiness of it all with one simple tweet:
This league Boi!!!! https://t.co/vueMV0diZe
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) November 27, 2017
Kevin Lipe of the Memphis Flyer thinks that maybe the Grizzlies’ problem goes deeper than coaching.
My biggest question is: when does the guy responsible for the roster and for hiring the coach who only lasted 100 games start to come under scrutiny? The last time the Grizzlies were struggling and fired a coach in mid season, Wallace was GM also.
— Kevin Lipe (@kevinlipe_) November 28, 2017
Adrian Wojnarowski reports that JB Bickerstaff will serve as the interim head coach in the absence of Fizdale. Bickerstaff last coached the Houston Rockets before joining Fizdale’s staff.
