It was December of 2011. The inevitable NBA lockout had surprisingly come to a close and teams had to quickly whip. Nearly two months of the season was shaved from the schedule. It was great to finally play ball, but for the Memphis Grizzlies, the worst was yet to come.
In the fourth game into the shortened 2011-12 regular season, Zach Randolph sustained a significant injury versus the Chicago Bulls. The players’ hearts sank. The fan base instantly became depressed. This roster was on the brink of accomplishing something big. However, those plans seemed to become derailed with the blink of an eye.