Edward Eugene Sutton was an American college basketball coach. A native of Bucklin, Kansas, Sutton played college basketball at Oklahoma A&M and was a head coach at the high school, junior college, and college levels spanning six decades.
Michael Alex Conley Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Conley spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies and became the team's all-time leading scorer before being traded to the Utah Jazz in 2019, then traded again to the Timberwolves in 2023.
Blake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. Griffin last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, when he was named the consensus national college player of the year as a sophomore. Griffin was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft, and has since been a six-time NBA All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection. In January 2018, Griffin was traded to the Detroit Pistons and played for them until 2021. In March 2021, Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets. In September 2022, Griffin signed with the Boston Celtics. He is currently a free agent as of 2023.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Grizzlies' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Vancouver Grizzlies, along with the Toronto Raptors became expansion NBA franchises in 1995. They were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. The Grizzlies revealed a new primary logo of a grizzly bear holding a basketball, and got new uniforms with Native American markings on the trims of their jerseys, adding turquoise and brown to their color scheme.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. All women's teams at the school are known as Cowgirls. The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference. In 2020, CBS Sports ranked Oklahoma State the 25th best college basketball program of all-time, ahead of such programs as Oklahoma and Texas. Oklahoma State men’s basketball has a very rich history of success, having won more national titles and advanced to the NCAA Championship, Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen more times than any Big 12 program other than Kansas. Oklahoma State has won a combined 23 regular season conference titles and conference tournament titles, which is the most of any program in the state of Oklahoma.
The 2001–02 NBA season was the Grizzlies’ 7th season in the National Basketball Association, and their first season in Memphis. After six years of struggling in Vancouver, the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee. Although it was the first NBA team for the city, Memphis played home to an American Basketball Association team known as the Memphis Sounds from 1970–1975. The Grizzlies had the sixth overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, and selected small forward Shane Battier from Duke University, and acquired top draft pick and Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol, point guard Brevin Knight and former University of Memphis star Lorenzen Wright from the Atlanta Hawks; Gasol was drafted by the Hawks with the third overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired point guard Jason Williams, and veteran shooting guard Nick Anderson from the Sacramento Kings, and signed free agent Rodney Buford. However, center Bryant Reeves missed the entire season with a preseason back injury, and never played for the team in Memphis during the regular season.
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Grizzlies' fourth season in the National Basketball Association. On March 23, 1998, the owners of all 29 NBA teams voted 27–2 to reopen the league's collective bargaining agreement, seeking changes to the league's salary cap system, and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) opposed to the owners' plan, and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary. After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games. Due to the lockout, the NBA All-Star Game, which was scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1999, was also cancelled. However, on January 6, 1999, NBA commissioner David Stern, and NBPA director Billy Hunter finally reached an agreement to end the lockout. The deal was approved by both the players and owners, and was signed on January 20, ending the lockout after 204 days. The regular season began on February 5, and was cut short to just 50 games instead of the regular 82-game schedule.
Marcus Osmond Smart is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners and was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he received four major national player of the year awards—the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, Sporting News Player of the Year, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Hield was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. He was dealt to the Indiana Pacers in a package for Domantas Sabonis in 2022. In February of 2024 he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Dillon Brooks is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American and earned conference player of the year honors in the Pac-12 in 2017. Brooks was selected in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. He began his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2023.
Amos Thomas was American collegiate and professional basketball player. He was a second round pick of the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association in the 1971 NBA draft.
Jarrett Culver is an American professional basketball player for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Dakari Naeem Johnson is an American professional basketball player who last played for Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the second tier of professional basketball in China. He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.
Tre'shaun Albert Mann is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators.
Cade Parker Cunningham is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Bowie High School in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he was rated a consensus five-star recruit and among the top players in the 2020 class by major recruiting services. As a senior, he led one of the best high school teams in history and received national player of the year recognition.
Randy Rutherford is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. Rutherford had a three-year college career with Oklahoma State, where as a senior in 1995 he helped the Cowboys make their first Final Four appearance in 45 years. He went on to play professionally in Spain, Finland, Cyprus and Australia. With the Brisbane Bullets in Australia, he led the league in scoring and earned All-NBL Second Team honors in 2002.
Derrick Isaiah Joe is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Cameron McGriff is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Austin Tyler Reaves is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Oklahoma Sooners. He joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent.
Avery Anderson III is an American college basketball player for the TCU Horned Frogs of the Big 12 Conference. He previously played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
