The Memphis Grizzlies sent shockwaves through the NBA on Friday after they surprisingly parted ways with HC Taylor Jenkins. The decision came as a massive surprise for everyone since the Grizzlies boast the 44-30 and 5th seed in a stacked Western Conference and are on pace to grab a ticket to the postseason. While a reason for Jenkins’s firing could be the team’s recent poor form, the timing of the decision makes it really hard to wrap your head around it. Not just the fans, even the Grizzlies players like GG Jackson did not see this curveball coming their way. And like the Dallas way, the villain of the movie is again a GM.
Moreover, while many fans would remember where they were when they first heard this stunning news, no one would have a story as good as Memphis’ forward, GG Jackson. Why? Well, when the reporters asked Jackson where he was when the news first broke, his reply was a hilarious one. The Memphis star was brushing his teeth on Friday when he first heard that the Grizzlies’ head coach, Taylor Jenkins, was fired. “All of my friends called me and were like, ‘Is this real?’” Jackson said. “I was like, ‘They probably saw NBA Centel or something.’ And then I went to Twitter (now X), and his face was everywhere.” He added.
The 20-year-old’s first reaction was similar to his teammates’: shock. However, he did not realize it at first, and when his friends said Jenkins had been fired, Jackson told them that they might have been fooled or “Cetntel’d” by the prominent parody social media account. Those of you who are not aware, ‘NBA Centel’ is a parody account of the famous ‘NBA Central’ that has caught several people off guard. Including a lot of NBA players and media as well. However, Jackson soon came to know this wasn’t an early April Fool’s prank and that he and his teammates would have to navigate with Jenkins from now on. Pained, but the list of hurts was more.
GG Jackson thought Jenkins firing was a NBA Centel report
“I was brushing my teeth when my friends called me and said Coach Jenkins got fired, I was like they probably saw NBA Centel or something.” pic.twitter.com/VrEf1yRzTx
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) March 30, 2025
From fans to players, all are stunned that the HC has been fired with a handful of games remaining before the playoffs. There’s still a lot of uncertainty around this decision by the Grizzlies from the office. Meanwhile, Memphis Grizzlies’ general manager Zach Kleiman has insisted the decision to fire Taylor Jenkins was “mine and mine only.” It still does not make sense to fire your long-time head coach just before the playoffs. Furthermore, GG Jackson wasn’t the only player to have felt this shock; Ja Morant also recently expressed his feelings about the situation.
Ja Morant expresses his feelings on Taylor Jenkins’s surprise firing
Well, the Memphis Grizzlies had dropped in recent months and were going through a slump, but still they were over .500 and contesting with the Lakers for the fourth seed. So, no one in the media or the fans expected this decision to come through on Friday. Those who thought it was a collective decision were proved wrong. All was well in the Grizzlies’ locker room. Players and HC didn’t have any issues with one another. But the GM had other plans. The reactions from the players were shocking, too. Ja Morant, shocked, gave only a two-word reply: “Oh S***.”
Dec 5, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a foul call toward an official, resulting in a technical foul, during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
After the Grizzlies played their first game without Taylor Jenkins at the helm, Ja Morant finally expressed his feelings. “It’s tough for me,” Morant stated after the defeat against the Lakers. “I’ve had Coach Taylor since I got here. Everything I’ve done in a Grizzlies jersey has pretty much been under him. It’s my first time really experiencing a coach leaving since I’ve been hooping. It was a lot to process. With the timing, it’s just tough. We had to quickly turn the page.” Morant added further. Well, it seems like the Grizzlies’ HC and Morant shared a special bond, and it has been tough the past few hours for Morant.
Well, he’s correct with the moving on part. That’s because Ja Morant and Memphis don’t have much time to ponder this loss. With the playoffs around the corner and Memphis in a precarious position, the Grizzlies will have to worry about. Firstly, they need to sort out their defensive struggles and work together as a unit. Moreover, Memphis has all of this to come together fast and get the maximum wins possible, or they could even slip further and see their playoff spot convert into a play-in spot.
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