Memphis Grizzlies: 5 past teammate fights to learn from

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(Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) /

Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo

When: Jan. 5, 2011
Why: A game of Boo-Ray and a money dispute

What better place to start going over history than the Grizzlies themselves?

The Grindfather himself, Tony Allen, and O.J. Mayo were on a team flight when their card game got heated. Allen demanded Mayo owed him money and before long, Mayo antagonized Allen until Allen punched him in the face.

At this point, the Grizzlies were just 16-19 in the standings, 10th in the Western Conference and facing a huge uphill battle to get to the playoffs. After the fight? The Grizzlies went 30-17, sixth-best in the league over that stretch. They grabbed the 8-seed and beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.

Lesson learned

Fighting can be OK, if you use it to bring your team together. The Grizzlies banded under this underdog mentality after the fight to push forward through the year. It also helps to have someone like Tony Allen on the team. Who ever said a good old punch to the face never motivated a team?

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