Hoops Habit
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Hoops Habit’s favorite moments and stories from the 2022-23 NBA season

By Leocciano Callao

Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) hugs agent Rich Paul after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) hugs agent Rich Paul after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – APRIL 26: Dillon Brooks #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – APRIL 26: Dillon Brooks #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers of Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) /

Leocciano Callao: A wise man once said, “We’re good in the West.”

And everybody knows how well those words of wisdom aged.

The NBA community needs to collectively hand bouquets to the Memphis Grizzlies for their valiant efforts on the basketball court. There’s no denying their talent and hunger to succeed. Ja Morant’s star is rising (or was? We’ll get to it later). With that, he took his cast of teammates and made Memphis one of the best teams in the Western Conference and the NBA.

The young and gritty Grizzlies became the bad boys of the NBA this past season. Their “in your face” approach and fiery play became a recipe to get under everybody’s skin. Unfortunately, the basketball was overshadowed by their villain origin story.

Nobody embraced this more than Dillon Brooks. The 27-year-old decided that turning heal was his way to recognition– and it worked. Brooks took pages from Patrick Beverley and Draymond Green’s books and injected the sum with steroids. He got into altercations with the likes of Green, Donovan Mitchell, and LeBron James. Unfortunately, he did better as a pebble in their shoes than a basketball player.

Meanwhile, Morant was dealing with his own demons. Among several stains, Morant was suspended twice for flashing firearms on social media. These raised questions about his future in the league.

On the bright side, Jaren Jackson Jr. deservingly won NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference but suffered a first-round exit, courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. At the end of it, the organization decided to excommunicate Brooks. Morant has been handed a 25-game suspension for next season, and Jackson will return and most likely anchor the team in Morant’s absence.