Clippers-Grizzlies rivalry spills into BBQ

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies have a rich history of mutual animosity. Both teams are physical and aggressive and don’t particularly care what you think of them. In 2011-12, the Clippers took a seven-game first round series from Memphis. The Grizzlies returned the favor in six games the following season. They haven’t met in the playoffs since but, while the bumps and bruises have faded, the dislike has not.

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The Grizzlies and Clippers meet tonight for the first time in the 2016-17 season and new Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale is up to speed on the emotions this game carries. When asked today if he understood the rivalry between these two teams, Fizdale shared how some local restaurants had helped educate him.

Memphis is a city that is proud of its culinary legacy and proud of its basketball legacy as well. It makes sense that the former would work with whatever tools it had on hand to protect the latter. The Step Back’s Senior Memphis BBQ Correspondent, Todd Whitehead (@CrumpledJumper) spent the day visiting local establishments and gathering some examples of what Fizdale may have seen.

The Clippers will certainly be hungry after the game and likely looking to grab some food on their way out of town. They may want to look for a nice italian place because, for today at least, the balance of heat and sweet seems to be a little out of balance with the barbecue.