(Memphis) Grizzlies fans were still fiercely loyal to their team as they watched the make-or-break game that ultimately ended the Grizzlies’ 2013 playoff season.
The Memphis Grizzlies made it to the Western Conference Championships for the first time in franchise history, giving fans a heightened sense of pride in the team and the city.
“This team has steadily made progress,” said Frances Wilson, who has been a season ticket-holder for 12 years.
She walked over to a Spurs fan holding a broom, just to show Memphis hospitality in the face of opposition.
The Spurs fan, Victor Diaz, explained that the broom was good luck for them to ‘sweep’ the Grizzlies.
“No, no, no,” Wilson said. “Somebody’s got to come from 3-0 down and do it. So why not the Grizzlies?”
Diaz responded with, “We all want to win. No one wants to lose, but someone’s going to win.”
Wilson said, “It’s not the guy with the broom.”
While the wish did not come true, fans displayed the kind of faith that comes from years of using the word “believe” in slogans and Twitter hashtags.
“What we’ve done this year is remarkable,” said Shirley Britton. “Whatever they’ve done, they’ve accomplished, they worked hard. And we love them.”
Britton, wore a bright blue wig with her friend Ginger Epley.
Epley explained the phenomenon by saying that the players seemed truly a part of Memphis.
“They are blue-collar like the rest of us,” she said. “They make themselves one of us.”
Though faced with the harsh reality that this record-breaking season is over, fans are already prepared for more of the “grit and grind” next year.
Frances Wilson said, “Keep moving. Don’t hang your head, just keep moving.”