Memphis Grizzlies hold practice at Penn ahead of matchup with 76ers

Ahead of their Saturday primetime date at the Wells Fargo Center, the Memphis Grizzlies made a stop in University City to hold their morning shootaround at Hutchinson Gymnasium, the main practice gym for the men’s and women's basketball teams. 

The team was seen arriving on campus just after 11 am, and stayed in the gym for slightly under an hour before hopping back on their team buses. It was a closed practice, meaning it was not attended by fans or the media. The Grizzlies are coached by 2007 Wharton graduate Taylor Jenkins.

“It's a special moment [to] bring in a team for the first time in my NBA career,” Jenkins said. “[It] brings back just a rush of memories. You know, our guys obviously enjoy these experiences … in non-NBA arenas … a unique experience that not everyone gets, you know, just gives me all the memories that I had when I graduated here in 2007. So, very special moment.”

It was also a unique experience for the Grizzlies players, who experienced college basketball's most historic arena.

"It's nice," Grizzlies shooting guard Luke Kennard said of the Palestra, located next door to Hutchinson Gymnasium. 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart was quick to interject.

“He says Duke’s better, though," Smart said. Kennard played two years in Durham's famed Cameron Indoor Stadium before being drafted 12th overall in the 2017 NBA draft.

Jenkins also spent time with some of Penn’s student-athletes yesterday and met with members of the men's basketball coaching staff earlier this morning. The former Wharton-student-turned-NBA-coach is also scheduled to be at an event hosted by the Wharton Undergraduate Sports Business Club on Saturday.

The Memphis Grizzlies have started their season at .500, with a record of 3-3 going into tonight’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Neither of the 76ers’ franchise players — Joel Embiid and Paul George — are expected to play due to injury.