"This has been an incredibly amazing journey," Hansen began, his speech destined to be lengthy, for it was his farewell to the Grizzlies. "When I arrived in Memphis four years ago, no one could have imagined that we would create a Dynasty."
Hansen's speech was bound to be long because it marked the end of his career with the Grizzlies.
"I want to thank Chris Wallace for bringing me to this team," he continued. "As it turns out, it was one of the greatest trades in NBA history."
Wallace's face turned red upon hearing this. Although the statement was true, it took on a whole new meaning coming from Hansen's lips.
"I also want to thank Lionel Hollins. Even though he didn't see it through to the end with us, he shaped our defensive system, the foundation of our repeated success."
Despite past conflicts, Hansen was fair, not diminishing the contributions of Hollins.
Hollins probably never expected Hansen to mention him on such an occasion.
