Latest news with #TuomasIisalo
New York Times
30-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA to play 6 games in Europe over next 3 years, starting in Berlin and London next season
It's the Wagner brothers' turn for a homecoming, courtesy of NBA schedule makers, while the Memphis Grizzlies will take a brief break from tradition to participate. The league announced that the Orlando Magic will play the Grizzlies in two games overseas next season, including one in Berlin, where brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner grew up and played professionally before coming to America. Additionally, Magic forward Travis da Silva is from Munich, and Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo previously coached Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. Europe, get ready! ✈️🌍 The NBA will host SIX regular-season games in Europe over the next three years, with games to come in Berlin and London (2026), Manchester and Paris (2027) and Berlin and Paris (2028). 🗞️ — NBA (@NBA) July 30, 2025 The two teams will play at Berlin's Under Arena on Jan. 15 and then at London's famous O2 Arena on Jan. 18, which means the Grizzlies won't be able to host a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19 for just the third time since the team moved to Memphis in 2001. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, and each year the Grizzlies host an annual celebration in the civil rights icon's honor, which usually includes a basketball game. The Grizzlies didn't play on MLK Day last in 2017, but their news release Wednesday made clear they intend to host a game on the holiday in 2027. Advertisement 'We appreciate the opportunity to represent the NBA and to represent the city of Memphis and state of Tennessee on an international stage in Berlin and London,' Grizzlies president Jason Wexler said in the release. 'In order to undertake this rare opportunity to bring Memphis to an international audience, it will require the team to be away from home for MLK Day. However, we remain committed to supporting the Memphis community over the MLK Day holiday while the team is traveling, and we look forward to the Grizzlies once again anchoring the NBA's MLK Day schedule in 2027.' The NBA also said it would hold regular-season games in Manchester, England and Paris in 2027, and in Berlin and Paris in 2028. While the dates and teams for those future trips were not yet announced, last year the San Antonio Spurs and French sensation Victor Wembanyama played the Indiana Pacers twice in Paris, where Wemby is from, and it was a huge hit. This will be the first NBA regular-season game in Germany and the 10th in London. Franz Wagner competed at every level for Alba Berlin, a Euroleague club, including the pro team, up until he left for the University of Michigan in 2019 for two seasons. Mo's career followed a similar path, and both also star for the German national team. 'To have the Orlando Magic and the NBA play a regular-season game in our hometown of Berlin means everything to us,' the Wagner brothers said in a joint statement included in the NBA release. 'Growing up here, we dreamed of moments like this. It's a huge honor to represent Berlin and Germany and show how much the city and country love basketball. We hope we can inspire kids the way we were inspired watching games from afar.' One spicy tidbit — earlier this summer, the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Magic. As Memphis is in the West and the Magic are in the East, they only play twice. So there will be no Bane homecoming in Memphis this season. Advertisement The NBA's overseas schedule also represents commissioner Adam Silver's desire to start a European league with teams potentially in all four of the markets with games in the next few years, and continue to strengthen ties with Middle Eastern money interests — some of whom own other sports teams in Europe. Manchester City's multibillion-dollar soccer franchise is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, through the Abu Dhabi United Group out of the United Arab Emirates. The chairman of Manchester City is another Emirate, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, whose brother, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, runs the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. The Al Mubarak family has expressed interest in NBA ownership, though sovereign wealth funds currently cannot own more than 20 percent of any NBA franchise. Allowing the Man City group to serve as de facto hosts for a game next season is a step toward Silver's goals.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo is unlocking a new level for GG Jackson's game
LAS VEGAS — Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo sees the potential in GG Jackson. The same potential that led to Jackson once being the top prospect in high school basketball and a dynamic scorer as a rookie. So when Iisalo took over as Grizzlies coach, Jackson remembers the coach coming up to him and sharing a goal. The goal was fixated after Iisalo watched Jackson struggle mentally as he dealt with a lack of playing time last season. Advertisement "He told me last year when I was stuck in my head a lot that I'm (going to) coach you the hardest because I don't want to be that guy that looks back in 20 years like, 'Ah, that GG Jackson kid could have been something,'" Jackson said. "He lets me know that he's not going to let me fall, so that's why I rock with him so much." Now Iisalo's doing what most NBA coaches don't. He's coaching the Grizzlies himself during summer league action, and Jackson is one of those players benefitting. Through his first two games, Jackson has been impressive. Jackson is averaging 23.5 points while shooting 57.6% from the field. GG Jackson's new mentality His success is in part due to a renewed mindset. Iisalo has emphasized the 6-foot-9 Jackson attacking the basket more with an aggressive mentality. Advertisement As a result, Jackson has been going to the basket with force. There have been fewer floaters and more two-handed power dunks. He's also put an emphasis on doing more with less by essentially eliminating wasted movement. "This year I've been trying to get downhill, and it's limited dribbles as possible," Jackson said. "Trying to make sure I'm not doing too much and when I do do too much ... just trying to eliminate those little things." Assistant coach Jason March is also credited with making sure Jackson has an above-the-rim mindset when attacking. The coaches pointed out how Jackson would sometimes shift away from the basket and shy away from contact on layups. Even when it worked, it wasn't a recipe for success. Jackson shot well below league average around the rim, finishing 47.4% of his shots in the restricted area. By comparison, league average was 66.4%, according to shotcreator's tracking data. Advertisement "I'm not going to get that many calls because the refs see how big I am, so just being able to finish through contact," Jackson said. "It'll intimidate the defender a little bit more to back up, or they'll just foul me and I can just get to the free-throw line." Jackson is one of several wings on the Grizzlies roster vying for a starting spot left vacant after Memphis traded Desmond Bane. The 20-year-old may not be the favorite to land that spot just yet, but he knows what he has to do in order to maximize his opportunity and at least create a consistent rotation role. Jackson wants to be a position-less player who can be plugged in anywhere. If he grabs a defensive rebound, he wants to be a player who pushes the ball in transition. He's also fine with setting a screen and rolling to the rim. But beyond the offensive side, Jackson's role will be dependent on his defensive progress. Defense was Jackson's main weakness last season that ultimately led to him not being in the rotation. Advertisement Now, Jackson is motivated to become a versatile defender capable of guarding one through four and competing against fives. "Obviously not there yet, but with this summer league, I feel like we're taking the right steps toward that," Jackson said. Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis Grizzlies' GG Jackson is playing well in summer league
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Memphis Grizzlies beat Yang Hansen-led Blazers as Ja Morant appears for summer league game
LAS VEGAS — Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo wasn't happy, believing the Boston Celtics played harder than his team on July 11. So for the Grizzlies' second summer league game, that couldn't happen again. The players accepted Iisalo's challenge against the Portland Trail Blazers and responded emphatically. Memphis (1-1) outhustled the Blazers (1-1) and earned a 96-86 win at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12. Advertisement In a matchup that featured plenty of talent, the battle of the bigs was one to watch. Grizzlies big man Armando Bacot matched up against Chinese sensation and 2025 first-round draft pick Yang Hansen. Bacot finished with a double-double, with 12 rebounds to go with 14 points and four blocks. Yang ended the game with 10 points, five rebounds and one block. Here are three takeaways from the Grizzlies' win. More Grizzlies absences The Grizzlies have had a tough time with injuries in the 2025 summer league. They haven't had a game where the full roster has been available, and that continued on July 12. Advertisement GG Jackson was out due to an illness, a Grizzlies spokesperson told The Commercial Appeal. Zyon Pullin, Javon Small and Cedric Coward were also among the players unavailable against the Blazers. Memphis did get Jahmai Mashack back after missing action on July 11. He ended the game with four points, five rebounds and four assists. Cam Spencer, Jaylen Wells stats JA MORANT TALKS ROSTER CHANGES: Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant breaks silence on Desmond Bane trade, new roster additions The Grizzlies still had two other players capable of scoring in bunches. Cam Spencer got an extender opportunity as a ballhandler and playmaker, what with the growing list of guard absences. He finished with 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Advertisement Jaylen Wells struggled offensively for most of the night until the fourth quarter. The lack of a true point guard hurts Wells because he doesn't create most of his own offense, but he found a way as the game progressed. He finished with 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting and had seven rebounds. Ty Jerome, Ja Morant make appearances More Grizzlies players showed up to take in summer league action. Ja Morant and Ty Jerome made their first appearances at a Grizzlies summer league game. Scotty Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, John Konchar and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also have been in attendance. Morant and Jerome's appearances are notable. Jerome is the Grizzlies' lone free agent signing to date, and Morant is one of the team's leaders. Advertisement The star point guard noted that his main reason for attending summer league was being visible for his teammates as a leader. What's next The Grizzlies have two days off before their next game on July 15 against the Golden State Warriors (9:30 p.m. CT, NBA TV). Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies summer league highlights, takeaways vs Blazers
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Memphis Grizzlies hire Ryan Saunders as new lead assistant coach
LAS VEGAS — The Memphis Grizzlies are hiring Ryan Saunders as the new lead assistant coach, sources confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on July 14 Saunders, the son of former NBA coach Flip Saunders, has spent time with three NBA teams as an assistant. He also was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves for three seasons (2018-21). Advertisement He spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, helping them win the NBA title in the 2022-23 season. Saunders, 39, is the second assistant coach hired this offseason by Memphis as coach Tuomas Iisalo revamps his staff. The Grizzlies parted ways with Anthony Carter, who was with the team the past two seasons. Carter often received praise from the players, and notably worked closely with GG Jackson during his breakout rookie season, tweaking his jumper mechanics. Iisalo and the Grizzlies brought in Brian "Penny" Collins, who was previously the men's basketball head coach at Tennessee State University. Collins has been coaching with the Grizzlies during summer league. "He's doing a great job," Iisalo said of Collins. "His energy is contagious. He really connects with everybody. He also has head coaching experience, so he has a wide variety of things he excels at, and we're very happy to have him." Advertisement The hirings of Collins and Saunders are signs of the Grizzlies' preference of adding those with head coaching experience. Saunders also has familiarity with recent Grizzlies acquisition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The two overlapped for two seasons in Denver, including the championship campaign. Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies coaching update: Memphis hires Ryan Saunders as new assistant
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo to lead 2025 NBA Summer League team
Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo announced on June 27 that he will be leading the team during the 2025 NBA Summer League season in Las Vegas. In his first time addressing the media since being named head coach on May 2, Iisalo spoke about the "diligent" process of curating his coaching staff. Although it is not standard for the head coach to be heavily involved during summer league, he emphasized that it can be useful in ensuring the staff is aligned. Advertisement "We want to have a staff that sees basketball in the same way, and this is also a reason why I will be coaching summer league, too," Iisalo said. "We can use it as a test run or ramp up for the coaching staff and also to invest in these young guys." In the 2025 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies acquired Washington state Cedric Coward at No. 11 in the first-round through a June 25 trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. They selected West Virginia guard Javon Small at No. 48, and acquired Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack with the last pick in the draft through a trade with the Golden State Warriors, which originally was owned by the Houston Rockets. Coward is TBD to participate in Summer League due to his shoulder innjury from last season, whereas Small is ready to play. Mashack's status will be known available when the trade is finalized. Summer League begins on July 11, and the Grizzlies will open up the season against the Boston Celtics. Advertisement More: Memphis Grizzlies draft grades for Cedric Coward, Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo to lead 2025 NBA Summer League team
