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In a moment that seemed disconnected from the subsequent coaching shake-up at the Memphis Grizzlies, Desmond Bane pushed Santi Aldama during a timeout while on the way to a victory over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Spanish forward/center characterized the incident as a “minor disagreement” in the aftermath of their defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers at FedExForum during the latest NBA Saturdays broadcast, as reported by The Commercial Appeal.
“It’s certainly not a great look. I’m not going to pretend it didn’t happen, but we addressed it,” Aldama admitted. “It would be more concerning if everyone just sat around, doing nothing and pretending everything was fine. We’re competitive and we want to win. We simply expressed ourselves and moved on.”
“We’re two competitors,” Bane noted. “In a challenging game against Utah on the road, we’re pushing one another to improve. That was really all there was to it. I may have gone too far, but I care for Santi. He was at my wedding, and I’ll be at his. We spoke right after that on the bench, hugged in the locker room, and everything is just fine.”
Just days after this incident, head coach Taylor Jenkins was let go and replaced by Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo. With an interim coach now leading the team, the Grizzlies are looking to improve their performance for the closing stretch of the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, aiming for a spot in the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google.
“We just need to find a way to win games now,” Aldama stated. “If this serves as a wake-up call, then it’s a good thing.”
Currently at 44-30 and sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings, the Grizzlies are set to play again on Monday, welcoming the Boston Celtics to FedExForum.
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