One June day, back in 2008, 12-year-old Kate Hamilton won a golf tournament. Then she started crying. Why? “My dad told me that Mike Miller had been traded,” she said. Hamilton loved Miller, the way that only a 12-year-old girl can. These feelings did not dim when Miller left the Griz. “I bought a jersey of every team he played for after he left,” she said. Hamilton owns Miller jerseys from the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Washington Wizards and the Miami Heat. But those can all be pushed to the back of the closet. Hamilton, now 17, was at FedExForum Tuesday to welcome Miller back. “It’s the best thing ever,” she said, speaking for — as far as I can tell, anyway — the entire giddy town. The fans flocked to FedExForum to toast the return of one of their favorites. It was really something to see. “This is just a fantastic day,” said Griz CEO Jason Levien, who has to be happy that he can show his face in public once again. It got a little dicey, after the decision to replace Lionel Hollins as head coach. But the Miller signing has changed everything. “I’m so excited Mike’s back,” said Bobbye Crockett, 71. “I was disappointed that Hollins was not going to be coach, but now I’m excited again.” Tuesday’s press conference did nothing to dim that excitement. The word “championship” was thrown around the way “lottery” used to be. “Once you get a taste of a championship, you want to win more,” said Miller. “I think we’re close, I really do.” Miller then ticked off all the reasons he believes in his new team, starting with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, “the best big men in the league.” Mike Conley “is a top-five point guard.” The new owners are “totally committed to win.” And then there’s Dave Joerger, the man who replaced Hollins as coach, and who was plainly instrumental in Miller’s decision to return. “The reason he’s going to be successful is that all the players 100 percent believe in him and have his complete confidence,” Miller said. So this is how the day went. It was optimism, run amok. And why not, really? In a way the day represented another milestone for the Grizzlies franchise. Once, Memphis was a place where nobody wanted to play. “Guys who got traded to the Grizzlies were like, ‘Oh, no,’ ” Miller said. But now? “People are trying to come here,” he said. “It’s incredible to watch.” For the longest time, Memphis fans have had to look on as teams like the Lakers, the Spurs and the Heat added veteran pieces, guys who just wanted a chance to win. Now the Grizzlies are adding those veteran pieces. “It’s about building a culture of winning,” Miller said. “That’s what is attractive to guys. I don’t just want to be here for one year. I want to be a part of this for a long time.” With that, Miller went off to sign some autographs, and shake some hands, and say hello to some old friends. He posed for a new photo with Kate Hamilton. She was just as over-the-moon as you’d expect. “This is my senior year in high school and now I know it’s going to be great,” she said. “First, the Grizzlies are going to win the NBA title.” And then? “And then I’m going to invite Mike to the prom.”
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 00:49:30 +0000
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