Grizzlies Immediately Announcing Plans to Retire Mike Conley's Jersey is a Classy Move

There's no doubting that it would have been poetic to see Mike Conley Jr. remain a member of the Memphis Grizzlies for life. After all, he's played all 12 of his NBA seasons with the Grizz after the franchise selected him with the No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State back in 2007.

Despite never making an All-Star game to date, Conley has been about as reliable, productive, and professional as they come in this league. Eventually, however, Memphis found itself at a crossroads, and dealt the first and last member of the "Core 4" to the Jazz, confirming their ambitions to enter a rebuilding phase.

Luckily, to thank Conley properly for his contributions to the franchise and city, owner Robert Pera released a statement on Saturday in which he insisted that the Grizzlies will absolutely retire his No. 11 jersey at the FedEx Forum one day.

Inject this right into our veins.

Why is it so classy, you ask? Well, the gesture was announced moments after the April trade became official on Saturday. They didn't waste a single minute.

Not only did Conley help Memphis reach the postseason in six consecutive seasons while owning averages of 16.5 points, 7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in those playoff games, but he also helped formulate Memphis' famous Grit and Grind mentality that established them as one of the league's most physical and relentless teams for the better part of a decade.

This was the most natural of decisions, and it's good news that Pera and Co. made the call immediately. The day Conley's jersey goes up to those rafters will surely be a proud and emotional one.