Before the Grizzlies were swept by the defending NBA Champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the first round of the playoffs last season, they suffered playoff losing fates to two of the NBA's premier franchises. The Golden State Warriors ended the Grizzlies' season in a six-game second-round series in 2022, and the Los Angeles Lakers ended the Grizzlies' season in a six-game first-round series in 2023.
Both series led to the Grizzlies and their fan base creating a rivalry with opponents they felt they needed to overcome to win the franchise's first championship. Each team features an all-time great player in Stephen Curry for the Warriors and LeBron James for the Lakers, whom Ja Morant seems to take his game to another level against every time they match up.