Roughly 24 hours after the Memphis Grizzlies announced the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins, general manager Zach Kleiman faced reporters to explain the surprising decision to dismiss a head coach with a 44-29 record and nine games remaining before the playoffs begin.
"I came to the conclusion that this is in the best interests of the team and urgency is a core principle of ours," Kleiman said.
Kleiman, who became the Grizzlies' executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2019 after a season as assistant GM, added that he's responsible for everything to do with the team and its performance.
Zach Kleiman opened his availability by thanking Taylor Jenkins, saying he left the organization in a better place than he found it.
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) March 29, 2025
This is the full Q&A portion following that. pic.twitter.com/WHHos6vmNN
"I'm responsible for coaching, I'm responsible for the roster," he said. "I'm not trying to absolve myself of anything. I'm excited to see what this team can do the rest of the way."
Unfortunately for those seeking clarity, Kleiman repeated his assertions that firing Jenkins was in the best interests of the team and didn't provide any details as to what went into his thought process or created the urgency to make a move so late in the regular season.
However, Kleiman did reveal that none of the Grizzlies players were consulted on the move.
"This decision was mine and mine only," he insisted.
Ja Morant's recent unhappiness about playing through a right shoulder injury naturally led to speculation that perhaps he was dissatisfied with that decision. But if Morant was indeed pushed into playing, that wasn't necessarily a directive from Jenkins. It also could have been a point of contention between Jenkins and Kleiman.
"Zach blamed Taylor. Taylor blamed Zach," a league source told the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Damichael Cole. "No one takes accountability for absolutely anything."
The Grizzlies have lost ...
