Good news for Memphis Grizzlies in commissioner's message

The NBA is a great, imperfect league. The top brass has tried to be innovative despite not always hitting the mark, yet commissioner Adam Silver did the right thing, stating that the relocation of teams is not happening.

Fans collectively across the league must’ve said hallelujah.

When people think of villains in sports, sometimes they ruminate on the actions of some bad characters who play, coach or have some role in the front office. Aside from rare circumstances, these are the small fish. The real villains are the owners who try to move teams elsewhere, leaving a community devastated.

Teams don’t just play ball in a city. They build connections with fans by working in neighborhoods. It can change a child’s life when a pro baller steps into their classroom or the Boys and Girls Club, inspiring and making them feel seen.

Another sad thing about relocations is that the team takes the city's history with them. That’s why the Los Angeles Lakers have 17 championships, with five earned in Minneapolis. It’s also the reason why the Oklahoma City Thunder can claim the Seattle Supersonics’ title.

Memphis Grizzlies — Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Consider how the racist, cheapskate Donald Sterling left a beautiful place like San Diego without an NBA team after committing to it. Additionally, in the NFL, the Raiders’ move from Oakland to LA, back to Oakland and then to Las Vegas, crushed a fan base. It makes it even more sickening that a billionaire would do that and subsequently accept taxpayer dollars for a new state-of-the-art home.

Nobody needs an ownership group to enter the fold with the intention of stripping a city and a community of their treasured team. If some want to be elsewhere badly enough, they should sell their shares and get involved with another.

Sure, Silver could be a better enforcer to outlaw load management (unnecessary player resting) and punish tanking (losing on purpose for better draft positioning), yet his latest stance is one of the most popular positions of his tenure because billionaires don’t need more assistane to achieve their lustful desires. Only a miserable society would help them more.

In the case of the Grizzlies (originally from Vancouver), which have been in Memphis since 2001, it seemed unlikely they’d leave because of financial commitments to the FedExForum, but their fans can breathe a little easier now.