Image Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Why the Memphis Grizzlies have played on every MLK Day since 2003?

Why do the Grizzlies always host home games on MLK Day? Let's find out.

Image Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The 39th edition of the MLK Day is arriving on Jan. 20 in the NBA. MLK Day always falls on the third Monday in January and it’s dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was one of the finest leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1968. The holiday was first observed in 1986.

NBA have scheduled eight matchups on MLK Day 2025 to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a marquee date on the NBA calendar and it’s also a memorable day for the city of Memphis, which is intertwined with Dr. King’s life.

Like every year, the league have announced an MLK Day fixture at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Memphis Grizzlies will also host events to remember the life of Dr. King and will play against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Don’t miss out on some special performances during Monday’s MLK Day Celebration Game 🎶

🎟️ Tickets to our MLK Game — https://t.co/IZfapjTP3m pic.twitter.com/LHkULpGXqe
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 18, 2025

Why do the Grizzlies always host home games on MLK Day? Let’s find out.

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Why Grizzlies always host NBA games on MLK Day?

Memphis was the city where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on the night of April 4, 1968. He was assassinated at Memphis’ Lorraine Motel, which is now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Dr. King went to Memphis in March 1968 to support the black sanitation workers, who were on strike for the last 17 days. King addressed a rally on April 3, one day before his assassination and delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address at Mason Temple.

Martin Luther King was staying in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Dr. King was shot by James Earl Ray when he was standing on the balcony. Doctors couldn’t save him and his remains were transferred to a tomb on the site of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park.

CBS NEWS SPECIAL REPORT:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was shot & killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee
— Walter Cronkite, April 4, 1968 pic.twitter.com/zHetVfo6xA
— RetroNewsNow (@RetroNewsNow) April 4, 2017

It will be the 23rd year for the Memphis Grizzlies when they will host a game on MLK Day. Grizzlies made their first appearance on MLK Day in 2003 when they hosted the Portland Trail Blazers. 2017 was the only year when Memphis didn’t take play on the holiday.

Memphis Grizzlies celebrated the 50th anniversary of MLK Day in the 2017-18 season. They wore uniforms inspired by the Sanitation Strike. This strike which started from March 12, 1968 led to an assassination on April 4.

Schedule of MLK Day 2025

Here’s the complete schedule of MLK Day 2025:

Mavericks vs. Hornets – Noon ET
Pistons vs. Rockets – 2 p.m. ET
Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies – 2:30 p.m. ET
Hawks vs. Knicks – 3 p.m. ET
Suns vs. Cavs – 3:30 p.m. ET
Celtics vs. Warriors – 5 p.m. ET
Jazz vs. Pelicans – 8 p.m. ET
Bulls vs. Clippers – 10:30 p.m. ET

Image Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Memphis Grizzlies

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Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.