{"id":19951,"date":"2017-11-28T19:36:29","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T19:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=19951"},"modified":"2017-11-28T19:36:29","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T19:36:29","slug":"memphis-grizzlies-sack-head-coach-david-fizdale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/memphis-grizzlies-sack-head-coach-david-fizdale\/","title":{"rendered":"Memphis Grizzlies sack head coach David Fizdale"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Memphis Grizzlies fired coach David Fizdale on Monday, 24 hours after benching centre Marc Gasol for the fourth quarter of an eighth straight loss.<\/h3>\n

“After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward”, General Manager Chris Wallace said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Despite the team’s record of 7-12 for this season, the move was a stunner for many. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade expressed their outcry on Twitter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

I need some answers. Feels like my man was a fall guy<\/p>\n

\u2014 LeBron James (@KingJames) 27 november 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

I need answers!!! WTF https:\/\/t.co\/z39oNRQok0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 DWade (@DwyaneWade) 27 november 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js<\/a><\/p>\n

Gasol did not appreciate being sat for one whole quarter on Sunday: “It’s a first for me, trust me, and I don’t like it one bit,” Gasol told reporters after the game.\u00a0“If I’m not on the floor, I’m not valued,” he added.<\/p>\n

Fizdale said the decision was a “risk” he had to take to try and win the game.<\/p>\n

When asked if Fizdale was fired because of Gasol, Wallace\u00a0\u00a0told Ronald Tillery of the\u00a0Commercial-Appeal<\/em><\/a>: “There was tension between the two. This is a factor but its not the overriding factor”.<\/p>\n

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith ripped the organisation for the move: “This is B.S. There is no excuse for this bogus firing”, he said in his show First Take<\/em>. “Gasol was the only one who didn’t like this man”.<\/p>\n

The team reached the playoffs once and had a 50-51 record since Fizdale joined in May 2016.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Words<\/strong>: Omar Salvi | Subbing<\/strong>: Asllan Gecaj<\/p>\n

Picture: Wikipedia<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Memphis Grizzlies fired coach David Fizdale on Monday, 24 hours after benching centre Marc Gasol for the fourth quarter of an eighth straight loss. “After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":476,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-american-sports","category-sport"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t