Memphis Hustle Introduced as Newest D-League Team

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that their NBA D-League (note: next year it’s being re-named the “G-League”) affiliate will be known as the Memphis Hustle. The Hustle will actually play in Mississippi in the city of Southaven, a suburb immediately to the south of Memphis.

“Hustle”, a very unique name for a sports team, is “inspired by the cultural ethos of Memphis and the Mid-South” and it “encapsulates the idea of hard work and persistence” according to the official release.

The primary logo features a retro-style typeface, inspired by all sorts of Memphis things they say — a combination of the Grizzlies, local music, neon signs, and the Mississippi River, the star in the wordmark represents future Grizzlies stars. The wordmark on that logo is contained within a red silhouette of the Memphis Grizzlies grizzly bear logo (the grizzly head represents the Memphis Grizzlies, yes they actually explained that as the reason), while the colour red is thrown in as a nod to Memphis teams of yesteryear such as the Sounds and Chicks as well as the modern day Memphis Redbirds and Ole Miss Rebels.

“We wanted to achieve a name and character for our D-League squad that both seamlessly fits into and uplifts the Memphis Grizzlies culture and identity,” Jason Wexler, Grizzlies President of Business Operations said in the release. “From day one it is part and parcel of our team and organization.”

Three additional logos were unveiled alongside the name and the primary mark. A wordmark which is basically the primary without the grizzly bear, a”Grit and Grind” logo ala “RipCity” in Portland, and the real winner here – just an “M” in the same style of that typeface.