How Tony Allen became the best defender Kobe Bryant ever faced
The Memphis Grizzlies are retiring Tony Allen's jersey this weekend. To celebrate this accomplishment, I wanted to look back on how he became the toughest defender Kobe Bryant ever faced.
The Memphis Grizzlies are retiring Tony Allen’s number this Saturday night, joining Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol as members of the Core 4 immortalized with their jerseys hanging in the rafters of the FedExForum.
When reflecting upon Tony Allen’s time in Memphis and his career, his legacy is unique. He came into Memphis as a role player with an unclear spot within the rotation — amidst a crowded backcourt of immense talent and lottery-pick investments. However, he made a statement when his number was called and became a catalyst for a massive turnaround for the Memphis Grizzlies. He captained the identity of “Grit and Grind” for this team, and the city rallied behind the team and its mantra.
The uniqueness of his legacy also lies within the nucleus of his game: his defense. Tony Allen was a dogged defender — a prototype for a defensive stopper with his production (through an opposing player’s night and his stock numbers), length, preparation, and mentality. Accolades were plentiful during his time in Memphis as a member of the All-Defensive team 6 times, half of them on the First Team. The amount of foes that spoke about Allen in his documentary — Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul — is a testament to his excellence defensively.
When thinking about his career though, I’m gravitated towards a distinct praise from an all-time great. Kobe Bryant deemed Tony Allen as the “best defender he ever faced,” gifting him a pair of his signature shoes with that praise Sharpied.
Known for their battles in the 2008 and 2010 Finals, Tony Allen and Kobe Bryant were at war on the basketball floor. It was a psychological battle. Both players fought for space — Kobe aiming to create it, and TA vying to erase it. You’d be hard-pressed to find offense-defense matchups quite like Kobe Bryant and Tony Allen.
Through these wars, Allen’s skillset and demeanor shined — translating to stars of all archetypes, receiving flowers for his defensive excellence, and cementing himself as a legend for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tony Allen’s defensive skillset was so wicked — a versatile disruptor that created chaos defensively and made opposing teams and stars work for their looks offensively.
Screens are common for freeing up looks for the star player, especially when facing an All-Defense opponent. Allen’s screen navigation was off the charts. He combined his awareness for screens with flying back into the fray to recover and contest his assignment’s shot.
Connected with the screening, it’s imperative to not allow elite scorers a sliver of daylight. Allen stayed in his opponent’s air space to ensure any shot they took was met with a tough contest.
When playing with intense pressure both on the ball and through navigation, it can force the star to take the ball out of their hands — thus making his teammates beat you. Allen flew around the court as a deterrent to his man.
The post defense is so fun to watch — a psychological battle. Kobe fought for his looks with pristine footwork, ball fakes, and shot elevation. At the same time, Allen hounded him to make sure Kobe couldn’t generate an ounce of separation. It’s hard to find post matchups this intense, especially from the guard spot.
Tony Allen’s off-ball defense was equally potent as his on-ball defense. He played defense like an All-Pro cornerback. He stayed glued to his assignment. However, if the ball was in his vicinity, he was going to make a play on it.
The following play didn’t involve Kobe Bryant, but holy smokes Tony Allen just engulfed the ball with this block on Dwight Howard.
The beauty of Tony Allen’s defense was how it all clicked together — the navigation off-ball, the tight defense to shut off shot windows, the tug-of-war of post defense, and the quick hands to create turnovers.
Tony Allen’s defensive excellence shined brightest against the league’s elite players. While likely in the case of many others, this trend led to him being the best defender Kobe Bryant ever faced.
In this week of reflection, I’m drawn to the uniqueness of Tony Allen’s legacy. His journey is surreal — evident through the wonderful documentary from the Memphis Grizzlies.
In addition, not many players of his archetype have this type of legacy. Aside from real two-way stars — Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, Kawhi Leonard, etc. — how many perimeter players have this impactful of a defensive legacy? Allen retired in 2018, and many of the league’s legends are on record for his defensive prowess.
Allen’s battles from Kobe Bryant encompasses this answer. To receive the praise of “best defender I’ve ever played” from one of the NBA’s all-time great scorers, and one of its fiercest competitors… there’s no one else with this type of reputation, especially when you factor in he wasn’t an All-Star.
Stretching back to league history, the list of defensive stoppers quite like Tony Allen is relatively short.
To expand upon the uniqueness, not many players possess this level of organizational impact because of defense. He stamped an identity in Memphis, transforming the Grizzlies into a defense that would blitz teams and drag them into the mud. At the same time, the orchestrator of “Grit n Grind” created an identity for himself: the Grindfather.
Tony Allen came into Memphis as a free agent acquisition with an unclear role. Soon after, Allen became one of Memphis’ most endearing sports figures — shaping an exciting, successful time for the organization while creating an unique identity that resonated with the fanbase.
Through his experiences, further solidified by his peers, Tony Allen became one of this generation’s premier perimeter defenders — one that’s the best defender all-time greats have ever faced.
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