The Memphis Grizzles have been a team on the rise for years. Having qualified for the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference for four consecutive seasons, each year the squad takes another step toward NBA championship contention. Quarterbacking the squad is point guard Mike Conley, Jr., a seven-year veteran who can do everything.
Conley can shoot, pass, and defend and but is most often described as just “solid.” He’s quickly developing a reputation as the most underrated point guard in the NBA. It’s understandable only in that Conley, Jr. is playing in a golden age of NBA point guards from true points such as Chris Paul and Tony Parker to explosive score-first game dominators like Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, John Wall, and Kyrie Irving.
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But the super-quick, ultra-efficient Conley, Jr. can promise you 16 points and six assists a night. That's not to mention that Conley, Jr. is the guy Memphis goes to with the game on the line. And he won’t be a liability when those other big-name point guards come dribbling into town. That’s a big reason why Memphis is 12-2 and holding the best record in the league through the first month of play. Meanwhile Conley, Jr., the son of Olympic triple-jumper Mike Conley, Sr., is still searching for his first All-Star appearance.
“When you’re done playing you want to leave a legacy,” Conley, Jr. said. “I’ve finally gotten to a level where I’m in that conversation with those guys. That’s something that you dream about. If you want to be elite, one thing you have to do is win and I feel like we have a great chance with our team.”
Fresh off the Grizzles’ win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Conley, Jr. shared his post-game meal with us for this edition of DISHED, a series where athletes tell us what’s on their plate.
MEAT: Normally after a game I want to eat something that I know is filling. Steak is one of my options for protein. For me, it’s all about keeping my weight on. Because I’m more slender, I actually tend to lose weight during the season so I actually have to eat more so that I can keep the weight on.
GREENS: I’m actually not really adventurous when it comes to eating so I stick to things I like. Here, I have some green beans. I really think broccoli is my vegetable of choice. You can cook it so many different ways. But I’m usually going to have broccoli or green beans.
MAC AND CHEESE: Well, the mac and cheese was more of a celebratory type of thing. We got the win so that was a little treat. It was good, too.
Mike Conley Jr.’s Go-To Meal
I love this parmesan-crusted grilled chicken. My wife just started cooking more and that’s one thing that I know is going to be good no matter what. When I walk in and I can smell that chicken in the oven, you know something good is about to happen.
Mike Conley Jr.’s Favorite Cheat Meal
I have to go with just old-fashion chicken tenders and barbecue sauce with fries. That’s always going to be good.
Mike Conley Jr.’s Favorite Home-cooked Meal
My mom’s chili. She makes a great pot of chili. I can eat on that for a week. It’s special. I can’t even tell you what's in it. I don’t know if there’s anything special in it, but every time my mom comes into town she brings me some of that chili.
Mike Conley Jr.’s Thanksgiving Favorite
It’s probably the smoked turkey that my mom makes and the dressing. Oh, and cranberry sauce. I’m a big cranberry sauce guy. I can eat that right out of the jar.