The Memphis Grizzlies lost 125-104 Thursday night to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paycom Center. Memphis was without two-time All-Star Ja Morant who has missed the last six games due to right shoulder soreness and a left hamstring strain.
The loss marks the Grizzlies' third in the last four games, yet they still sit tied for the fourth seed in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers. While most may be content with a 44-29 record going into the playoffs, the Grizzlies had other plans.
Friday morning, head coach Taylor Jenkins was fired in one of the most shocking transactions in the NBA this season.
Consequently, Memphis solidified its plans for the rest of the season just hours after the breaking news. NBA Insider Shams Charania announced that the Grizzlies are naming assistant Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season.
"The Memphis Grizzlies are naming assistant Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach, sources tell ESPN," he reported. "Iisalo, a native of Finland, is a former Finnish professional player and coach. He was head coach of Paris Basketball in 2024, winning the EuroCup and EuroCup coach of the year."
The Memphis Grizzlies are naming assistant Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach, sources tell ESPN. Iisalo, a native of Finland, is a former Finnish professional player and coach. He was head coach of Paris Basketball in 2024, winning the EuroCup and EuruCup coach of the year. pic.twitter.com/nKPCdzh7Ms
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 28, 2025
Iisalo is in just his first year as an NBA coach after a largely successful stint in Europe after his playing career. During his time with the Telekom Baskets Bonn, a team in the German Bundesliga, he won the Champions League. Following, as the head coach of Paris Basketball, Iisalo won the EuroCup and French Leaders Cup and was a finalist in the French league championship.
After his continued success, Iisalo was named the Coach of the Year by the German Bundesliga, French League, and the Coaches of Finland according to viasport.com. The Helsinki, Finland native is the first-ever Finnish-born coach in the NBA (via NBCA).
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This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM.