MEMPHIS – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day that many Memphians take the time to reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Thursday was a day of service for the Memphis Grizzlies as they volunteered at Springdale Elementary, one of the first schools in the city of Memphis that integrated over 60 years ago.

“It’s kind of crazy to me that it was like 60 years ago. I’m thinking since I’m young, this is supposed to be a hundred years ago but, only 60 years is kind of mind-blowing to me. But it’s amazing to see how fast everything’s prolonging and how integrated these schools have”, said Grizzlies forward Xavier Tillman.

“This legacy being something that you’ve got to embrace, especially in Memphis. Obviously, there’s so much history with MLK here. Hopefully, it’s a day that reminds people, every single day you have an obligation and a responsibility to make the world a better place. Allows us to come here and go, Hey, how do we leave a lasting mark for the next generation” said Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins.

The Grizzlies teamed up with FedEx to refurbish rooms and paint a mural, Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was tasked with writing inspirational messages to teachers and faculty.

“I was writing a bunch of good messages, as I always have them in my head. So you want to make sure you inspire teachers, because they’re inspiring us and inspiring our future. So I wanted to make sure I did that”, said Jackson.

“You know, to other people. They see us like, wow, like you’re taking the time out of your busy day to do this. And to them, it’s it’s way more important and it’s awesome for us to be able to have that impact”, said Tillman.

Memphis now goes on the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, then will take on the Phoenix Suns for Monday’s 21st annual Martin Luther King Jr Day Game.