Tony Allen returns to FedExForum with Ice Cube's BIG3, and delivers a moment | Giannotto

Tony Allen had the celebration all cued up, like any old act that knows the crowd wants to hear the hits.

But Michael Cooper nonetheless initially had to give Allen a shove onto the court, even though this was a scenario created by a quirky basketball rule tailor-made for him.

Somebody had to stop 6-foot-11 Larry Sanders.

Cooper – the former Showtime Lakers pillar and, for the purposes of Saturday’s BIG3 basketball event at FedExForum, Allen’s coach – had pushed a red button mounted on top of a black box at the scorer’s table. In the BIG3, the 3-on-3 league created by rapper and actor Ice Cube, a team can challenge one foul call per half and “bring the fire.” It results in a one-on-one showdown between two players to determine the outcome of the possession.

So there was really no choice for Cooper to make, back on the court in which Allen turned “grit and grind” into a way of life in Memphis. Allen, now 41 and five years removed from his last NBA season, had to be out there – no matter how reluctant he seemed.

And while Allen might have lost a step, he hasn’t lost his sense of the moment.

He crouched in a stance at the top of the key, forced Sanders to his left, held his ground in the post and blocked Sanders' shot before the ball could be hoisted in the air.

Allen, wearing a navy blue No. 4 instead of that Beale Street blue No. 9, then sauntered around the arena holding one finger aloft in the air. Memphis Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway, seated courtside, joined in and wagged his finger along with Allen. The fans reacted like he had just stolen the ball from Klay Thompson again and made “first team all-defense” an unforgettable part of his persona. It was magic, even if it was short-lived.

“Once I got the stop, you knew what was coming – first team all-defense,” Allen said laughing. “Having a big play like that, hearing the crowd roar, it means grit and grind is still in the building.”

It was good to have Allen in the building after the past couple years he went through. Though his team – 3’s Company – lost its game to the Triplets, this was one of Allen’s first public appearances in Memphis since pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in April. He was part of a $4 million NBA health benefits scam that involved several former players.

Saturday, therefore, served as an important step forward for a former Grizzlies icon whose number is supposed to already be hanging alongside Zach Randolph’s in FedExForum.

It had gotten a little too awkward.

Allen was working in an ambassador role with the Grizzlies just like Randolph and serving as a mentor with the Memphis Hustle before his off-court problems surfaced. The organization distanced itself, at least temporarily.

It meant Allen was hardly mentioned during Randolph’s retirement ceremony in December 2021, a development that was tough to ignore that evening. It meant Allen’s planned jersey retirement was also postponed two years ago as he sorted through his legal issues.

Allen had no desire to speak specifically about overcoming those missteps, but he sounded grateful to return in front of some friendly faces. He received the loudest ovation of the afternoon when he was introduced, and that was meaningful with legends of the game like Julius Irving, Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, Lisa Leslie and Nancy Lieberman involved with the BIG3 as coaches.

Allen noted that his contract with the BIG3 ended after Saturday's appearance in Memphis.

“It was surreal, just being back home, the fans, everybody showing love. It's a good feeling, man,” said Allen

It was, frankly, a relief for such a beloved Memphis character.

He looked rusty playing in the league’s customized half-court environment, which included nuances like a four-point shot and an outcome determined by the first team to get to 50 points. It resembled winner-stays-on park basketball, and eventually 3’s Company needed a stop.

Allen delivered one, as if no time had passed by at all.

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tony Allen gives Grizzlies fans a moment in Memphis return with BIG3