Zach Edey makes Rising Stars pool amid impressive rookie season with Grizzlies
Thus far in the season, Zach Edey is standing out among the rookie class as he puts up superior numbers in a number of different categories. Thanks to his solid contributions to the Memphis Grizzlies, whose 32-16 record is good for no. 3 in the Western Conference, Edey will be participating in a tournament on the first day of the 2025 All-Star Weekend.
On Tuesday, the NBA announced that Edey will be playing in the Castrol NBA Rising Stars. This announcement was posted on the official X account for the All-Star festivities:
As of Jan. 28, Edey was second among qualified rookies in rebounds, averaging 7.5 boards per game. He was also fourth in blocks (1.2) among his fellow NBA newcomers.
In an interview with local writer Avery Braxton, the 7-foot-4 center revealed that he was at a pet shelter called the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County when he find out about his inclusion in the Rising Stars.
"I get to get recognized for all the hard work I put in," Edey told Braxton. "It's real cool."
Joining Edey in the Rising Stars is his Grizzlies teammate Jaylen Wells, who joked about what would happen if he were to square off against the big man during All-Star Weekend:
"I might just try and go dunk on him or something, you know? Just go up there and throw the ball at the rim," Wells said to Braxton.
Zach Edey stands up for All-Star teammate
Standing at 7-foot-4, Edey has the responsibility of protecting the paint for the Grizzlies. Last week, he embraced the role of enforcer to the delight of his All-Star teammate.
During last Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz, Ja Morant got into a verbal altercation with Keyonte George. Their teammates — Edey on Morant's side and Drew Eubanks in George's corner — then got caught up in a shoving contest. On the next possession, Eubanks went charging into Edey, but didn't seem to get his desired effect on the Grizzlies center:
After the game, Morant told reporters that Edey had approached him after he got into it with George. According to Morant, Edey asked if Eubanks was bothering him. Certainly, it's gestures like these that endear Edey to Morant and the rest of the Grizzlies locker room.