I've read a lot of farewell letters from athletes over the years. Press releases. Social media posts. Carefully crafted PR statements that say everything and nothing at the same time.

This isn't one of those.

Jaren Jackson Jr. just wrote one of the most honest, emotional goodbyes I've read from a player in years. Eight years with the Grizzlies. Eight years in Memphis. And now, it's over.

He wrote an essay for The Players' Tribune, and folks, you need to read it. Because JJJ doesn't sugarcoat anything. He talks about the playoff runs. The brotherhood. The late-night conversations about winning a ring. The mistakes. The lessons learned.

And through it all, you hear one message loud and clear: "Memphis will always be home."

You believe it. You feel it. This isn't a platitude. This is real.

Jackson writes about the 2022 playoff runs when FedEx Forum was jumping. When Memphis believed they could win it all. When the city rallied behind the Grit and Grind mentality and took it to another level.

"When we were rolling, there was nothing you could say. Nothing," he writes. "FedEx was JUMPING. If you don't remember that, then I guess you just weren't really there."

That's not arrogance. That's pride. That's a player who gave everything he had to a city and a franchise, and who wants people to remember what they built together.

But JJJ also acknowledges reality: "I guess it's like they say: All good things must come to an end."

The Grizzlies moved on. They made a business decision. And ended up with the . That's the NBA. That's the business. But that doesn't make it hurt any less.