MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Living in a country where soccer takes over, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is the most important player to Robbie Fielder.
“So good to be able to fetch Robbie to see Ja because he’s been looking forward to it since we booked the trip," said Craig Fielder.
“It was an awful drive,” Robbie Fielder added.
The Fielder family flew 15 hours from the UK and drove a three-hour drive from Nashville to Memphis.
A trip that Craig Fielder said is long overdue.
“We’ve already waited two years, we should have been here in March 2020 but we’ve been canceled five times due to COVID,” said Craig.
After multiple attempts to see Ja Robbie’s first successful trip to Memphis came as just as Ja Morant returned from being out for more than two weeks on an injury.
Ja was upgraded to active just minutes before tip-off against the Pelicans.
But it was perfect timing.
“Robbie’s a little bit older so he can appreciate the experience a bit more and he’ll have lot more memories of it now that he’s older,” said Craig.
Not that the grizzlies didn’t make Robbie's first trip easy to remember.
The grizzlies put on a 55-point show in the third quarter defeating the pelicans 141-114 as Robbie watched in excitement.
Back in the UK Robbie wears number 12, which he said represents Ja in Europe
“Ja has it in this country but I have it in my country,” said Robbie.
While Robbie's grandmother, siblings, and parents enjoy all that Memphis has to offer.
“Such a good experience for them to come and learn about the history, we’re off to the civil rights museum this afternoon,” said Craig Fielder.
Robbie gets to see his favorite NBA player in the playoffs.