Desmond Bane knows what it feels like to start off in an unstable environment. Even if he doesn’t remember it.

From the time he was born in Richmond, Ind., on June 25, 1998, to his second birthday, he moved three times with his mother and sister before settling in with his great-grandparents. Yet from there, with the late Bob and Fabbie Bane raising him in their faith-filled home like he was their own as he made his way from Seton Catholic High School to Texas Christian University to the NBA, Desmond had the kind of steady situation around him that allowed him to thrive.

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There’s an interesting parallel there as it relates to his Memphis Grizzlies life. He entered the league in a bit of an unstable slide on his Nov. 18, 2020, draft night, when Bane was convinced the Detroit Pistons, who had the 16th and 19th picks, were going to bring him their way.

Instead, as Bane and his family waited in anticipation with every pick that passed, his stock fell all the way to the bottom of the first round. He was drafted 30th overall by the Celtics, who immediately sent him to Memphis as part of a three-team trade with Portland in which Boston netted two future second-round picks.

Desmond Bane thought for sure he'd be a Detroit Piston.

Draft night stories are the best.

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) February 9, 2022

As Bane learned long ago, though, blessings often come in disguise. And to say he’s found another new home in Memphis is an understatement of the highest order.

Now two seasons in, with these young and fearless Grizzlies (56-26) growing up so quickly before the basketball world’s eyes en route to a No. 2 seeding in the West, you won’t find a non-All-Star in these playoffs as impactful or important as the 23-year-old Bane.

He’s deadly from long range, hitting 43.6 percent of his 3s this season while taking an average of 6.9 attempts per game (that’s second in the league behind the Clippers’ Luke Kennard). Yet despite the label that haunts four-year college players like Bane, who scouts feared had a lower developmental ceiling because of his age, he nearly doubled his scoring in his second season (from 9.2 points per game to 18.2 as a full-time starter) while showing the kind of rim-attacking and occasional playmaking skill that hadn’t revealed itself when he was a rookie (who played 51 of 68 games as a reserve). Add in the defensive clout — how Bane is integral to this Memphis group that finished with the league’s sixth-best rating on that end this season — and you have a two-way player who is likely on his way to a massive contract extension in the summer of 2023.

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I spoke with Bane for the first time during the Grizzlies’ recent stop in Utah on April 5, when their delightfully entertaining regular season was nearing an end and we didn’t know just yet that they’d be taking on Minnesota (46-36) in the first round of the playoffs. If nothing else, I just wanted to meet the young man who had the stones to stand up to the great LeBron James during that Jan. 9 Grizzlies blowout in Los Angeles.

“Them footsteps ain’t scaring nobody,” he had reportedly told James after burying a transition 3 with the Lakers star closing in and their lead swelling to 20 points in that game.

When it comes to this Grizzlies group, Ja Morant is the rightful face and voice of the franchise. But when you think about his Feb. 2 quote that so perfectly captured their collective spirit, the “We run up the chimney; we ain’t ducking no smoke” line that came after a chippy win in the Garden against the Knicks, it’s worth remembering that it was Bane — yet again — who had made it clear in a testy moment with Julius Randle that he wasn’t about to back down. He’s as important to their shared swagger and psyche as anyone.

That edge will be key against the Timberwolves, who — along with Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell leading the way — boast the feistiest perimeter presence of them all in Patrick Beverley. As Bane and the rest of the Grizzlies know after falling in five games to Utah in the 2021 first round, they can’t bow out early again if they’re going to maintain their standing among the rising elite.

This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

So I’ve been around the (league-leading Phoenix) Suns a bit this year, and they have this fantastic camaraderie and vibe and all these college-feel-type elements. But then the other night, I see your group take it to them (on April 1), and I’m thinking, ‘Man, the Grizz have more of that swag than anybody.’ So if you had to point to how this all began and grew and how you guys pulled this thing off, where does your mind go?

That’s a great question. I think it starts with our management, coaching staff, players, of course. But everybody’s on the same page, and I think that makes for a great season, a great locker room and great camaraderie. You know, everybody’s a part of this thing. We’ve had guys out with COVID, injuries, and you can count on everybody (to step up). I don’t think a lot of teams can say that, and I think it’s because of our togetherness and our belief in one another, and this guy right here.

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As we chat, Grizzlies center and resident funny man Steven Adams walks by and inspires the shout-out…

We’re almost to the playoffs here. And I noticed recently how ESPN rolled through town last week and was playing catch up in terms of giving you guys their spotlight and having an All-Access day. 

I’m here — and I’m just being honest — doing the same kind of thing as far as our coverage goes. Is it safe to assume that you all find it funny, or maybe even see it as motivation, that everyone finally had to wake up and start acknowledging what was happening here?

I mean, that’s Memphis, you know? We’ve got that Grit and Grind mentality, so the national media, whether they cover us or not, we’re gonna continue to do our thing and keep grinding. You know, it’s nice that people are finally taking notice and drawing attention to the special stuff we’ve got going on. We’re gonna do what we do regardless,

Before Grizzlies shootaround on this day, I’d stopped by the Jazz facility where Danny Ainge — who headed the Boston Celtics front office from 2003 through last season — now works as the CEO of Utah’s basketball operations department. As detailed in this Boston Globe piece, Ainge and his staff drafted Aaron Nesmith (14th) and Payton Pritchard (26th) before Bane and sent him to the Grizzlies, in large part, as a way to get under the luxury tax.

Hit the rewind button for me going back to when you got drafted. Ironically, I talked this morning to Danny Ainge — the guy who chose not to take you back then and who essentially opened the door to you coming (to Memphis)…

I mean, it is what it is (smiles). I thought that was going to be home — Boston — but I’m super thankful that I ended up here in Memphis with the young culture, the coaching staff and an organization that believes in me and sees the future and a pathway for me to grow. No ill feelings. I’m thankful to be here.

From what I’ve read and seen, it seems like you’ve always had that edge in terms of knowing who might have overlooked you. But it also seems like every guy on your team has that wiring. What does that do for the spirit and how does it carry over onto the floor? I mean, we all saw that side in your LeBron moment, and then there was the “up the chimney line” from Ja…

It’s an 82-game season. You’ve got to carry that chip on your shoulder. Only the strongest survive. The hungriest dog eats. And that’s kind of what we live by. We’ve got a lot of guys who have been overlooked in their career, whether it was college, high school or here in the NBA, whatever the case may be. We’re all trying to make our names and continue to make a name.

Bane’s mother, Marissa, had him as a teenager and — despite the early struggles — is still a part of his life. As for his father, Etieno Ekiko, Bane discovered at the age of 13 that he lived in Africa and said he has infrequent contact with him now. 

Bane lost both of his great-grandparents during his rookie season with the Grizzlies. His great-grandfather, Bob, died of COVID in July 2020, and his great-grandmother, Fabbie Bane, passed in February 2021. They were married for 64 years and had five kids, 12 grandkids and 26 great-grandchildren.

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As far as your story goes, you move a lot as a kid, end up settling with your (great) grandparents. And now, you’re in a position where, a couple years from now, you’re going to be looking at generational wealth and the kind of success that you probably never imagined. 

If you put this in the context of where you’ve been, and looking back on those days when you were a young guy who couldn’t decide between baseball and basketball and who didn’t know your dad. With all that in mind, is there a lot of pride in how far you’ve come?

I’m super proud. I mean, it’s hard for me to even put into words. From a young age, from the very beginning, I didn’t really have any stability. My great-grandparents gave me that. My mom was in and out of jail, and I never met my dad…

I didn’t know that about your mom.

Yeah. So to be able to accomplish what I’ve accomplished and have a career and, like you said, be able to affect so many people, it’s hard to put into words. When (my great-grandparents) passed last year during my first season, there was a lot of change there too. I mean, that’s kind of been the story of my life. I moved to Memphis, a place I’d never been, (my great-grandparents) pass, I get a new house and I’ve got my girl over there, but you know, just a lot of moving parts. But I feel stable now. And like I said, Memphis has wrapped their arms around me, and I love it here.

So let’s go down that road. Basketball-wise, you’ve quickly gone from being a guy who we knew could shoot the 3 and defend to someone who can attack the rim and be a playmaker and who has a whole arsenal. How has this development happened for you?

I want to continue to grow. I mean, it’s my consistent work habits, discipline. It’s crazy what a little bit of discipline and hard work can do for you. I mean, it changed my life. My sophomore year of college, when I really started dedicating myself to the grind, it changed my life.

On the team front, we should be talking about you guys as legitimate title contenders based on your record and what you’ve done. Instead, there’s a little bit of an ‘Oh, isn’t this cute?’ type of feel to the conversation sometimes. But what’s the mentality on the inside when it comes to whether you can shock the world and win the whole thing?

We definitely think that we’re more than capable of doing it. I mean, we’re a young team. But like you said, we carry that chip on our shoulder and we move around like a team that has been here before. So we’re definitely excited and looking forward to the opportunity.

Last one for you, and thank you for taking the time. What’s your favorite moment at this level? The most high-profile memory for me was probably the shit-talking with LeBron. But for you — stream of consciousness answer — what is it?

My favorite moment was probably winning that Play-In game against Golden State last year.

You know, going in, I don’t think anybody really gave us a real chance. We were going up against Steph Curry, who had an unbelievable season, and Draymond (Green) and all those guys who had been there before and (won the title) multiple times. So to go into their arena, with me playing a role in that game as a rookie, was pretty meaningful to me and kind of gave me the confidence and the boost that I needed to be where I am now.

Any specific moments from that game jump out more than others?

I mean, I remember (Draymond’s) always trying to be physical and talk his shit and do all that. But, you know, we didn’t really get into all that. Just let him do all his antics and stuff like that. Steph don’t really talk too much. And you know, I just remember the atmosphere being great. We came off a year where we didn’t really have too many fans in the building (because of COVID). So to be able to have fans at the end of the year in Oracle or Chase Center or whatever it’s called, that was a special moment.

(Photo of Desmond Bane: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)