Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was tutored this summer by NBA veterans Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas.

Mayo counts Memphis coach Lionel Hollins and Billups as his greatest mentors.

"Chauncey Billups, in my mind, is the best leader in our league," Mayo told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "Chris Paul is a great point guard. Deron Williams is great. Rajon Rondo. But Chauncey Billups is by far the No. 1 leader in our league. Just being around him and seeing how he leads on and off the court was a big thing.

"And coach Hollins is a very passionate coach. If you can't play hard for that man then you don't want to play this game. He's by far the most passionate coach I've ever had. I'll leave it at that. He is the guy for this job; to get the monkey off this organization's back. ... He understands that his job could be on the line so he's not going to tell us anything wrong. We just have to go out and execute what he tells us to the best of our abilities. I'm willing to follow his lead and then do whatever it takes to win."