The Grizzlies finally won.

Known primarily for their failure to survive in Vancouver and for compiling the worst record of any team to last five or more seasons, the Grizzlies today will tap into the expertise of Jerry West, the NBA's literal and figurative symbol of excellence, league sources said Monday.

West, an Olympic and NBA champion as a player and the architect of two Lakers championship eras, will sever four decades of ties to Los Angeles to become Memphis' president of basketball operations.

The Grizzlies announced plans to hold "a special press conference to make a significant announcement" today, though no further information was available from the organization.

West has been regarded as one of the league's best judges of talent and deal making and is known for being painstakingly deliberate in his decision-making and remarkably competitive.

There is no denying the feeling of a loss now that Jerry West has chosen to run the Memphis Grizzlies over the Atlanta Hawks.

But, under the surface, it?s not nearly a hefty blow.

Whereas the arrival of West in Memphis signifies a revamping and rebuilding of a front office and a franchise, he would likely have been a mere addition had the long time Laker chosen to move into CNN Center.

MJ in a Wizards uniform. Hakeem suiting up for the Raptors. Ewing in anything other than orange and blue. Now after 40 years in various capacities with the Lakers, Jerry West is taking the reigns of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies will announce the hiring of West as the team's president of basketball operations Tuesday, ESPN's David Aldridge reports.

A news conference is planned for 3:30 p.m. ET in Memphis, and according to Chris Broussard of the New York Times West is expected to receive a multi-year deal reportedly worth $5 million to $8 million per year.

West will take over a rebuilding situation in Memphis with hopes of turning a franchise considered the worst in the NBA since entering the league in 1995.  He will hope to quickly transform the Grizzlies in a similar fashion that he did the Lakers in 1996 when he signed Shaquille O'Neal and traded Vlade Divac for high schooler Kobe Bryant in the same off season.  But those Lakers had history and glamour behind them as drawing cards, all Memphis has is.. well.. West and the franchise-best 23-59 record it earned this season.

West will not actually start with nothing.  He will have a high draft pick, providing the Grizzlies do not drop to sixth (the lowest they can drop to ? need Chicago, Golden State and themselves to all fall out of the top three).  He also has Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol, the Spanish sensation who stunned the NBA this year with his well rounded play, and fellow All-Rookie first teamer Shane Battier.

With West now aboard current team president Dick Versace will now become the team's General Manager, slotting into the place vacated by the firing of Billy Knight earlier this month.

Billy Knight, recently fired to make room for the legendary Jerry West within the Memphis Grizzlies organization, had only one thought when he first heard of the Grizzlies pursuit of West..

"When I first heard his name mentioned, I thought it would be awesome," said Knight, clearly unaware that his job was in jeopardy at the time.

While his opinion has not changed he does regret that he will not be around whenever West does arrive.

"Jerry West is a great man," Knight said.  "I've enjoyed a positive and straightforward relationship with him in all the times we've talked. I admire and respect him to the highest degree."

"I know (West) will do well," Knight said. "All of us strive to get to that level."

As expected Memphis forward Pau Gasol was named the NBA?s Rookie of the Year yesterday, becoming the first European player to claim the award.

"One of the things I'm proud of is the consistency I had the whole season," said Gasol.

Gasol never looked a doubt to take the award, receiving 117 of a possible 126 votes. New Jersey guard Richard Jefferson was second with three votes, while Golden State guard Jason Richardson, Indiana guard Jamaal Tinsley and Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko received two votes each.

"It's just a matter of time before he takes his place among the top power forwards in the league," said fellow rookie and Grizzlies teammate Shane Battier of Gasol. "I don't think there's too many people that would say we got the raw end of that deal."

Gasol, drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and traded to Memphis for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, averaged 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 blocked shots and 36.7 minutes. He played in all 82 games and started in 79.

Spanish sensation Pau Gasol wanted to head home as soon as the regular season ended for his Memphis Grizzlies, but the NBA insisted that he stuck around.  Gasol complied, and after today he will now be taking some hardware with him on his way back home.

Gasol, averaging 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and two blocks, is expected to be named the NBA?s top rookie at a 11am press conference today.  

?He displayed deft scoring ability and Gasol's length produced nights when he dominated the boards and blocked numerous shots to close down the lane,? writes the Commercial Appeal.

"It just shows how much this owner wants to win," said Lorenzen Wright. "He's doing everything he can to win. He's stirring things up, trying to get a championship team.

"When you go get a guy like Jerry West, it says to the players (that ownership) is willing to do what's necessary, willing to get what's arguably the best in the position,? added Grant Long.  "It almost puts (Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley) in that same realm as Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks), where you shoot for the top."

If the words of these two Grizzlies are anything to go by then we can conclude that the Grizzlies decision to pursue legend Jerry West to take over the team?s basketball operations has been applauded by the current playing personnel.  And why not, with West winning as both a player and an executive with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He built the Lakers of the 80?s then re-tooled the 2K Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O?Neal, now West will face his biggest test as he tries to build a team which won 23 games this season, a franchise high, into a championship contender.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley recently took responsibility for the recent shakeup in Memphis, stating that he wants to build a championship organization and that he plans on having a new management team in place before the NBA draft in June.

"The proof is going to be in the pudding - whether or not we win basketball games," Heisley said. "That's a process you've got to go through. I'm trying to put the organization together that is going to bring a championship basketball team to Memphis. If I do that, Memphis will love me. If I don't, Memphis won't."

Lakers great Jerry West is believed to be the individual that Heisley is most longing for, although he didn?t admit as much.

"I just don't have the liberty to discuss changes," Heisley said. "I'm just saying I think if we're successful, and we may not be successful, you'll understand what we were working on. It definitely wasn't a reflection on Billy. He's an outstanding person.?

"Quite frankly, it's just that I thought we needed to make a change in direction. I made that change. Last year, I made a change in direction with the team and we traded every major player. This year, we're making a change in the front office. For the last month, I've more or less tried to send some signals."

"I'm not looking back. Everybody thinks when you make a change, you're doing something because a guy did something wrong. I'm not doing it for that purpose. I think by the beginning of next season you will see that we made a change of direction in the front office, just as we did for the basketball team. The basketball world is replete with changes. I'm trying to come up with the best possible front office complex I can come up with, that I can win basketball games with."

Michael Heisley and Dick Versace have had the Grizzlies in Memphis for less than one year, and the natives are angry.

Billy Knight was the public face for the team during that time, and he was fired Thursday.  Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Knight was held in high regard around the league.  However, no reasons have been given for his dismissal.

Knight was given credit for drafting the likely number one and two players in upcoming rookie of the year voting.  NBC announcer Bill Walton adds that, "The moves to dump Big Country (Bryant Reeves) and Ike Austin qualify Billy Knight for executive of the year."

One factor is the possibility of landing Jerry West.  However, West would command total control.  That means no room for Dick Versace.  But Tillery says that Versace is the only basketball person who has had any influence over owner Heisley.

Geoff Calkins, also with the Commercial Appeal, is more critical.  He says it's time for Versace to stop hiding and start answering questions.  

Calkins calls Versace, "The unaccountable mastermind, the man behind the curtain. He's the owner's great friend, the guy who helped Michael Heisley get an NBA team and believes he answers to nobody else."

Reading between the lines, though, it appears Tillery and Calkins can't figure one thing: what decisions did Dick Versace make, and what decisions did Billy Knight make?  To what extent was Billy Knight just the public face for Versace, and to what extent was he actually filling the role of general manager?  

And were the "philosophical differences and a personality conflict" Tillery refers to the result of Knight starting to act as though he really had the authority Versace told the media he (Knight) had?

Calkins says that all people are asking for is some accountability.

This offseason, the biggest free agent may not even out on a uniform all year.

With all of the recent talk about bringing in another high profile player to the core of the Atlanta Hawks, the biggest acquisition is still sitting out there, and he doesn?t cost anything under the salary cap.

As of last week, only one team had permission to speak with inactive Lakers front office guru Jerry West, and that was the Hawks, who have been discussing roles for West since last summer.

Now, suddenly, there is another suitor, the Memphis Grizzlies.