In an attempt to rub salt in the wounds of the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors fans began chanting their opponents’ rally cry right back at them in the final moments of the Dubs’ Game 6 victory.
With the game — and a ticket to the Western Conference Finals — well secured, Warriors fans started chanting “whoop that trick,” referencing the go-to rally cry and song that Memphis fans often use to hype up their squad at home.
Though the chant — which originates from the song in the 2005 film “Hustle and Flow” — has been a part of Grizzlies lore since 2013, it has a special significance in this playoff series with the Warriors. Things really kicked off via some pregame trash talk before Game 5 on Wednesday, when Steph Curry told ESPN that the game plan was to “whoop that trick.”
At the time, Golden State was up 3-1 in the series. But Wednesday’s game was never close, and at one point, Grizzlies fans got their revenge, chanting “whoop that trick” seemingly louder than ever before. Even the dance team was involved; one member got in Curry’s face with a microphone while chanting.
While the Warriors didn’t return the favor with a blowout win of their own in Game 6, they did pull away late in the fourth quarter to the point where home fans felt comfortable enough doing an ironic chant with a little over two minutes left in regulation.
Only some of the crowd really got into it, perhaps because not everyone understood the significance or felt the need to get involved. Regardless, every fan was able to celebrate the Warriors’ 110-96 win, which eliminated the Grizzlies from postseason contention.
