West Chicago’s Konchar settling in with Memphis, NBA life
The Memphis Grizzlies were in a tough spot Saturday in Chicago, with three of their top four scorers sidelined by injury.
There was a bright side, though, for West Chicago native John Konchar. He got a chance to be in the starting lineup at the United Center and played 27 minutes in the loss to the Bulls.
“It was pretty awesome,” Konchar said after the game. “I remember I played here my third-grade year for a Bulls-Sox Academy tournament. So it's been what, 20 years almost? So it was pretty cool.”
The past two years when the Grizzlies visited Chicago, Konchar logged less than 10 minutes total and tallied 1 free throw. He had a better outing in his first visit on April 16, 2021, scoring 8 points. But that was during the pandemic season with the building empty.
“Growing up in West Chicago, it's pretty awesome playing in the United Center,” he said. “It's kind of everything you've ever dreamed of. I watched Derrick Rose play a lot.”
Now Rose is a teammate. He's been out for most of the month with a thigh injury and sat on the bench Saturday in the building where he won the 2011 MVP. Konchar was 15 at the time.
“It's cool. We talk about Chicago basketball a decent amount,” he said of Rose. “Like everybody that's kind of gone through Chicago, seeing if we know the same people.”
Konchar has always been the ultimate underdog story. The 6-foot-5 guard played at West Chicago High School, which doesn't have an especially strong basketball history, and was lightly recruited until finally getting an offer from IUPU-Fort Wayne. He produced good numbers in college and wasn't drafted, but did get a two-way deal with Memphis for the 2019-20 season.
Now he's an established NBA player, with roots in Memphis, playoff games under his belt and a contract that lasts through 2027.
“This is my fifth year? Time flies,” Konchar said. “It's been really fun. It's everything I dreamed of, really. It's awesome. My teammates are awesome, the organization's awesome. It's been a fun ride.”
Konchar said his parents and most of his family have moved to Florida, so he didn't venture to the West Suburbs on this visit, but still has friends there.
His game has always been about versatility. Going back to college, Konchar has had a knack for grabbing rebounds. He had 6 assists and 5 boards against the Bulls. A goal is to improve his 3-point shooting, which is currently 29.2%, but was 41.3% two years ago.
“Overall, I think I've been playing all right,” Konchar said. “I just need to knock down my 3s, really. Rebounding, passing the ball real well.”
Konchar grew up in Chicago, but is enjoying the benefits of playing in one of the NBA's smaller markets.
“I had never been to Memphis prior to signing my two-way there. I like it,” he said. “It's a lot easier to get around. The airport's 15 minutes away, not much traffic. Chicago there's traffic everywhere all the time. So it's nice.”
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports