Grizzlies hold Media Session along with Hamed Haddadi

"Me being here, helping these young guys ... "

Gay caught himself mid-sentence.

"That's crazy, me talking about the young guys," he said.

Yep, it is, isn't it?

Gay is exactly 22 years old. If he had played four years at the University of Connecticut, he'd be a rookie this year. But there he was Monday afternoon, as the Grizzlies gathered for their eighth media day in Memphis, talking like he's some kind of veteran leader.

And on this team, he is! Hakim Warrick, Kyle Lowry and Gay are the only current players who were at the Grizzlies media day two years ago. Everyone else is gone.

Pau Gasol is playing for the Lakers. Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal are playing for the Timberwolves.

"It really is a new team," said Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni. "I feel like we've entered a new era."

In the old era, the Grizzlies lost a lot of games. In the new era, the Grizzlies will lose a lot of games. But at least there's hope that this losing will lead to winning.

That's the whole point of Michael Heisley's three-year plan. Well, that and the fact that he now has a three-year excuse not to spend money.

But media day is not the day to be cynical. There will be plenty of time for that when it becomes apparent that the Grizzlies have managed to chase away all but 17 season-ticket holders.

Monday was about hope. Or, at the very least, introductions.

So there was Marc Gasol, back in Memphis, looking like the shaggy twin of his brother.

There was O.J. Mayo, the prize acquisition, saying he'll be happy to play wherever the coach asks him to play.

There was Gay, the wily one, fielding a question from a TV reporter.

"It's certainly unique to have an an Iranian player on your team," the TV reporter said. "Do you feel like you're part of history?"

Gay pondered that one.

"Hakim's not Iranian?" he said. "I could have sworn ... "

Clearly, Gay worked on his jokes over the summer.

The real live Iranian, Hamed Haddadi, sat alongside an interpreter the Grizzlies found at a local rug store.

That's actually true, too. Habib Taghavi is the son of Ali Taghavi, founder and proprietor of Taghavi's Rugs, located at 3554 Park.

Like Haddadi, the Taghavis speak Farsi, and how many Farsi speakers could there in Memphis?

"We had 30 Iranians who came to the airport to meet Hamed," said Ali Taghavi. "All of them are season-ticket holders."

Up the franchise estimate to 47, then! The bad news is that fans of underwear models might not turn out in the numbers previously anticipated.

Marko Jaric, acquired from Minnesota in the Mayo deal, said it's unlikely his fiancée -- model Adriana Lima -- will be able to make it to FedExForum for many games "because she's very busy."

Jaric, himself, admitted he'd rather be playing in New York. But at least he seemed to have heard of the Grizzlies three-year plan. Antoine Walker, another veteran acquired in the Minnesota deal, may not have.

"My biggest thing is, hopefully the goal is to win now," Walker said. "Hopefully, it's not one of those other situations."

So this season should be fascinating, it not well-attended. Will the veterans be willing to watch the kids learn? Will the kids emerge as true impact players? Will Gasol prove to be the best part of the Gasol trade? Will Gay really emerge as a veteran leader?

Someone asked Gay this last one. He grinned and looked around the gym.

"The way I look at it," he said, "I have to."