Lorenzen Wright's voice was last heard on a desperate 911 call in July of 2010, but his story — and the path that led him to that moment — began long before that fateful night.
WREG TV began covering Wright from the time he emerged on the local high school basketball scene in Memphis in the early 1990s, through his college playing days at the University of Memphis and his 13-year run in the NBA, including playing on his home turf with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was considered by many to be a shining star.
Killing Lorenzen: Love | Basketball | Murder is an investigative podcast by WREG's investigative team about the life and death of Lorenzen Wright, and his ex-wife Sherra Wright, now sitting behind bars after pleading guilty to facilitating his murder, nearly nine years to the day later.
The year was 2001, and sports history would be forever changed in Memphis, Tennessee. The Bluff City was now home to an NBA franchise, and even better ... a son of Memphis was coming home to help lead the team.
Lorenzen Wright played for his hometown Grizzlies for five seasons and made more money than ever before in his NBA career. But his big return home didn't stop the problems with his money and his marriage.
Then, Lorenzen and his wife Sherra suffered a tragedy that some say marked the beginning of the end.