The Memphis Grizzlies selected 24-year-old BYU Cougars guard Richie Saunders at No. 32 in the 2026 NBA Draft, with his grandfather’s invention attracting attention.
Saunders hopes to be an instant-impact rookie after spending four seasons in college before making the jump to the NBA.
The news of his draft selection early in the second round led to many fans discovering that Saunders is the great-grandson of Nephi Grigg, the founder of Ore-Ida, and the inventor of the iconic potato snack, the Tater Tot.
Who is Richie Saunders’ great-grandfather, Nephi Grigg
Saunders’ great-grandfather created one of the most iconic snacks in the world with his brother by taking waste product from potatoes and corn to create the Tater Tot.
The invention came after Nephi Grigg and his brother, Golden Grigg, rented a frozen foods plant in Ontario, Oregon, in 1949, with the hope they could expand their existing frozen corn business to include potatoes.
Despite Ore-Ida being the biggest producer of frozen corn in the 1950s, their attempts at potato-based products led them to realize that potatoes leave a lot more scrap than corn after being shaped into commercial-grade fries. By 1956, they took these ‘waste’ pieces of potato to create the now-iconic Tater Tot, a snack that is still enjoyed worldwide today.
While the food won’t have any impact on Saunders’ basketball ability, fans are already gravitating towards the guard due to his grandfather’s contribution to the world being a snack that kids around the world enjoy.
Richie Saunders enters the NBA recovering from an ACL tear
Saunders is coming off a senior season at BYU, where he averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals on 48.9% from the field and 37.6% from three. Unfortunately, Saunders’ season came to an early end when he tore his ACL in February.
Saunders won’t feature in the NBA Summer League in July, and likely won’t be ready in time for the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. With him being a 24-year-old rookie, the Grizzlies likely believe in him contributing toward the end of the season and in the next season for them.
The 6’5″ shooting guard should be an impactful two-way player from day one, provided his ACL injury doesn’t majorly compromise his lateral movement. He’s still a strong three-point shooter and could factor into the rotation as a backup behind Cedric Coward if he returns later in the season.
Read more:
About the Author
