Vancouver Grizzlies
The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team that played in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team started playing in 1995. They started with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. They relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001 and became the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies played their home games at the General Motors Place (Now Rogers Arena). The Grizzlies were originally going to be called the Vancouver Mounties but were forced to find a new name because the RCMP objected it.[3]
| Conference | Western | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Midwest | ||
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| History | Vancouver Grizzlies 1995–2001 Memphis Grizzlies 2001–present[1][2] | ||
| Arena | General Motors Place | ||
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||
| Team colors | Turquoise, bronze, red | ||
| Team manager | Stu Jackson (1994–2000) Billy Knight (2000–2001) | ||
| Head coach | Brian Winters (1995–1997) Stu Jackson (1997) Brian Hill (1997–1999) Lionel Hollins (1999–2000) Sidney Lowe (2000–2001) | ||
| Ownership | Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (1995–2000) Michael Heisley (2000–2001) | ||
| Championships | 0 | ||
| Conference titles | 0 | ||
| Division titles | 0 | ||
| |||
The team had struggled in their early years and they finished last in their division in five of their six seasons. Over their six seasons, they had an overall record of 101 wins and 359 loses and were never able to make it to the playoffs.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
After the 1998–99 lockout, the team suffered low attendance and a weak Canadian dollar was making the owner Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment lose money on the franchise. After they failed to sell the team to Bill Laurie, it was instead sold to Michael Heisley.[10] At the time, Heisley said that he was going to keep the team in Vancouver, but he then immediately started looking for a suitable relocation city in the US.[11][12] He would eventually move the team to Memphis, Tennessee for the 2001-02 season.[13]
Vancouver Grizzlies Media
A ticket from the Grizzlies' final home game in Vancouver
General Motors Place was the home for the Vancouver Grizzlies
Lionel Hollins was the interim coach of the Grizzlies during their 1999–2000 campaign in Vancouver. After the move to Memphis, he served a second stint as interim coach in 2004. He then served as full-time coach from the 2009–10 season through the 2012–13 season.
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References
- ↑ "NBA History: Teams". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 25, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ↑ "NBA.com/Stats–Memphis Grizzlies seasons". Stats.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ↑ Donovan, Michael Leo (1997). The Name Game: Football, Baseball, Hockey & Basketball How Your Favorite Sports Teams Were Named. Toronto: Warwick Publishing. ISBN 1-895629-74-8.
- ↑ "1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "1996-97 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2014-09-25. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "1997-98 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2014-09-27. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "1998-99 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "1999-00 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "2000-01 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "Vancouver Grizzlies back up for sale". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on 2011-08-28. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "Chicagoan Buys Grizzlies, Says They'll Stay In Vancouver". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "Owner of Grizzlies Tours Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. March 2001. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
- ↑ "NBA Approves Grizzlies' Move". Los Angeles Times. 4 July 2001. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
