Vancouver Grizzlies

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Like most expansion teams, the Grizzlies struggled in their early years. The team finished last in their division in all but one season (1997-98 Denver Nuggets), and never won more than 30% of its games in any of the team's seasons in Vancouver. In total, the team won 101 games, lost 359, and never qualified for the NBA playoffs. The two expansion teams were denied early draft picks in the first season, but the Grizzlies secured Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 1996 and Mike Bibby with the second pick of the 1998 NBA draft. The team continued to lose games despite high draft picks. After they selected Steve Francis as second pick in 1999, he refused to play in Vancouver and was traded away. After the 1998–99 lockout, lower attendance and a weak Canadian dollar caused the owner Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment to lose money on the franchise. After a failed attempt to sell the team to Bill Laurie, it was instead sold to Michael Heisley and subsequently moved to Memphis, Tennessee, for the 2001–02 season.

In Their Own Story

The Grizzlies' early years were defined by losing streaks and draft heartbreak. Their first official contest was a win against the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by another victory over the Timberwolves, before they lost 19 straight games. They set an NBA single-season record of 23 consecutive losses between February and April, finishing with only 15 wins and 67 losses (.196 winning percentage). Shareef Abdur-Rahim was selected third overall in 1996, averaging 18.7 points per game as a rookie. In 1998, the team selected Mike Bibby second overall after trading for him. The 1998–99 lockout shortened the season to 50 games, where they finished 8–42 (.160 winning percentage). A major turning point came in the 1999 draft when they selected Steve Francis with the second pick. Francis refused to play in Vancouver after an airport incident and was traded in a massive eleven-player deal involving three teams. Despite high draft picks, the team could not escape their losing record.

Reader's Guide

The Grizzlies' first official contest was against the Portland Trail Blazers; both the first game and the following game against the Timberwolves were won. The team followed up by losing 19 straight games, and later set the NBA single-season record of 23 straight losses in February to April. The 1995–96 season ended with 15 wins and 67 losses. The 1996–97 season saw the team win only 14 games, again the worst in the whole league. In the 1997–98 season, the team won 19 games, placing sixth in the Midwest Division, ahead of the Denver Nuggets, and 25th overall in the league. During the 1998–99 season, the team finished with 8 wins and 42 losses, yielding the all-time low winning percentage of .160.

Did You Know?

• The Grizzlies were the first NBA team to have a website, created in 1995 by Bob Kerstein.
• The team was originally proposed to be called the Vancouver Mounties, but objections from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police forced a name change.
• The Grizzlies' colors were turquoise, bronze and red.
• The team's first player was free agent Kevin Pritchard, signed before the 1995 draft.