The Vancouver Grizzlies And The Reason They Moved To Memphis

The Vancouver Grizzlies became an expansion team in 1995 and saw little success in their first 6 seasons. The team decided to move to Memphis to attract more star players and now have their best chance to win a title.

Mar 15, 2023

4 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the youngest franchises in the NBA. The Grizzlies were founded in 1995 by Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, the same group that owns the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL.

The team was led by Bryant Reeves, who was known as “Big Country.” Vancouver was not a competitive team at all, finishing with the worst record in the league in their first season with a 15-67 record.

Despite the poor play, the team saw modest attendance at their games. This would change during the 1999-00 season. The Grizzlies’ attendance was ranked 20th out of 29th in 1995-96, 17th of 29th in 1996-97, 19th of 29th in 1997-98, and 16th of 29th during the 1998-99 season.

Then, in the 1999-00 season, the Vancouver Grizzlies’ attendance fell to 27th of the 29 teams in the NBA. This, along with the problem of attracting star players, hurt any future the franchise may have if it stayed in the Canadian city.

NBA players didn’t want to play in Vancouver for two reasons. For one, they didn’t like the Canadian dollar value compared to the American dollar value at the time. The second reason was because of Vancouver’s harsh cold weather.

The Grizzlies Move To Memphis

The Vancouver Grizzlies were sold to businessman Michael Heisley before the 2000–01 NBA season. From the moment Heisley took over ownership of the franchise, despite telling fans he’d keep the team in Vancouver, Heisley was on the lookout for moving the franchise to a new city.

The search for a new city was narrowed down to Las Vegas, Anaheim, St. Louis, New Orleans, Louisville, and Memphis. Finally, in 2001, with the help of FedEx pledging to donate $250 million to build a new arena if the team moved to the area, the Grizzlies now called Memphis, Tennessee, home.

There you have it. This was the reason why the Vancouver Grizzlies made the move to Memphis, the city they still call home to this day. The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the top teams in the league this season.

So far, the team has not only never won an NBA championship; they’ve never reached the NBA Finals. Could this be the year where that changes? If you ask Grizzlies star Ja Morant, I’m sure his answer would be an emphatic yes.

The only thing Morant needs to do now is to stay out of trouble. If he does, the Grizzlies have as good of a chance to win the title as any team in the league.

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ByTitan Frey

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Titan Frey is the editor-in-chief and a staff writer for Fadeaway World from York, Pennsylvania. Titan blends his deep passion for basketball and storytelling to oversee the content at Fadeaway World. A prolific writer, Titan has authored several novels, including the award-winning "Players Path." This experience has honed his ability to weave compelling narratives, a skill he applies to his editorial role, ensuring that every piece resonates with basketball lovers and maintains high journalistic standards. His passion for basketball was sparked by Michael Jordan's return to the NBA in 1995, and his allegiance to the Chicago Bulls often inspires his contributions to "Pippen Ain’t Easy," a website dedicated to Bulls-related content. Titan’s specialization in player biographies and retro basketball content allows him to offer unique insights, often reaching out to key sources to secure exclusive information not available elsewhere. One of Titan’s proudest achievements is the biography of Chuck Cooper, the first African American drafted by an NBA team. By collaborating directly with Chuck Cooper III, Titan was able to present a nuanced portrayal that enriched the basketball community’s understanding of Cooper’s impact on the sport. Titan also extends his storytelling prowess to his YouTube channel "HoopsHistory26", where he uses archived footage to bring historical basketball stories to life, engaging a broader audience with his vivid storytelling and authoritative content.Titan's bold predictions and memorable basketball moments also reflect his deep involvement in the sport. He boldly predicts that the Phoenix Suns will part ways with their Big 3 and focus on building around Kevin Durant. Among his cherished memories is attending the unforgettable 2004 game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers in Philly, where he witnessed Allen Iverson make his first career game-winning shot. These experiences and insights continue to enrich his contributions to Fadeaway World, connecting with readers on a deeply personal level.