Team:
Memphis Grizzlies
Sport: NBA Basketball
Background: The Memphis Grizzlies
are a National Basketball Association team based in
Memphis, Tennessee. The current head coach is Hubie
Brown; the team is owned by Michael Heisley.
Founded: 1995
Formerly known as: Vancouver Grizzlies
1995-2001
Home Arena: FedExForum, 2004
Former Arenas: General Motors Place,
Vancouver, 1995-2001 and Memphis Pyramid, 2001-2004.
Uniform colors: Black, Turquoise
blue, White, and Red
Logo design: New logo for 2004-05,
not shown: A blue bear's head, with "MEMPHIS
GRIZZLIES" below it in stylized block letters.
Franchise history:
The Vancouver Grizzlies began NBA play in 1995 along
with the Toronto Raptors. Both teams were symbols
of the NBA's growth, and were the first NBA teams
to play in Canada, since 1946-47's Toronto Huskies.
The Grizzlies were initially composed of players taken
from other teams via an expansion draft, and were
joined by the Grizzlies first draft pick: Bryant Reeves.
The first season for the Grizzlies was typical for
an expansion team, and the team finished with the
worst record in the NBA. In 1996, the Grizzlies would
get their highest draft pick to date, taking Shareef
Abdur-Rahim with the 3rd pick in the draft. Despite
his solid play, the Grizzlies continued to struggle,
again having the worst record in the NBA.
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In 1997, the Grizzlies would take Antonio Daniels
with the 4th pick and saw some improvement as they
finished in 6th place. However 1998 would bring the
Grizzlies back to last place, despite excellent play
by rookie guard Mike Bibby. In the strike-shortened
season, the Grizzlies would only win 8 games.
After the NBA lockout, the attendance numbers at
Grizzlies games began to drop, and the team began
losing money. Ownership of the team was transferred
a few times, but nothing could stem the tide. The
fact that the Grizzlies were not competitive didn't
help matters. By 2001, it was clear that the team
would have to move to survive, and Memphis was selected
as the new home of the Grizzlies, ending Vancouver's
six-year experiment with professional basketball.
The team relocated to Memphis for the 2001-2002 season.
The team name Jerry West as general manager of the
team in 2002. During the 2002-03 season Hubie Brown
was named coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, and won
the NBA Coach of the Year Award. The team made the
NBA playoffs for the first time in the spring of 2004.
External links:
Memphis
Grizzlies official web site
Official
Summer Pro League Memphis Grizzlies official web site
