The Vancouver Grizzlies

Vancouver Grizzlies

The Vancouver Grizzlies were a professional basketball team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were part of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's...

played their final season in Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

. Entering their 6th season, the rumors of a move became a reality. Club Owner Michael Heisley, decided that it was time for the Grizzlies to move on. After 5 losing seasons had given the team low morale and decreasing support in the community, the team found themselves in debt. On February 19, the Grizzlies were in last place with a record of 16-36, and Heisley traveled to Memphis to discuss a deal between the city and the team. The NBA would grant the team permission to move as the NBA determined that their time in Vancouver was a failure. The Grizzlies would go on to finish in last place again with a record of 23-59. In their final 2 games against the Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...

 the Grizzlies would be swept as they had a 4-7 record in regular season games against their Canadian rival. On April 14, the Grizzlies played their final game in Vancouver. The Grizzlies would be beaten by the Houston Rockets 100-95 as Steve Francis

Steve Francis

Steven D'Shawn Francis is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He had also played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks...

, who had been drafted by the Grizzlies but refused to play for the team, was booed throughout the game. In their final game as the Vancouver Grizzlies, the club played Golden State. The Grizzlies would beat the Warriors 95-81 to avoid another 60-loss season. The franchise would open the 2001–02 NBA season as the Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...

.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	2	Stromile Swift Stromile Swift Stromile Swift is a former American professional basketball player. At 6'10" and 220 lbs, he played the power forward and center positions.- College and early NBA career :...  (PF/C)		LSU LSU Tigers basketball The Louisiana State Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson and has enjoyed recent success, including a Final Four run in the 2005–2006 season. Past coaches include John Brady, Press...  Fr. Freshman A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; STL= Steals; REB = Rebounds; AST. = Assists; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points

Player	GP	MIN	STL	REB	AST	BLK	PTS