#WeTheWest: Vancouver Grizzlies Story

[seaboh]

#WeTheWest: Vancouver Grizzlies Story

June 1st, 1995 | by Seaboh

---

Back in 1995, the NBA was looking to expand the league outside of America, and into Canada. The two cities they decided on were Toronto and Vancouver, two of the most populated cities in Canada. The former got the Raptors, with the latter receiving the Grizzlies.

While both franchises started off really badly, losing a lot of games, the Raptors had always been a step ahead of the Grizzlies when it came to the basketball influence in their area.

Vince Carter catapulted the Raptors into fame and fortune, as he helped the team lead the NBA in attendance for the past two seasons. Unfortunately, that was not the case with the Grizzlies. Losing season after season, the Grizzlies were eventually sold to Chicago businessman Michael Heisley who moved the franchise to Memphis for the 2001-02 season.

Here is my alternate reality in which I restart the Grizzlies. With a new structure and vision in place, aiming not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

This story will be played out on NBA2K17 using IronMike and Laroche's 1995-96 roster.

[seaboh]

Around the NBA.

Vancouver named 29th NBA Team.
Vancouver NBA Group Appoint Magic as President of Basketball Operations.
New Teams Will Pick Through the Litter.
Vancouver Grizzlies are Here!
Grizzlies hire Kupchak as General Manager
Armstrong Becomes Top Expansion Pick.
Grizzlies Hire Kurt Rambis as Head Coach.
Grizzlies Roster Preview 1995-96.
Around the NBA - November 1995.
Around the NBA - 1st January 1996.
Potential Magic Johnson return OK with Jordan.
Magic Johnson ramps up preparation for comeback.
Magic Johnson resigns as Pres of Basketball Ops.
Around the NBA - 1st February 1996.
Fox injury more serious than first thought.

Storyline Index

Episode 1: Night of the 1995 NBA Draft.
Episode 2: An Old Friend.

[seaboh]

1995-96 Schedule

Game 1 Grizzlies @ Warriors.
Game 2 Timberwolves @ Grizzlies.
Game 3 Grizzlies @ Nets.
GM 4 - 18: November Recap.
GM 19 Clippers @ Grizzlies.
GM 20 - 22.
GM 23 @ Washington Bullets.
GM 24 @ Toronto Raptors.
December Recap GM's 25 - 34.
GM 35 - 36.
GM 37 Grizzlies @ Rockets.
January Recap 1996.

[seaboh]

Vancouver Grizzlies 1995- 96 Roster

Vancouver Grizzlies
#	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
3	Bruce Bowen	F-G	24	6ft 7 in	200 lbs	200,000
4	Byron Scott	G	34	6ft 3 in	195 lbs	1,650,000
8	Isaac Austin	C	26	6ft 10 in	270 lbs	485,000
9	Gerald Wilkins	F-G	32	6ft 6 in	185 lbs	2,478,000
10	Darrell Armstrong	G	28	6ft 0 in	173 lbs	350,000
12	Matt Maloney	G	24	6ft 3 in	193 lbs	200,000
17	Rick Fox	F	26	6ft 7 in	220 lbs	1,750,000
20	Fred Hoiberg	G	23	6 ft 4 in	200 lbs	200,000
21	Kevin Garnett	F	18	6 ft 11 in	220 lbs	1,622,000
30	Blue Edwards	G-F	30	6 ft 4 in	200 lbs	1,900,000
33	Yinka Dare	C	25	7 ft 2 in	265 lbs	1,184,000
34	Stacey King	C	31	6 ft 11 in	230 lbs	600,000
40	Antonio Harvey	F	25	6 ft 11 in	250 lbs	400,000
44	Kenny Gattison	F	31	6 ft 8 in	225 lbs	1,450,000

Vancouver Grizzlies Depth Chart - 1995-96
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Darrell Armstrong	Matt Maloney
SG	Byron Scott	Fred Hoiberg	Bruce Bowen
SF	Blue Edwards	Gerald Wilkins	Larry Bird	Rick Fox (Injured)
PF	Kevin Garnett	Kenny Gattison	Antonio Harvey
C	Isaac Austin	Magic Johnson	Stacey King	Yinka Dare

[seaboh]

Vancouver named 29th NBA Team.

April 27th, 1995 | by Washington Post

---

The National Basketball Association owners unanimously approved a Vancouver franchise today, six months after admitting Toronto. Both teams will begin play in the 1995-96 season.

"Vancouver is a beautiful, fast-growing city," said David Stern, the NBA's commissioner. "It's got a great seaport, great restaurants and great fans."

Vancouver and Toronto will be the first Canadian teams in the NBA since the Toronto Huskies in 1946-47, the league's inaugural season.

Vancouver will play in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. Toronto will be in the Eastern Conference, but the division has yet to be determined.

The addition of Toronto and Vancouver will give the NBA 29 teams. The franchises must pay an entry fee of $125 million, nearly four times the $32.5 million paid by the four expansion teams in the late 1980s.

But Vancouver owner Arthur Griffiths thinks it's a good investment. He said 7,000 people already have agreed to buy season tickets to watch the team play in a 20,000-seat arena now under construction.

"We've been overwhelmed by the response," said Griffiths, who also owns the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and the new arena. "We are confident the NBA will be a big success here."

While hockey remains the number one sport in Canada, Griffiths said basketball is growing in popularity, especially in Vancouver.

"We have more high school and college teams than anyplace else in Canada," he said. "When I drive around my neighborhood, I see kids playing basketball all the time. I see them wearing Chicago Bulls jerseys and Phoenix Suns shirts. Now they'll be wearing Vancouver paraphernalia."

The team was going to be called the Mounties, but that name has been scrapped because of licensing problems with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

"We're going to do some test marketing and come up with another name," Griffiths said.

Griffiths said he plans to hire a general manager by the end of the summer. "We want someone with credibility, respect and a strong track record," he said. "We want somebody who knows how to build a franchise from the bottom up."

An expansion draft will be held in the summer of 1995 to stock the two teams, which will take unprotected players from existing clubs. Each expansion team also will get a pick in the first round of the 1995 college draft. One team will pick sixth and the other seventh.

Stern, who has marketed the NBA on a global basis, said he doesn't anticipate any more expansion before the end of the century. However, he did mention Mexico City as a future frontier.

[trekfan]

STOKED for this. I've been having a blast in my retro-chise, so I can't wait to see how the mid 90s and beyond unfold for you here -- can Vancouver become a contender before Toronto?

[seaboh]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

STOKED for this. I've been having a blast in my retro-chise, so I can't wait to see how the mid 90s and beyond unfold for you here -- can Vancouver become a contender before Toronto?

Yeah I see that, just caught up on it the last few days! So difficult to decide what to start with. Was going to pick up the Grizzlies in 00-01 like you started with, but there is such a history of bad decisions that led to them relocating I had to go back to the start! It's good to fire up 2K17 aswell!

[seaboh]

Vancouver NBA Group Appoint Magic as President of Basketball Operations.

May 1st, 1995 | by espn.com

---

The dust has barely settled with the expansion papers being signed in Vancouver, but that hasn't stopped the ownership group putting their stamp on the franchise. As expected part owner Magic Johnson has been appointed President of Basketball Operations. It is unknown if Johnson will appoint an experienced General Manager to work under him to navigate the muddy salary cap waters.

Magic Johnson famously played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s.

Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award.

Johnson was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team "The Dream Team", which won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. After leaving the NBA in 1992, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that travelled around the world playing exhibition games. Getting Johnson on board with this bid was vital, as the franchise needs some positive PR to get started on the right track.

"You have to engage the community and the city of Vancouver to believe in what you're trying to achieve," Owner Arthur Griffiths said. "What I'm trying to achieve is to have a fantastic team that wants to win championships. The second thing you have to do is sit down with local leaders and municipalities and make this our team."

Magic Johnson is now taking up the role as President of Basketball Operations in Vancouver.

"Owning an NBA team has been one of my goals in my professional life," Johnson said. "I will be forever grateful to Arthur Griffiths for allowing me to come on board with this project. I am especially excited to connect with our great Canadian basketball fans. I am sure they will support us from the very beginning. I am proud that we have managed to get a team in Vancouver and we are both confident that our future ownership will start building some success. We want to bring an exciting and winning brand of basketball to the people of Vancouver."