The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team was established in 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the Toronto Raptors, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. The Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001. The team's majority owner is Michael Heisley, who controls a 95% share of the franchise; the remaining 5% is controlled by several local owners, including AutoZone founder J.R. ("Pitt") Hyde, equity manager Staley Cates, and former NBA player and University of Memphis point guard Elliot Perry.

The Vancouver Grizzlies along with the Toronto Raptors became expansion NBA franchises in 1995. Both teams were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. The Grizzlies were originally supposed to be named the Vancouver Mounties, but were forced to find a new name due to objections from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They then decided to adopt the name "Grizzlies," after the grizzly bear, a longtime cultural symbol of Canada. Like the Raptors, the Grizzlies paid homage to the sport's founder, native Canadian James Naismith, in their color scheme; one of their team colors was "Naismith blue." The Grizzlies were the first NBA team to have a website, which was created in 1995 by Bob Kerstein, Chief Information Officer of the Grizzlies at the time.

The Grizzlies were initially composed of players taken from other teams via an expansion draft and the Grizzlies' first draft pick, Bryant Reeves. They were hampered by the NBA's decision to deny the Raptors and Grizzlies a shot at one of the top five picks in the draft—a reaction to the Orlando Magic snagging Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway in consecutive drafts and going to the NBA Finals in only their sixth year of existence. The Grizzlies' first home arena was the newly built General Motors Place. Although they won their first two games in franchise history, the Grizzlies finished with the worst win/loss record in the 1995–96 season, as is typical for an expansion team, and lost 23 straight games from February to April (setting an NBA single-season record now shared with the Denver Nuggets; the overall record of 24 is still held by the Cleveland Cavaliers). In 1996, the Grizzlies drafted Shareef Abdur-Rahim as the third overall pick. However, the Grizzlies continued to struggle and finished with the worst record in the league.

In 1997, the Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels with the fourth pick. The team however still finished in last place and repeated this feat again in the 1998–99 season, despite drafting guard Mike Bibby with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft. In the lockout-shortened season that followed, the Grizzlies would only win eight games. In the 1999 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies had the second overall pick again, and selected Steve Francis. Unfortunately, in what became a turning point for the franchise, Francis publicly announced that he did not want to play for the team, citing various reasons. He was heavily criticized for his antics, particularly in Vancouver, and he was subsequently traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-team, 11-player blockbuster deal.

After the NBA lockout, attendance at Grizzlies games began to drop slightly, and the team's owners, Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (who also owned the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL), began to lose money. An initial sale of the team to Bill Laurie, (who at that time owned the St. Louis Blues of the NHL) was rejected by the NBA after Laurie openly stated that he would move the team to St. Louis, Missouri. Businessman Michael Heisley then bought the team in 2000 with a promise to stay in Vancouver. However, attendance at Grizzlies' home games was lower than expected in the 2000–01 season. Fan support increased after it was widely believed that the team would be moved before the next season.

The Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets both applied with the NBA to relocate to Memphis on the same day, March 26, 2001. The Grizzlies' request was granted by the NBA. Memphis became the furthest city to the East among other cities of the Western teams. By the time the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, FedEx hoped the team would change its name to the Memphis Express. The NBA quickly quashed that idea, ruling that they would not allow teams to be named for corporations.

In the 2001 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks drafted Pau Gasol as the 3rd overall pick, who was traded to the Grizzlies. After the Grizzlies' first season in Memphis, Gasol won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The Grizzlies also drafted Shane Battier, who quickly became an unofficial spokesman for the team and a fan favorite. However, despite the strong draft class, Billy Knight was let go. After Billy Knight's departure and the 2001-02 season, the team hired former Los Angeles Laker and Hall of Famer Jerry West as general manager in 2002, who later received the 2003–04 NBA Executive of the Year Award. After West's arrival the team was changed a great deal from Knight's team, with the removal of Sidney Lowe as head coach after a dismal 0-8 start to the season and a great deal of player movement with players such as Mike Miller and James Posey becoming vital to the team's success. During the 2002-03 season, Hubie Brown was hired to coach the Grizzlies. Brown won the NBA Coach of the Year Award during the next season when the Grizzlies made the NBA playoffs for the first time in team history in the spring of 2004 as the sixth seed in the Western Conference in a drastic change from being perennially one of the worst teams in the NBA.

However, Hubie Brown stepped down as head coach during the 2004-05 season. At the time of his resignation, the Grizzlies had a losing record but West was able to hire TNT analyst and former coach Mike Fratello to replace Brown. The Grizzlies' record markedly improved and the team advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive season. However, upon reaching the playoffs, the Grizzlies were once again swept out in the first round, this time by the Phoenix Suns. After this season, which ended tumultuously with anger between Fratello and many of the players, namely Bonzi Wells and Jason Williams, the team had an active 2005 offseason in which they revamped the team and added veteran talent. While the Grizzlies lost Bonzi Wells, Jason Williams, Stromile Swift, and James Posey, they acquired Damon Stoudamire, Bobby Jackson, Hakim Warrick, and Eddie Jones. They made the playoffs for the third consecutive year as well.

With their record they owned the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference and would have to face the Dallas Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks swept the Grizzlies in 4 games. The Grizzlies have the longest losing streak in the playoffs with 12 losses. This makes three consecutive years in which the Grizzlies have not won a playoff series, or even a single game, and they have remained winless in the playoffs during their short franchise history.

Following the 2006 NBA Draft, Jerry West traded Shane Battier to the Houston Rockets for first round pick, Rudy Gay of the University of Connecticut, and Stromile Swift. Before the 2006-07 season, the Grizzlies suffered a crippling blow when Gasol broke his left foot while playing for Spain in the World Championships. The Grizzlies started the season 5-17 without Gasol, and then went 1-7 while he was limited to about 25 minutes per game. At that point, Fratello was fired and replaced by Tony Barone, Sr. as interim coach. Barone was the team's player personnel director and had never coached an NBA game though he had coached at the collegiate level for both Creighton and Texas A&M being named coach of the year in their conferences three times during his tenure. Grizzlies finished the 2006-07 season with the league's worst 22-60 record, and Jerry West announced resignation from his position as the team's general manager shortly after end of the regular season. The team also hired highly touted Phoenix Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni to be the team's new head coach. Despite their last place finish, the Grizzlies, who held the best chance of landing the first pick in a draft, ended up with the fourth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. With this Pick, the Grizzlies select Mike Conley, Jr. A guard from Ohio State. As of 2008, the Grizzlies are the only team representing Memphis, Tennessee in the United States four major sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL).

On June 18, 2007, the Grizzlies named former Boston Celtics GM Chris Wallace as the team's General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations, replacing the retired West. A few days later, the Grizzlies hired former Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic head coach Johnny Davis, longtime NBA assistant coach Gordon Chiesa, and the head coach of the 2007 NBA Development League champion Dakota Wizards, David Joerger, as the team's new assistant coaches. Gene Bartow, a Memphis basketball legend, was named the Grizzlies' President of Basketball Operations on August 16, 2007. On February 1, 2008, Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, rights to Marc Gasol (Pau's younger brother), and 2008 and 2010 first round draft picks.

Getting Inside

New Grizzlies assistant coach Kevin O’Neill’s off-season travel itinerary has been interesting.

He didn’t choose places based on tourist attraction. He picked cities where young Grizzlies players live in the off-season. Seems like wanted to make house calls to discuss that defense will become a way of life with the team.

Second-year Grizzlies head coach Marc Iavaroni sees that as a good thing. He’s the offensive guru who studied at the knee of Mike D’Antoni when Iavaroni was a Suns’ assistant.

“We’re going to entrust Kevin’s system with our players,” Iavaroni said. “We also will insist that we don’t give up our attack mentality on offense.

“What I like is that we needed to reassess with better players and better schemes, and I don’t have to be a sergeant at arms. I can look at the big picture.”

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley quickly learned what every player who has ever played for O’Neill already knew.

He’s loud and he’ll nitpick players to death on defensive mistakes.

“It seems like he picks up on every mistake you make,” Conley said, “but he wants to make everybody better.”

Rookie guard O.J. Mayo enjoyed O’Neill’s intensity during summer camp and in the rookie league.

“My game starts with defense, and the game is more fun when you start diving around and hustling,” Mayo said.

Notes, Quotes

• The Grizzlies gave an offer sheet to Atlanta Hawks free agent Josh Smith, but the Hawks quickly matched it and will keep him.

• Maybe the NBA schedule maker is trying to help the Grizzlies get off to a positive start.

It was announced on Wednesday that the Grizzlies will open the 2008-09 season on the road at Houston.

Normally, that would be a negative. But in their previous seven seasons in Memphis, the Grizzlies have opened the year at home and are 0-7 in those games.

The Grizzlies open at home on Oct. 31 against Orlando, but six of their first eight games are on the road, including a four-game West Coast trip to Sacramento, Golden State, Denver and Phoenix. Twenty-two of the Grizzlies’ 41 home games will be played on the weekend, including 12 on Friday nights.

• Former Grizzlies Pau Gasol (Lakers) and Mike Miller (Timberwolves) make their first appearances in Memphis on Dec. 22 and Jan. 6. Pau will face his brother Marc, who has signed with the Griz.

• The Grizzlies have one national TV date, their usual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game, this one on Jan. 19 against the Pistons.

Quote To Note:   “I was kind of upset for a minute, but my mom told me to keep my head up and that everything would work itself out.”—Grizzlies rookie forward Darrell Arthur, on falling in the first round of the draft, then being traded to the Grizzlies.

Roster Report

Draft Picks: 

O.J. Mayo, G, 6-5, USC—Averaged 20.7 for the Trojans, earning first-team All-Pac 10 honors. Didn’t quite live up to the hype he had in high school, yet his explosiveness and shooting range make experts believe he could be a potential all-star. Obtained in trade from Minnesota (as the No. 3 overall pick), who took the Grizzlies’ pick at No. 4, Kevin Love from UCLA.

Darrell Arthur, 6-9, F, Kansas—Excellent mid-range player who has a nice mid-range jumper and can score with his back to the basket. Has a lot of length. Obtained from Portland (via New Orleans) in a trade for the Grizzlies’ second-round pick, Donte Green, F, 6-9, Syracuse.

Biggest Needs:   Still need an inside force that can bang people around and be enough of an inside threat where defenses can cheat out toward the perimeter.

Prior to officially signing rookies Mayo and Arthur, the Grizzlies had six players with guaranteed contracts for next season. They are Darko Milicic ($7 million), Mike Conley ($3.6 million), Rudy Gay ($2.57 million), Hakim Warrick ($2.1 million), Kyle Lowry ($1.16 million) and Javaris Crittenton ($1.38 million). Off the books after June’s draft day trade to Minnesota are Mike Miller ($9 million), Brian Cardinal ($6.3 million) and Jason Collins ($6.2 million).

Free-agent Focus:   Kwame Brown, Aaron McKie and Juan Carlos Navarro are Grizzlies who are now free agents. Navarro signed a three-year deal with FC Barcelona. Casey Jacobsen and Andre Brown have had their rights renounced.

Player Notes: 

• The Grizzlies are smart when conducting their summer camps for kids. They use the personable Hakim Warrick as the main attraction, because he’s a nice guy and because he has a story to tell of being cut twice from the varsity team while in high school.

That’s why he never takes his role for granted and why he was a good student while in college at Syracuse.

“You can blow out your knee and you’ll be done,” Warrick said. “It’s nice to have that education just to fall back on. You never know what will happen. Basketball won’t always be there.”