Memphis Grizzlies Logo — Memphis Grizzlies (formerly Vancouver Grizzlies) is a team of basketball of the NBA based in Memphis, Tennessee. The current coach of the Grizzlies is Lionel Hollins and the team is owned by Michael Heisley. Chris Wallace holds the position of general manager.

Vancouver Grizzlies along with Toronto Raptors became the first franchise in Canada to play in the NBA in 1995 from Toronto Huskies, who did so in the 1946-47 season. The Grizzlies were initially composed of players chosen in the expansion draft and their first choice in NBA Draft, Bryant Reeves. Despite winning their first home game, the Grizzlies finished with the worst balance of the season, which is typical of an expansion team, besides losing 23 consecutive games from February to April (Record that he had until 2010 taken by the Cavaliers behind harvest more than 24 defeats). In 1996, the Grizzlies chose Shareef Abdur-Rahim in the draft in the third position. However, the team kept losing and was again the worst of the campaign.

In the 1997 Draft, Antonio Daniels was selected in the fourth position in the draft. The team experienced an improvement and finished in sixth place. In the 1998-99 season they returned to finish bottom of the league, despite having the talented rookie guard Mike Bibby, who was elected in the second position in the draft. The following season, the lockout in which they could only play 50 games, the Grizzlies won only 8 of them. After the lockout, public attendance at the games dropped considerably, so the team owners, sports OrcaBay company (which also owns Vancouver Canucks of the NHL), began to lose money. The businessman Michael Heisley bought the franchise in 2001 and moved to Memphis. New Orleans, St. Louis and Anaheim were the other cities considered for the move.

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