|
|
||
|
Order Online 24/7 - Live Help 1-800-933-4799 |
||
|
Memphis Grizzlies Tickets |
Atlanta Hawks Tickets |
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Grizzlies' current head coach is Mike Fratello and the team is owned by Michael Heisley. Jerry West serves as the team's President of Basketball Operations.The Vancouver Grizzlies, along with the Toronto Raptors, became an NBA franchise in 1995. Both teams 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 the Grizzlies' first draft pick, Bryant Reeves. Although they won their first home game in franchise history, the Grizzlies finished with the worst win/loss record in the NBA in 1995–96 season, as is typical for an expansion team. In 1996, the Grizzlies drafted Shareef Abdur-Rahim as the 3rd overall pick. The Grizzlies continued to struggle, however, again finishing with the worst record in the NBA.In 1997, the Grizzlies drafted Antonio Daniels with the 4th pick. The team saw some improvement as it finished in 6th place. The Grizzlies were back in last place after the 1998–99 season, however, despite drafting guard Mike Bibby with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft during the offseason. In the lockout-shortened season that followed, the Grizzlies would only win 8 games.
After the NBA lockout, the attendance at Grizzlies games began to drop,
and the team's owners, OrcaBay (who also owned the Vancouver Canucks of
the NHL) began to lose money. Businessman Michael Heisley bought the
team in 2000, but after another subpar year moved the team to
Memphis.After relocating to Memphis for 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. In the 2001 NBA Draft, the Grizzlies drafted Pau Gasol as
the 3rd overall pick, who won the Rookie of the Year Award. During the
2002–03 season, Hubie Brown was hired to coach the Grizzlies. Brown won
the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 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.Hubie Brown stepped
down as head coach during the 2004–05 season. At the time, the Grizzlies
had a losing record. West hired TNT analyst and former coach Mike
Fratello to replace Brown. The Grizzlies' record improved and the team
advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive season. The
Grizzlies 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, and Eddie Jones. They clinched 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, and they have remained winless in the playoffs
during their short franchise history.
|
|
