I loved the Vancouver Grizzlies, there were my favorite NBA team.
Were you a fan when they began in 1995? Did you also like the Raptors?
Yes! I was happy that Canada had two teams.
Were you still a fan of the Grizzles when they relocated in 2001?
To some extent, I thought it was cool that they were based in Vancouver.
Do you reside in the seaport city of Vancouver, or were you a fan from afar?
I was a fan from afar.  They drafted Bryant Reeves from Oklahoma and that's what got me hooked.
1995–96 Vancouver Grizzlies season
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Grizzlies' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Vancouver Grizzlies, along with the Toronto Raptors became expansion NBA franchises in 1995. They were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since 1946–47's Toronto Huskies. Under head coach Brian Winters, the Grizzlies got off to a solid start stunning the Portland Trail Blazers on the road 92–80 on November 3. Two nights later on November 5, the Grizzlies had a successful home debut at General Motors Place by beating
were a charter member of the Basketball Association of America in 1946, but that team only lasted one season; the NBA would then make a permanent expansion into Canada in 1995 when the Toronto Raptors and now-departed Vancouver Grizzlies were established.
History and expansion of major leagues International expansion.
Some of the Big Four sports leagues have looked to expand their revenues by playing overseas games in attempt to develop a wider international fan base. There has been increasing cooperation between the NBA and the Euroleague. In 2005, the two