Work in Progress

Vancouver + NBA = Love

Victoria-raised point guard and two-time NBA most valuable player Steve Nash was front and centre when his Phoenix Suns took on the Portland Trail Blazers in an NBA exhibition game at GM Place last Thursday. The event drew a sellout audience of 19,700 cheering basketball fans, including me and my dad.

The game marked the return of the NBA to Vancouver for the first time since Nash and the Suns faced the Seattle Sonics two years ago.  These “teaser” games are always somewhat bittersweet for me because having been a Grizzlies season ticket holder for the duration of their run in this city, I am reminded of the horrible way that Michael Heisley broke his promise, broke my heart and stole the NBA away from Vancouver in 2001. I can’t help but wish that we still had an opportunity to see live NBA games on a regular basis. Hell, we can’t even go down to Seattle to watch a game any more. The whole evening was a flashback to the days of the Vancouver Grizzlies and I miss those days very much.

Fans in Grizzlies jerseys holding a “David Stern, give us back the NBA” sign were given a loud ovation when they appeared on the big screen.

“I feel like it was unfair that the [NBA] team was taken away from the city,” Nash said. “I think my teammates are in total agreement. Someone said they were glad that our owner wasn’t here because he might want to move the team.”

Steve Nash and the Suns may have dropped the preseason game to the Trail Blazers, 111-93, but that fact seemed to wash over the fans and everyone else who was at the arena. We were just pumped to be watching the action.

I still believe that the Grizzlies never got a fair chance in Vancouver.

Is it Vancouver’s fault that Stu Jackson had absolutely no clue how to run a basketball franchise? He drafted Bryant “Big Country”  Reeves after all. Was it Vancouver’s fault that Steve Francis is an a-hole and didn’t want to play for them? Then the franchise sold to a guy who had an agenda to move them and the Vancouver Grizzlies were no more.  It felt like we were trapped in the movie Eddie, only our story didn’t have a happy ending. Since the move to Memphis,  things have not gotten any better for the franchise on the court. I also think you could argue they had more support in Vancouver than they have now in Memphis. They draw an average crowd of 12,745 a game in Memphis, giving them the second lowest attendance in the league. Just sayin’.

I think the NBA should be in Vancouver permanently and I wish it still was.

HUGE thanks to Steve Nash for bringing it back to the city for the night.

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