Phoenix Suns vs Seattle Sonics in Vancouver...

[GeroySimonFAN]

late October the Phoenix Suns are coming to town to play an Exhibition game against the Seattle Sonics. This will give people of Vancouver an opportunity to see Kevin Durant the #2 pick in this years draft. Should be a good game, even though its pre season i think its nice that they are holding a game here in Vancouver. I believe the game is on the 26th and this would be 5 days before the Sonics may announce a move to OKC *If they dont get the new arena deal done before that date* as Clay Bennett took over control last oct 31st and gave a 1 year plan to get a new facility deal for Seattle. Hey it may only be one night of NBA basketball in Vancouver but i'll enjoy it. Thank You to David Stern(Mark Cohon's Mentor!) for having NBA Ball come back to Vancouver for a night!

[Sir Purrcival]

While I don't wish to dampen someone else's enthusiasm, I can't really get too excited about this. Quite the reverse actually. The NBA was in this town, the team didn't fly except when it left to move to Memphis. They left and did so with deception and outright lies. The NBA allowed it to happen and IMO they aren't deserving of our gratitude as it appeared that they did little or nothing to help maintain the team that was here.

[Soundy]

"Didn't fly"? What town were you living in? I went to several games over the short years the Grizzlies were here, it was always a packed house, and it was always good entertainment, despite regular losses.

Yeah, the team was basically railroaded out by Heisley, and I can't believe the league wasn't complicit to some degree, but it wasn't for lack of interest - in fact, the last year they were here, corporate ticket holders were TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY to renew their tickets, unable to reach anyone at the front office. The fans were effectively shut out in a move to damage the bottom line and give Heisley an excuse to move the team. But don't you believe for a second that NBA ball "didn't fly" in this town, and wouldn't again.

Me, I'd love to go see this game. I expect tickets will be uber-expensive though, and probably sell out quickly, and I have to budget my sports money for Giants tix this fall...

[Canuck_4_Life]

My best friend's dad had corporate seats with the Grizzlies and they were screwed over by people either not answering their phones and when he did reach someone, they got the usual "we'll call you when we know more" spew.

Fan support was never the problem, contrary to the belief of most. 13K in a building that seats 18K, for a team that sucked serious eggs was pretty good. Only when Griffiths sold the team, did attendance plummet, knowing that the end was near.

[No Ordinary Joe]

I think this is great news. It proves that the NBA hasn't forgotten about Vancouver and with recent news of teams such as Portland, Seattle and New Orleans having trouble in their current locations, Vancouver's name has been mentioned a few times. While it seemed unlikely before, the fact that this game is being played here might be an indication as to potential NBA plans for the future. If this game does well with ticket sales and whatnot it might help to be a springboard to perhaps lure the NBA back to Vancouver. I would be all for that.

The Grizzlies were never given a fair shake while they were here with the rules implemented when they first entered the league, and thanks to many questionable moves by Stu Jackson, the disinterest by a lot of people was completely understandable. However, I don't think it was the fans' problem why the NBA failed in Vancouver and it was more to do with the NBA themselves and Stu Jackson why it failed. I think if given a second chance and actually given a level playing field that the NBA could work here.

I'm definitely going to this game. A chance to see Kevin Durant vs. Steve Nash in person just doesn't come along everyday. Despite being a pre-season game, I still think it'll be exciting to have NBA basketball back in Vancouver, even if it is only for one night.

Pre-sale is on Wednesday which is open to people who went to the charity game, I guess there was a priority number on each ticket that you enter into the ticketmaster window. Tickets for the General Public go on sale Saturday, July 28th. Ticket prices are anywhere from $10 to $290.50 (court side).

http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/11003E ... norcatid=7

The thing that would be great is if this game sells out. It'll just be such poetic justice for a pre-season game to sell out in Vancouver and regular season games can't sell out in Memphis.

[TheLionKing]

Don't count on the NBA returning to Vancouver anytime soon.

[Soundy]

The Grizzlies were never given a fair shake while they were here with the rules implemented when they first entered the league, and thanks to many questionable moves by Stu Jackson, the disinterest by a lot of people was completely understandable. However, I don't think it was the fans' problem why the NBA failed in Vancouver and it was more to do with the NBA themselves and Stu Jackson why it failed. I think if given a second chance and actually given a level playing field that the NBA could work here.

Ultimately I think their moving was a sham. Willie Wal-Mart came into it being all up-front about wanting to move the team, and the league didn't want that negative image, so his sale was shot down. Heisley stepped up, promising to keep the team here, being all smiles and sugar in public and in the press... but his front office then literally did whatever they could to make it look like the team was failing, so he could turn around to the league (after only one year!) and say look, see, I'm losing a ton of money here, I *need* to move the team! Maybe the league wasn't "complicit", per se, in all this, but they sure turned a blind eye to what were obviously underhanded dealings... like they wanted to have the team move too, but they didn't want to APPEAR to want to have the team move.

Anyway, it's all moot... I predict the exhibition game will exceed the NBA's expectations for it in every way. Let's not forget, basketball was INVENTED in Canada!

[No Ordinary Joe]

^ Completely agree. I seem to remember Heisley himself even saying when he bought the team that he was going to give it 3 years before considering moving it. To move it after one was a total slap in the face and the fact that the NBA did nothing to stop it felt like a slap in the face as well especially after they stopped the sale to Bill Laurie for the sole reason of Laurie wanting to move the team to St. Louis.

It was also a joke how neither the Raptors nor the Grizzlies were allowed the 1st overall pick for X amount of years (I forget how many), it's because of that rule that prevented the Grizzlies from having a shot to take Tim Duncan despite having the worst record in the league.

The NBA really did a number on Vancouver and the mismanagement from Stu Jackson and the backstabbing ownership of Michael Heisley put the team out to pasture and really tarnished a lot of people's views on the league as a whole. I myself was completely turned off basketball for a number of years until Steve Nash slowly helped me to come back around.

[Sir Purrcival]

"Didn't fly"? What town were you living in? I went to several games over the short years the Grizzlies were here, it was always a packed house, and it was always good entertainment, despite regular losses.

Yeah, the team was basically railroaded out by Heisley, and I can't believe the league wasn't complicit to some degree, but it wasn't for lack of interest - in fact, the last year they were here, corporate ticket holders were TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY to renew their tickets, unable to reach anyone at the front office. The fans were effectively shut out in a move to damage the bottom line and give Heisley an excuse to move the team. But don't you believe for a second that NBA ball "didn't fly" in this town, and wouldn't again.

Me, I'd love to go see this game. I expect tickets will be uber-expensive though, and probably sell out quickly, and I have to budget my sports money for Giants tix this fall...

I was living in this town thank you very much and while I will agree that there were a core of supporters which may have grown had that team ever been anything but awful, they turned a lot of potential fans off from the get go (including myself) with the drafting of "Big Awful Reeves". Follow it up with the Steve Francis crud and complaints about the community not being black enough from players etc. etc. etc. and by the time the Grizzlies left, there was nothing but a sour taste left for many fans. If you don't believe me look at the poll at 1040. 60% say they wouldn't attend this exhibition game. You yourself admit that even you have a hard time believing that the NBA wasn't at least complicit in the fate of Grizzlies, so why is it hard to believe that some fans would rather walk over hot coals that give the NBA any of their $$$? So for clarification, "the team didn't fly" includes more than just fan attendance. It's about its ability to make a community feel invested and to garner more support over time. The Grizzlies failed for a variety of reasons but in the end they still failed and managed to alienate a lot of people in the process.

Just as a quick PS. The Memphis edition of this team is drawing about 14000 per year average attendance and they are in the bottom six of the league overall so while 13000 per year average attendance may not seem too bad, it certainly doesn't suggest wild enthusiasm either.

[PierceFan23]

It'll be interesting to see what the public response is as it'll be the kind of thing that may help the NBA decide whether it's worth even looking at the place again.

The lower than expected turnout at the Nash Classic this past weekend is certainly a mixed-signal if there ever was. 10k after two years of 16k+. I dunno, maybe this city is that jaded ex-girlfriend how just doesn't want to see basketball again after how it got burned...

[GeroySimonFAN]

I attended the Steve Nash Classic both last year and this year. the first year it was held in Toronto. I was dissapointed in Saturdays turn out...as you mentioned PierceFan23 last year it drew over 16,000. There were a lot of empty seats this year.

[PierceFan23]

^
It worries me, but then again, after how Stu Jackson blew it, I wouldn't expect anything less. I would think, lord knows I would hope that if the team actually had a logical, sane Gm behind it, it could do well...maybe...but i'm afraid the nba might just be a pipedream at this point.

[Scottish Leos Fan]

Some guy is ranting about how the team 1040 should be promoting the game, as it's their responsibility. They are not a PR system. Alot of people have phoned in saying they wont attend.

[Soundy]

I was living in this town thank you very much and while I will agree that there were a core of supporters which may have grown had that team ever been anything but awful, they turned a lot of potential fans off from the get go (including myself) with the drafting of "Big Awful Reeves". Follow it up with the Steve Francis crud and complaints about the community not being black enough from players etc. etc. etc. and by the time the Grizzlies left, there was nothing but a sour taste left for many fans. If you don't believe me look at the poll at 1040. 60% say they wouldn't attend this exhibition game.

And yet on Pratt & Taylor's show this afternoon the majority vote (61%) showed support the return of an NBA franchise here.

It's obvious that people here are pissed off *AT THE LEAGUE*. That doesn't mean *pro basketball* wouldn't be a good draw here again, and it certainly doesn't support the assertion that it "didn't fly" when it was here. If anything, it shows that it DID "fly" here, that that many Vancouverites are now hating on the NBA itself for allowing our team to be "stolen" the way it was.

[Sir Purrcival]

Lets just take the omnipresent Canucks as a comparison. If the Canucks attempted to move, there would be rioting in the streets. The Grizzlies left with a wimper. Pro Bball means NBA and yes there is some resentment. The Grizzlies weren't without fans but they weren't the going the concern you make them out to be either. Let's put it this way, if this market is so desirious of another pro BBall team, then where is the clamour, the prospective ownership, the lobbying to get another fanchise. The closest Vancouver has come was to make a token offer to host New Orleans during the flood. Other than that, nada. If it weren't for Steve Nash and the profile raising he has brought to the game here, they would be even less subject to local attention. The NBA until this year hasn't even had a network TV contract here in Canada (at least since CTV back in 2000 - 01). This year it looks like they are going to that hot bed of sportscasting the CBC. They are looking for something to replace the CFL. We can go round and round on this but at the end of the day, there is no team here, there is no real prospect of a team being here and no obvious attempts to change that. If the team had drafted better and had better ownership and management, perhaps they would still be here, we will never know but it takes more than fans to keep a franchise healthy. And yes, if there were another Pro League, perhaps the fans here might be more inclined to look again. Maybe some day they will come up with one. Re-read my definition of flying, maybe you will understand that my comment wasn't soley pointing the finger at the fans as the reason the Grizzlies are no longer here.