Arthur Griffiths admits he has mixed emotions as he watches the Toronto RaptorsB次元官网网址� remarkable playoff run.
Like many Canadians, heB次元官网网址檚 captivated by the stunning shots and gritty performances, but the founding owner of the NBAB次元官网网址檚 now-defunct Vancouver Grizzlies also wonders what could have been.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a little bittersweet in the sense that thatB次元官网网址檚 what IB次元官网网址檇 like our team to be doing if they were still in the league,B次元官网网址� Griffiths said. B次元官网网址滲ut frankly, thatB次元官网网址檚 life. B次元官网网址� It makes me smile as well.B次元官网网址�
The businessman already owned the Vancouver Canucks when he decided to try to bring an NBA team to CanadaB次元官网网址檚 West Coast.
Fellow owners of NHL teams already owned basketball franchises and would take Griffiths along to games. He loved the energy and excitement emanating through the arenas.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 impossible not to get drawn in. ItB次元官网网址檚 such an up-close sport,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the best example of the expression B次元官网网址業tB次元官网网址檚 not how you start, itB次元官网网址檚 how you finish.B次元官网网址� The last minute of basketball is all that.B次元官网网址�
In 1995, he brought that excitement to Vancouver when the league added the Grizzlies as an expansion franchise. The Raptors, who lead the Golden State Warriors 1-0 heading into Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday in Toronto, also began play in 1995.
The Grizzlies played at VancouverB次元官网网址檚 downtown arena, now known as Rogers Place, sharing the facility with the Canucks.
The team struggled on the court but was embraced by fans, drawing an average crowd of more than 17,000 in the first season.
Griffiths still remembers the GrizzliesB次元官网网址� first home contest on Nov. 5, 1995, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Vancouver was down through the first three quarters, but roared back in the fourth to force overtime. Chris KingB次元官网网址檚 tip-in at the buzzer sealed the overtime victory.
B次元官网网址淭hat was a thrilling experience to see the crowd go literally bonkers,B次元官网网址� Griffiths said.
During the GrizzliesB次元官网网址� six seasons in Vancouver, they posted a dismal 101-359 record. But Griffiths said there were many highlights.
B次元官网网址淲e beat virtually everybody at one point,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滶xcept Michael Jordan.B次元官网网址�
After a lockout-shortened season in 1999, support for the Grizzlies waned and the financial issues that followed were compounded by a struggling Canadian dollar.
Griffiths eventually sold his interest in the team to Seattle businessman John McCaw and the Grizzlies moved to Memphis, Tenn in 2001.
Griffiths went on to work on various other projects after he exited the GrizzliesB次元官网网址� fold. Today heB次元官网网址檚 in consulting for mergers and acquisitions and the CEO of World Farms Corp., which grows cannabis in various countries around the world.
Despite the loss of the Grizzlies, basketball remains popular in Vancouver.
The Raptors often hold training camp in the city, drawing hordes of NBA-starved fans. Bars have been packed with people dressed in black and red, cheering for Toronto during the current playoff run. Sports stores still sell the old black-and-turquoise Grizzlies jerseys.
Griffiths is proud of his part in building the cityB次元官网网址檚 love for the sport.
B次元官网网址淕enuinely, IB次元官网网址檓 a big fan of what we tried to do here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滱nd hopefully weB次元官网网址檒l be able to bring it back one day.B次元官网网址�
Former commissioner David Stern has said he regrets the demise of the Grizzlies.
With TorontoB次元官网网址檚 recent success and the rampant support the team has garnered from across the country, some in Vancouver have wondered whether the time is right to bring an NBA team back.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a question Griffiths is asked frequently.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 doubt for a minute that that initial base and then the NBAB次元官网网址檚 success in this subsequent success in this country is solid,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 convinced that the NBA would and should come back (to Vancouver).B次元官网网址�
For now, though, Griffiths will root for the Raptors. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday night the league is not currently considering expansion.
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Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
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