2025 NBA Canada Series is a reminder that a team returning to Vancouver would be fun

                                             (Rogers Arena. Credit: rogersarena.com) 

On Monday, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Toronto Raptors 112-108 in the 2025 NBA Canada Series game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. Christian Braun led the way for the Nuggets with 19 points while RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram each had 19 points for the Raptors. Given it was a preseason game, the outcome didn't really matter. The big storyline is that there was NBA basketball being played in Vancouver, the original home of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies played in Vancouver from 1995-2001, leaving for Memphis after six poor seasons. 

Despite their lack of success in British Columbia, over the years there have been more and more people wondering about whether or not an NBA return to Vancouver is possible and if so, would that mean the Memphis Grizzlies give back the name. In many ways, the Grizzlies left Vancouver before really giving the city a fair shot. It takes time to establish a fanbase in a new city, especially one that historically hasn't had much basketball played in it. 

Had the NBA given it more time in Vancouver and allowed the Grizzlies to grow into a solid team, there's no reason to think they couldn't have become a popular and permanent fixture of the city. But alas, the declining value of the Canadian dollar at the time combined with poor results and lack of a true superstar led to the Grizzlies' premature departure. 

Touching more on the lack of a true superstar, the Grizzlies kinda sorta had one in Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bryant Reeves a.k.a Big Country, but neither of those two could hold a candle to what Vince Carter was doing for the Toronto Raptors. In hindsight, the one that really got away from the Grizzlies was Steve Francis, whose refusal to play for the Grizzlies led to the Grizzlies trading him to the Houston Rockets before he ever played an NBA game. Had Francis decided to give Vancouver a shot, perhaps that would have saved the franchise's future in British Columbia. 

Looking ahead to the future, right now it still feels like a pipe dream for the NBA to actually return to Vancouver. They have 30 teams at the moment and odds are really good that if the NBA expands, it'll be to 32 teams with Seattle and  Las Vegas being the two front runners to get those spots. There's virtually no way of seeing one of the next two expansion cities being Vancouver. 

That said, if the NBA were to expand beyond 32 teams, then I think a return to Vancouver is possible. More specifically, I could see a Vancouver franchise returning to the NBA if the league were to expand to 36 teams. When looking at possible NBA expansion cities, one of the first places to look for is NHL cities that don't have an NBA franchise. Of that group of cities, once you go beyond Las Vegas and Seattle, Vancouver arguably makes the most sense. Especially since there used to be an NBA presence there and a small, but loyal fanbase remains. 

For now, the NBA Canada Series and the Memphis Grizzlies wearing vintage uniforms is as close as we can get to quenching our thirst for an NBA franchise in Vancouver. But perhaps in the not too distant future, we'll once again see an NBA franchise permanently call Rogers Arena home. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Bluesky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Bluesky: @slamdunk406