So I saw this funny State Farm commercial where a Grizzly is going through this guys kitchen and the voice over says “You’re a Grizzlies fan, not a fan of Grizzlies.” I thought it was amusing then thought who is actually a Grizzlies fan. I have a client with 4 season tickets to the Houston Rockets and he gave me to two tickets this season. Guess what team was playing the Rockets in those two games. Yep, the Grizzlies.
The team that for some reason is in Memphis and was started in Vancouver. How bad were they in Vancouver? The team finished last in the division in five of its seasons, and never managed to hit a .300 win percentage. In total it won 101 games, lost 359, and never reached the playoffs.
This is a team that loves to take chances whether by signing over the hill players like Iverson, Antoine Walker, and Arenas long after their prime years or by making some of the worst picks ever in draft history.
- They selected Big Country with their first pick in the 1995 draft
- Antonio Daniels with the 4th pick in the 97 draft
- Mike Bibby with the 2nd pick in the 98 draft
- Steve Francis with the 2nd pick in 99 after Franchise told them not to pick him.
- Stromile Swift with the 2nd pick in 2000
- Drew Gooden at 4 in 2002
- Maybe the worst #2 of Grizzlies #2 picks, Hasheem Thabeet in 2009. Keep in mind the Grizzlies gave Tyreke Evans a try out. Evans would be selected at 4 and win Rookie of the Year.
- Arguably worse than any of those draft picks is having the vision to pick Kevin Love with the #5 pick in 2008 but trading him and Mike Miller for OJ Mayo, Antoine Walker and that foreign guy that’s married to the hottest Victoria Secret angel of all-time.