2000–01 Vancouver Grizzlies season

CTV Sportsnet Pacific

The 2000–01 Vancouver Grizzlies season was the sixth season for the Vancouver Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association. It would also be the team's final season in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For the third consecutive year, the Grizzlies received the second overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, and selected power forward Stromile Swift out of Louisiana State University. During the off-season, the team acquired Isaac Austin from the Washington Wizards, re-acquired former Grizzlies forward Tony Massenburg after one season with the Houston Rockets, and signed free agents Damon Jones and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

Entering their sixth season as an NBA franchise, the rumors of a move became a reality. Club owner Michael Heisley decided that it was time for the Grizzlies to move on; after five losing seasons had given the team low morale and decreasing support in the community, the team found itself in debt. Despite winning four of their first five games of the regular season under new head coach Sidney Lowe, the Grizzlies lost seven straight afterwards, losing 21 of their next 25 games, and holding a 13–36 record at the All-Star break.

On February 19, 2001, the Grizzlies were in last place in the Midwest Division with a 17–36 record, and Heisley traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to discuss a deal between the city and the team; other city candidates for the team's relocation included Louisville, Kentucky, Anaheim, California and New Orleans, Louisiana. The NBA would grant the team permission to move to Memphis, as the NBA determined that its time in Vancouver was a failure. At mid-season, the team traded Othella Harrington to the New York Knicks in exchange for Erick Strickland.

Despite a five-game winning streak in mid February, the Grizzlies would lose seven straight again, then post a nine-game losing streak in March, finishing in last place in the Midwest Division again with a record of 23 wins and 59 losses, which was the team's best record in Vancouver, and the first time they avoided 60 losses in a full 82-game season. The Grizzlies lost their final two games against the Toronto Raptors, finishing with a 4–7 record in regular season games against their Canadian rival.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim averaged 20.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, while Michael Dickerson finished second on the team in scoring averaging 16.3 points per game, and Mike Bibby provided the team with 15.9 points, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and also led them with 108 three-point field goals. In addition, Bryant Reeves averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while Jones contributed 6.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, Strickland provided with 6.4 points and 3.0 assists per game in 22 games after the trade, and Grant Long averaged 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Abdul-Rauf contributed 6.5 points per game, Swift averaged 4.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, Massenburg averaged 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, and Austin provided with 4.3 points and rebounds per game each. During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Swift participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

On April 14, the Grizzlies played their final home game at General Motors Place in Vancouver; the Grizzlies lost to the Houston Rockets, 100–95 as Steve Francis, who had been drafted by the Grizzlies, but refused to play for the team, was booed throughout the game. In their final game on April 18 as the "Vancouver Grizzlies", the club played the Golden State Warriors in Oakland, California; the Grizzlies beat the Warriors, 95–81 to avoid another 60-loss season. The Grizzlies' home-game attendance continued to decrease, as the team finished 26th in the NBA with an attendance of 563,218 at General Motors Place during the regular season, which was the fourth-lowest in the league.

The franchise moved to Memphis, and began play in the 2001–02 NBA season as the Memphis Grizzlies. Also following the season, Abdur-Rahim was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for the 3rd pick in the draft (Pau Gasol), while Bibby was traded to the Sacramento Kings, Jones signed as a free agent with the Detroit Pistons, Strickland signed with the Boston Celtics, and Abdul-Rauf and Doug West both retired.