The Vancouver Grizzlies are coming back — sort of.
No, the beloved but ill-fated NBA franchise isn’t coming back. But its jerseys are.
The Vancouver Grizzlies made their NBA debut in 1995, before moving to Memphis in 2001 after years of terrible performance on the court and poor ticket sales.
Now, to mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the Memphis Grizzlies will be featuring the club’s original white home jersey with its distinctly coastal First Nation-inspired patterns for select games.
They have also repainted their court with the team’s original turquoise, bronze, red and black colour scheme and logo featuring a grizzly bear clutching a basketball.
The team unveiled its plans in a slick video running through the Grizzlies’ history and roots in Vancouver.
Retro Vancouver Grizzlies apparel has become a hot fashion item in recent years, something the Memphis club appears keen to lean into. It has also launched an entire line of merch ranging from jerseys to shorts to accessories in the original jersey colour scheme.
The team will wear the throwback jerseys for its home opener in Memphis against the Orlando Magic, with tickets selling at what would appear — at least to a Vancouverite — to be 1995 prices. Cheap seats can be purchased for under US$25.
It’s not the first time the club has worn the retro jerseys. The Memphis Grizzlies wore the turquoise version for their 25th anniversary in 2019-20.