Grizzlies Throw Back to Vancouver, Early Memphis Years with new Uniforms

The Memphis Grizzlies this afternoon announced their plans to celebrate the history of their franchise today over the course of the next two seasons.

Beginning with the upcoming 2019-20 season, the franchise’s 25th including their years in Vancouver, the team will wear throwback uniforms dating back to those early seasons up in British Columbia.

“This season’s Vancouver Classic Edition uniforms will not only feature the iconic ‘teal’ base, but it will also stay true to its classic design with the native Canadian Pacific Northwest pattern outlining the uniform”, reads the Grizzlies press release. “The original Grizzlies wordmark will be displayed across the chest while the Grizzlies’ first iconic bear logo sits on the leg of the shorts.”

The Grizzlies spent their first five seasons, from 1995-95 through 2000-01 in Vancouver, joining the NBA as one of two expansion teams for that season. They relocated to Memphis during the offseason following the 2002 season.

Moving ahead one season to 2020-21, the Grizzlies will again honour their past but this time paying tribute to their 20th season in Tennessee.

The Grizzlies will wear the team’s black road uniforms from their first few seasons in Memphis, the same design the club wore as their road uniform during the final year in Vancouver — with wordmark updated appropriately, of course.

“The opportunity to connect the history of our franchise over two consecutive seasons deserved a special approach,” said Jason Wexler, Grizzlies Team President in the press release. “It was an easy decision to bring back the iconic teal uniforms for the upcoming 25^th Season of the Franchise and give our fans the classic look from the Vancouver era that they love. Looking ahead to next season, we get to celebrate the 20^th Season of the Grizzlies in Memphis with the Memphis Classic uniform, worn when the team first moved to Grind City.”

The Grizzlies also unveiled a special court design which incorporates different court designs throughout the team’s 25th year history.