The 1995–96 NBA season was the Grizzlies' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Vancouver Grizzlies, along with the Toronto Raptors became expansion NBA franchises in 1995; they were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. The Grizzlies revealed a new primary logo of a grizzly bear holding a basketball, and got new uniforms with Native American markings on the trims of their jerseys, adding turquoise and brown to their color scheme. In the 1995 NBA expansion draft, the team selected veteran players like Greg Anthony, Blue Edwards, Byron Scott, Benoit Benjamin, Gerald Wilkins and Kenny Gattison. The team also signed free agents Chris King and undrafted rookie forward Ashraf Amaya, and acquired Anthony Avent from the Orlando Magic. The Grizzlies received the sixth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected center Bryant Reeves out of Oklahoma State University. The team also hired Brian Winters as their first ever head coach. In their NBA debut on November 3, 1995, the Grizzlies got off to a solid start defeating the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, 92–80. Two nights later on November 5, the Grizzlies had a successful home debut at General Motors Place by defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime, 100–98. However, despite winning their first two games, the team struggled and posted a dreadful 19-game losing streak afterwards, leading to an awful 2–19 start to the season. After 13 games, Benjamin was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Eric Murdock and second-year forward Eric Mobley, while at mid-season, Gattison was dealt to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Jeff Turner, who never played for the Grizzlies due to a knee injury. After holding a 10–37 record at the All-Star break, the Grizzlies then suffered a dreadful 23-game losing streak between February and April, including a winless month in March, and finished their inaugural season last place in the Midwest Division with an NBA worst record of 15 wins and 67 losses. Anthony was the team's scoring leader, averaging 14.0 points, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while Reeves averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Edwards provided the team with 12.7 points and 1.4 steals per game. In addition, Scott played a sixth man role, averaging 10.2 points per game off the bench, while Murdock contributed 9.1 points and 2.0 steals per game also off the bench, and King provided with 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Wilkins averaged 6.7 points per game, but only played just 28 games due to back and Achilles tendon injuries, while second round draft pick Lawrence Moten contributed 6.6 points per game, Amaya averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Avent provided with 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Following the season, Scott re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, while Wilkins signed with the Orlando Magic, Murdock signed with the Denver Nuggets, Amaya signed with the Washington Bullets, and King, Avent and Turner were all released to free agency. The Grizzlies' new logo would remain in use until 2001, where the team moved to Memphis, Tennessee and replaced the word "Vancouver" with "Memphis" on the logo. The original logo lasted until 2004, while the new uniforms lasted until 2000.

Offseason

NBA expansion draft

The Grizzlies roster was filled during the 1995 NBA expansion draft. By way of winning a coin flip with the Toronto Raptors, Vancouver elected to choose the former, between a higher NBA draft pick and the first pick in the NBA expansion draft, and therefore had the second pick in this draft. With their first pick, the Grizzlies selected point guard Greg Anthony from the New York Knicks.

NBA draft

The Grizzlies first ever draft pick was Bryant Reeves.

Roster

Roster Notes

First game

Regular season

Although they won their first two games in franchise history, the Grizzlies finished with the worst win–loss record in the 1995–96 NBA season, as is typical for an expansion team, and lost 23 straight games from February to April (setting an NBA single-season record now held by the Philadelphia 76ers with 27.)

Highs

Lows

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Player statistics

Ragular season

† Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Grizzlies only.

Franchise firsts

On opening night, the Grizzlies would spoil the Portland Trail Blazers debut at the Rose Garden Arena by defeating them. A few nights later, the Grizzlies would play their first home game, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves at the buzzer.

Awards and records

Transactions