[LethalLaw]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/170615-pacers-to-vancouver-canucks-owner-makes-pitch-to-simon

Rumors are starting to spread that Francesco Aquilini, owner of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, is reportedly expressing interest in purchasing the Indiana Pacers and moving the team to Vancouver, B.C.

Pacers co-owner Herb Simon are working as hard as they can to work out a new arena deal with the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board and says he doesn’t want to see Indy without an NBA team.

Simon, could be using Aquilini as leverage against the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board.

But former Sonics owner Howard Schultz also used Clay Bennett as leverage against the Washington State Legislature. And now the Sonics no longer exist.

[RTS]

Would be great if this was true.

[fetched]

omfg. Please! Please!

[Great68]

Vancouver Pacers?

Doesn't really have a ring to the name.

[JulyZerg]

OH SHIT!

DANNY GRANGER AND TROY MURPHY!

[FS1992EG]

they better come up with a good name for the new team

[will068]

Vancouver Pacers...... no zing in it.. buy better than an Oklahoma Thunder.

I like how ambitious Francesco is.... However, the Aquilini group is not as wealthy as John McCaw

[R8]

VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES BABY, BRING THAT SHIT BACK!

[murd0c]

heard that today, that would be pimp for sure.

FUCK YOU STU JACKSON!!!!

[CT10]

the pacers stadium is still relatively new... built in '99 i think

and they already want a new stadium!? wtf?

[Gh0stRider]

that would be awesome!

[pandalove]

oh god... more dissapointments

[Not really racist!]

sadly pacers arent that good

:(

[Harvey Specter]

It would be interesting to see another NBA team in Vancouver.

[rsx]

I hope they sign Big Country

[g604]

I would prefer to have the Grizzlies back Mayo and Gay killer combo with alot of cap space to

[JunFan]

NO. It will make the ice bad.

[TRD3000GT]

Bring NBA back!!!

The low seat sales in the past forced the Grizzlies moved. :( Hopefully more basketball fans will purchase tickets if we are having another NBA team.

[Jermyzy]

I read this in the Province today, but they say it's only a rumour...it would be awesome if it was true! Last couple years I went to Seattle to watch the Sonics, but now they're gone, closest team is Portland! I'm not sure if David Stern will allow the move...when Vancouver left, didn't he say that putting a team in Vancouver was a bad decision?

[LethalLaw]

Stu Jackson fucked up the grizz and got a sweet job for the NBA as VP of Basketball Operations..

I hope Vancouver can get another NBA franchise. A team that can actually win and not put all their hopes on a stupid center from Oklahoma/Arkansas..

[El Bastardo]

It can't be the Pacers. We need something that has a Vancouver "feel"

The Vancouver Junkies

[vapour_lock]

didnt work then, wont work now

[trip]

i dont think NBA will work here..

Vancouver Chroniks

[bengy]

The Vancouver Losers more like.

[Stevie P]

Bryyyyyyyyyyyyyant Reeeeves. For two.

[will068]

The Vancouver Losers more like.

Hi,

The Canucks thread is a few links down at the main OT page. Hope that helps.

will068


oooooohhhhh low blow.. grrrr.. my bad... ....

[Lude S]

Call the team Vancouver Orcas

[willystyle]

A few months back, Stern made it public that he doesn't plan to see Vancouver getting another NBA franchise anytime soon.

But again, IMO, it would be stupid NOT to have a NBA franchise here as it has potential to be a GREAT basketball city.

[impactX]

Vancouver Addicts

[fanatiX]

i don't mind seeing them denver nugget thugs in town!

[liu13]

those Pacers will mostly likely remain in Indiana, they are huge ball fans, even though they are more college ball, it's not that hard to sell tickets there

i can see the Bobcats being sold to Vancouver, that would be awesome

[pure.life]

Vancouver Hongers

[Synaptik]

bring them rockets here, yao ming will have half this city buying season passes.

[411ken]

Bring any team! I don't care lol.. I'll be a STH for sure!! =)

[Teriyaki]

Vancouver Hongers

And hire an all asian team :thumbsup: Sell-out crowd coming from Richmond every night for sure.

[Manic!]

Vancouver Rain Makers!!!

[3seriesBeeM]

heard this on the team 1040 it would be great stu jackson buried our last team with big country and drafting steve francis even though he publicly said I dont want to play in Vancouver. I think we have the fan base for a basketball team if we can make it a good team.

[Harvey Specter]

Not trying to be racist or anything but I can't imagine young black players wanting to play in Vancouver. The city doesn't have a basketball city type vibe.

[liu13]

Not trying to be racist or anything but I can't imagine young black players wanting to play in Vancouver. The city doesn't have a basketball city type vibe.

true, no one wants to play for an expansion team or a crappy team that just moved

i see some steve francis incidents occurring again but if Charlotte can develop a decent bball team, Vancouver should be able to, Vancouver is head over heels better as a city than more than half the NBA teams

[Chestnut]

Vancouver Stoners!

[PiuYi]

FUCK YOU MICHAEL HEISLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vancouver rainmakers actually sounds like a decent name btw

[goo3]

Go Aquaman! Can he afford it? But then the Canucks are like a cash-cow for him right now.

[g604]

Pacers would be nice we can build around granger build around a high tempo team get steve nash coaching lower the ticket prices for the first couple of years i dont see why it can't work.

If a hockey team can survive in nashvile why cant a basketball team survive up here. Up next MLB!!

[invader]

David Stern in an interview never supported the idea of having an NBA franchise in Vancouver.

Too many stupid fuckers were in control of the Griz, thats what led to their demise.

On a cooler note, today is Michael Bibby's birthday, remember him? Griz 2nd overall pick.


http://www.insidearenas.com/past/past.h5.jpg

[will068]

Not trying to be racist or anything but I can't imagine young black players wanting to play in Vancouver. The city doesn't have a basketball city type vibe.

Close.... there's no black community here. When I mean black, I mean American Black. Not the fresh of the boat african refugees either. American Blacks look down to these Africans. Like how CBC's look down on newly arrived Asians.

[invader]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/12/Bryant-Reeves---Big-Country-Poster-C10003101.jpeg

[Harvey Specter]

Holy crap GM place was empty. I remember in high school we would sometimes get free tickets to the games and no one would take em, lol.

[RTS]

Basketball can work in Vancouver given the time. Some positives include:

1. Younger Grizzlies fans who can now afford tickets ie. me and a lot of my friends who have traveled as far as Portland to catch games.
2. All the Steve Nash Youth Basketball Alumni
3. Steve Nash could be brought in (player? or exec)
4. SFU/UBC possibly going to NCAA Div 2.

Hope this happens one day.

[Nocardia]

Its pretty tough for any franchise team to stay put without the league's help.

Look at hockey in florida or nashville or phoenix. If teams don't make the playoffs or even become 50% clubs, no one watches. Vancouver is even worse for that because when the canucks do bad, no one pays attention at all.

Grizzlies would still be here if they made the playoffs at least 1 time.

[jigga250]

Grizzlies would still be here if they made the playoffs at least 1 time.

Or if they had traded for Nash when they had the chance. Or if the dollar had been worth more than ~68 cents US.

Too bad Seattle already had a wnba team called the Reign. Vancouver Reign would be a good name. Reignmen?

[trip]

i use to get grizz tickets all throughout elem and HS free
fuck was it boring as shit.... never won a game i attended LOL

[R8]

I got free tickets from Junior Grizzlies League... Court side... and I got to shake Shareef Abdul Raheem's and Mike Bibby's hand but I was too young to get an autograph :( then after the game the League lets you shoot a free throw on their court to win 2 extra court side tickets lolol, I won... but we lost both games...

[Tim Budong]

I remember a that David Stern interview the aboved have mentioned, it was on team1040. Regardless, David Stern didnt say whether he would or wouldnt support the franchise. He has stated that the fans here put up quite a bit to the losing franchise and that the canucks at the time were horrible in which gave the grizz some life.

Aside from horrible on court management, the team itself never did a great job to promo the game to the city properly either.

anyways, the recent success the NBA has had in china could mean money for alot of the asian community in town. who knows tho, the city is too small to support two franchises. Its not like toronto where theres too many people

[StylinRed]

BIBBY!

[woob]

NO. It will make the ice bad.

hahah FIRST thing I thought of when I read the topic.

dang man I remember watching the Grizzlies vs. Sonic when I was like 5 with my grandpa. I bought a Sonics flag :D

[hotjoint]

OH SHIT!

DANNY GRANGER AND TROY MURPHY!


:werd: that would be dope

[Noir]

Not trying to be racist or anything but I can't imagine young black players wanting to play in Vancouver. The city doesn't have a basketball city type vibe.

There is, but I think you're just heavily underestimating that vibe or it's following.

[Tapioca]

I was a Grizz fan since day 1 and though the product was horrible, I enjoyed watching and listening to the games. Since the Grizz left, my interest in basketball waned to the point now where I don't even watch an NBA game for more than 5 minutes at a time.

Basketball could definitely work here again if there was the proper management in place. Vancouver is a markedly different city than it was 15 years ago; there are things to do for players on off-days, like hitting the clubs or bars where they will be treated like VIPs and rushed by silicone-enhanced yoga-worshipping groupies. There seems to be money in the city now (whether legal, illegal, or from credit) that wasn't around in the late 90s. Also, it was only in the last season that someone from the marketing department tried to tap into the Asian fan base. And of course, having a dollar in the 80 cent range helps with the economics.

Apparently, there was a small side column in the Sun a few weeks back that quoted Jay Triano as saying that some of the former Grizz players, like Bibby and Shareef, actually missed playing in Vancouver compared to the other anonymous cities in the NBA.

[Jermyzy]

Not to mention, there is only one Canadian team, which other Canadian city would be able to host a NBA team apart from Vancouver?

[411ken]

Ok, what vibe did you guys want fans to have when the players we had consisted of Blue edwards,greg anthony, othella harrington,otis thorpe, bryant reeves, haha, if we get a team that is actually decent now i.e pacers/bobcats, it could work as they have a young good team.

If they don't bring it here, i hope seattle gets one again. I get lazy going to portland

[BNR32_Coupe]

It would be interesting to see another NBA team in Vancouver.

Would love to watch some real live NBA teams school vancouver. People didn't come out to watch the grizzlies play back in the day, they came out to see the bulls/whatever team was playing

[AznK]

Not trying to be racist or anything but I can't imagine young black players wanting to play in Vancouver. The city doesn't have a basketball city type vibe.

Thats exactly it.. Vancouver doesn't have enough chocolate faces.

[pure.life]

Thats exactly it.. Vancouver doesn't have enough chocolate faces.

haha, first thing I thought when I read this is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA

[rsx]

Vancouver Millionaires

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

do it

but Pacers sucks




need something better

not another useless team like the last one

[XplodeTheBass]

Everyone in vancity has been itchin for another ball team since the griz left. I think that tickets would sell the first season jus for the fact that weve been deprived of basketball for so long. But after the Vancouver "pacers" go 30-52 no one would go -_-

[StylinRed]

i remember when the grizz first came and they let elementary kids turn in submissions for a team logo and name so many people turned in Canuck logos except with a basketball worked in ;)

[Noir]

Thats exactly it.. Vancouver doesn't have enough chocolate faces.

:facepalm:

I don't even think that's what he meant.

[Jackwimmer]

basketball died for me when michael jordan(OF THE BULLS) retired

[urrh]

vancouver bandwagoners

[Gridlock]

Do not want.

No one went the last time.

And guaranteed, at some point someone will look for a little tax money to grease the wheel.

[Tim Budong]

Vancouver is a touchy market, the smartest thing to do would be to bringthe team in after the olympics and keep money and interest of sport going

[1exotic]

I could care less... but then again it would be good for the economy here i guess...

The team should only come to Vancouver if the name can me, Vancouver Shawty'z

[will068]

I was a Grizz fan since day 1 and though the product was horrible, I enjoyed watching and listening to the games. Since the Grizz left, my interest in basketball waned to the point now where I don't even watch an NBA game for more than 5 minutes at a time.

Basketball could definitely work here again if there was the proper management in place. Vancouver is a markedly different city than it was 15 years ago; there are things to do for players on off-days, like hitting the clubs or bars where they will be treated like VIPs and rushed by silicone-enhanced yoga-worshipping groupies. There seems to be money in the city now (whether legal, illegal, or from credit) that wasn't around in the late 90s. Also, it was only in the last season that someone from the marketing department tried to tap into the Asian fan base. And of course, having a dollar in the 80 cent range helps with the economics.

Apparently, there was a small side column in the Sun a few weeks back that quoted Jay Triano as saying that some of the former Grizz players, like Bibby and Shareef, actually missed playing in Vancouver compared to the other anonymous cities in the NBA.

haha I remember an article about Stromiles Swift and how he hated Memphis right in the beginning of their inaugural season there. He went to an elementary school to do the usual community work. When he was done with his task and was headed back to his car, the rims on his yukon were jacked.

[q0192837465]

there's no black ppl in Vancouver.

[InvisibleSoul]

I want Big Country Fries from McDonald's!

[SlySi]

NBA team in Vancouver = Failure

[Harvey Specter]

Who was the Griz player that got his necklace stolen at gun point in Vancouver?

[+Kardboard+]

From the Fox this morning: The Vancouver SuperChronics :D:D:D

I remember going to the final Vancouver Grizzlies game with my dad......where we lost. LOL :lol

[carisear]

i think most people know the downfall of the grizz was *DIRECTLY* because of Stu Jackson.

I think most of us went to see a game, for free of course. a team can only take losing for so long before it's fanbase disappears.

[LethalLaw]

Everytime I see Stu Jackson sitting in the crowd typing away on his blackberry it makes me wanna kick his teeth in.. from screwing up the Grizz to VP of NBA operations... :fuuuuu:

[411ken]

Everytime I see Stu Jackson sitting in the crowd typing away on his blackberry it makes me wanna kick his teeth in.. from screwing up the Grizz to VP of NBA operations... :fuuuuu:

I feel the exact same way...maybe he was in "kahoots" with stern to get rid of the team in vancouver..as he probably just wanted a team in Laffland

[sexyaccord]

Would love to watch some real live NBA teams school vancouver. People didn't come out to watch the grizzlies play back in the day, they came out to see the bulls/whatever team was playing

the bulls only came once to GM place during the Grizzlies entire existence.
only time MJ came to Vancouver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShNfeFxij28
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199511300VAN.html

[jigga250]

basketball died for me when michael jordan(OF THE BULLS) retired

thanks for clarifying, I thought you were talking about the OTHER michael jordan

[InvisibleSoul]

thanks for clarifying, I thought you were talking about the OTHER michael jordan

Here's the other Michael Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael-Hakim_Jordan)

[will068]

the bulls only came once to GM place during the Grizzlies entire existence.
only time MJ came to Vancouver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShNfeFxij28
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199511300VAN.html

That game was awesome. MJ gave a show in Vancouver. That was the 72-10 Bulls team right there. The Bulls team showed a lot of sportsmanship by keeping the game close. That Bulls team could have finished the game by half time already. They did the same for the Raptors that year where they kept the game close. But the Raptors team stepped it up and actually beat the Bulls - MJ's supposed game winning last shot wasn't counted because time ran out. :haha::haha::haha:

[scheng924]

Vancouver Ballers lol

[sil3nt]

screw the Grizzlies .. they were shit anyways

[wahyinghung]

Vancouver Blazers as in blazing..........

[misteranswer]

the bulls only came once to GM place during the Grizzlies entire existence.
only time MJ came to Vancouver
[/url]

uh, no. A team plays each team in the other conference twice every season.

Therefore, the bulls have come 6 times. 3 times was when Jordan played for them.

[slammer111]

Probably not gonna happen. When the Grizzlies were here, so many games weren't even half-full! Unless something has changed here in the last 15 years, there is simply TOO SMALL a fan base here.

It'd be stupid if they moved an NBA team here, just to choke after 2-3 seasons.

[scheng924]

Anyone got updates? I would love to have a NBA team here....

[urrh]

i think the grizz won the first i went to.

...it never happened again

[n1smo]

Rasho Nesterovic= fan fav i call it lol

[pure.life]

do the Pacers even have someone that is remotely god or soon-to-be superstar??

and they're drafting 13th... bummer

[hotjoint]

do the Pacers even have someone that is remotely god or soon-to-be superstar??

and they're drafting 13th... bummer

Danny Granger

[HonestTea]

DANNY GRANGER!

[Jermyzy]

FYI, phoenix suns will play a pre-season game here in Vancouver on Oct 22. yes I know pre-season, but I'll take what I can get!

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/story/2009/07/29/sp-nash-suns-vancouver.html

[liu13]

Probably not gonna happen. When the Grizzlies were here, so many games weren't even half-full! Unless something has changed here in the last 15 years, there is simply TOO SMALL a fan base here.

It'd be stupid if they moved an NBA team here, just to choke after 2-3 seasons.

there are a few cities in the US that can barely support their teams

Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers and some others

the thing is that no one wants to watch a Canadian team play except Canadians and most of us are already Rap fans

we'll be stuck at the bottom for at least half a decade, dont have money to get FAs and no stars would ever want to come anyway, not including the taxes they'll pay too

but i do want the Bobcats to move here or at least Seattle, they deserve a team

[dL]

Vancouver Ballers lol

LOL I like that one.

dL

[TRD3000GT]

FYI, phoenix suns will play a pre-season game here in Vancouver on Oct 22. yes I know pre-season, but I'll take what I can get!

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/story/2009/07/29/sp-nash-suns-vancouver.html

Phoenix traded Shaq to Cleveland or I have a reason to watch the game...

[bengy]

true, no one wants to play for an expansion team or a crappy team that just moved

i see some steve francis incidents occurring again but if Charlotte can develop a decent bball team, Vancouver should be able to, Vancouver is head over heels better as a city than more than half the NBA teams

Charlotte? Do you have any idea how many black people there are in North / South Carolina? It was only a matter of time before they put out a decent team. Btw, North Carolina is one of the best teams in the NCAA.

[WakeMeUp]

^there's a large black population there, but that doesn't mean the area can support a team. Most ticket buyers are suburban whites. Look at the Bobcat attendance numbers. They're horrible.