This story first appeared in SLAM 227.
As a kid, I had a basketball sticker album, and working on it, in ’94-95 got me connected to the NBA. I learned every team and all the players, the rookies and the superstars, the championship contenders and the teams who would rarely make the playoffs. It was my encyclopedia. On the opening page of the book, there was an introduction to two teams who were “coming soon.” The teams were the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Raptors logo was cool, if not a little childish, but the Grizz looked insane…chunky bold letters, sick Turquoise colors and a ferocious looking bear holding a basketball. My 10-year-old mind was blown.
Although both Toronto and Vancouver were considered small-market expansion teams, tackling a country where hockey fans rule, it would be the Grizzlies who would struggle the most. Their consistently poor performance led to their eventual relocation in 2001, but there was one player who was willing to stick it out in Vancouver. When Shareef Abdur-Rahim hit the cover of SLAM 39 in January 2000, he was already averaging over 20 points a game and lighting up highlight reels, later giving Mitchell & Ness a solid reason to retro that now-iconic ’90s Grizzlies uniform. While others were refusing to play in Vancouver (much love Stevie Franchise), Reef was weathering the snowstorm and putting in work for the team who drafted him back in ’96.
In the headline of his cover story, writer Michael Bradley highlights the fact that Abdur-Rahim was grinding quietly, without the hype of TV cameras or superstar teammates. He became one of the league’s best all-around ballers, and he did so modestly. Shareef eventually moved cities at the same time that the Grizz did, going home to ATL, but he’ll always be remembered in the city of Vancouver.
The Grizzlies have had stronger squads following their move to Memphis (word to SLAM 165) and some basketball icons have enjoyed some of their best years there (shout out to J-Will), but for a long time, Shareef was the only Grizzlies player in history to have a solo SLAM cover.
Until now.
