Memphis Grizzlies Tickets

Moving from Vancouver in 2001, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of the most East-based members of the Western Conference. Since moving to Memphis, the team has taken on an identity that has centered around big men, along with the desire to play a gritty brand of basketball. This approach has led to consistent results, as the team has been in the playoffs time and time again.

The first of those big men to set the tone for the Memphis Grizzlies was Pau Gasol. Gasol was selected third overall in the 2001 NBA Draft. He was selected behind Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler, meaning that the Grizzlies got one of the best values in the draft at the third spot. Gasol was incredibly productive for the Grizzlies, thanks to his ability to score from inside and out.

Years later, the Grizzlies brought Pau's brother Marc Gasol into the fold, who was a very similar player to Pau. Gasol was brought in during the portion of Grizzlies history where the team focused on a slower style of play, where they wanted to grind out wins with their defense first and foremost. With Gasol teaming with point guard Mike Conley and hard-nosed veterans like Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies were regular participants in the Western Conference playoffs.

Those playoff appearances created rivalries across the Western Conference. Most notably, the Grizzlies got locked into heated playoff battles against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs in particular were a thorn in the side of the Grizzlies, with the two teams squaring off in the Western Conference Finals in 2013 after the Grizzlies defeated the Thunder in the conference semifinals. The Thunder defeated the Grizzlies in the 2011 conference semifinals, making the 2013 series win a bit of sweet revenge for the Grizzlies.