New push to bring basketball back to Vancouver

The push to bring the NBA back to Vancouver lives on as one group looks for 15 investors to pledge $200 million each and join the effort.

It’s been more than 20 years since Vancouver had its own NBA team when the Grizzlies were sold and relocated to Memphis.

“As a huge Vancouver Grizzlies fan, I used to go to lots of games and was obviously, like many people, very upset when we lost our team,” Jeff Martin, Vancity Original Brand owner, explained.

Both he and David Tremblay, the managing director of Zulu Alpha Kilo, are behind VANBACK, which is leading the charge to secure the funding needed to bring the NBA to the west coast city.

“It’s been 22 years too long and we really stand behind the idea that this would be a great place for a basketball team,” Tremblay told CityNews.

Those who offer up the money VANBACK is seeking will get a special jersey.

A special VANBACK jersey the group says it’ll offer to investors who pledge millions of dollars to help bring the NBA back to Vancouver. (CityNews Image)

“Basically, a basketball team typically has 15 players so we thought we’d assemble a team of 15 billionaires who could all pledge $200 million to come up with $3 billion, which is kind of a small-market team price in the NBA these days,” Martin explained.

The group already has some people in mind.

“We’re not picky,” Tremblay said, naming individuals like Chip Wilson, the Aquilini family, Ryan Reynolds, and Steve Nash as some potential ideal partners.

The founders of VANBACK are of the mind that there are enough fans to support a team in Vancouver — and they’re not alone.

“Whenever we have an NBA exhibition game, it sells out so fast,” said Kathleen Jayme, a filmmaker, writer, and director.

FILE – A Vancouver Grizzlies jersey. (CityNews Image)

Jayme has made films about the Vancouver Grizzlies, including The Grizzlie Truth.

She says Vancouver has the population, fanbase, and infrastructure — all that’s missing is the team.

“I’ve been able to chat with those who are knowledgeable of — if Vancouver were to bring a team back — how could that happen? And definitely one of the scenarios is actually to get a group of people to come together, to pool resources and money to bid for a team,” she said.

Marcus Fitzgerald, host of Basketball Central on Sportsnet 650, says there’s definitely an appetite for the NBA to return.

“People do want to see a team back in this city so anybody that tries to do this, hey, they’re alright in my books,” he said.

Fitzgerald also believes there are enough fans to support an NBA team, pointing to the crowds the Vancouver Bandits draw.

FILE – Fans at a Vancouver Bandits basketball game in the Fraser Valley. (CityNews Image)

However, he admits the city doesn’t seem to be on the league’s radar.

“Everything that I have heard and read about potential expansion with the NBA, at the top of the list for the league, it’s Vegas and Seattle — generally in that order — which means Vancouver is a couple of rungs farther down the ladder,” Fitzgerald explained.

Tremblay and Martin admit they haven’t spoken to the NBA but are hoping to change that soon.

CityNews reached out to the NBA but did not hear back.

Related video: Memphis plan to revisit Vancouver Grizzlies in 2019 draws mixed reviews

The VANBACK initiative launched in late June. While Tremblay and Martin say no billionaires have come forward so far, they’re happy enough to start the conversation.

“We just want people who are as serious as we are to start talking and I think when people start talking great things can happen,” Tremblay said.

“We really are passionate about it and want to get the conversation started, and the more people start talking about it, the more chance we have of it happening,” Martin added.