The NBA is finally preparing to expand for the first time in over two decades. On March 25th, the league’s board of governors officially approved exploring new franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas.
That should excite every NBA fan. However, there is also reason for disappointment. The NBA is missing a major opportunity by not exploring a return to Vancouver.
Canada is a growing market ripe for NBA expansion
The Toronto Raptors, especially over the past decade, have played a major role in growing basketball across Canada. At the start of this season, there were 23 Canadian-born players on NBA rosters, the most of any country outside the United States. Despite that, the league still operates with just one Canadian franchise.
The Raptors have already proven that Canada can support an NBA team at a high level. Since 2013, Toronto has ranked in the top half of the league in attendance in every non-COVID-affected season, including six finishes inside the top five.
If the NBA is serious about expanding the game, choosing a second Canadian city would be a logical choice given the growing market.
Vancouver would have perfect natural rivals
If expansion happens, Seattle should be the first city considered because of the SuperSonics’ history. Vancouver is only a three-hour drive from Seattle. Pairing Seattle with a Vancouver franchise would create an instant rivalry and compelling storylines to help kickstart both teams.
There are challenges to placing two expansion teams within close proximity. But from day one, the league would gain a built-in Pacific Northwest rivalry.
Vancouver would also immediately form a natural rivalry with the Toronto Raptors as Canada’s only two NBA teams. A Las Vegas franchise simply does not offer the same level of instant intrigue.
Vancouver was never given a fair shot
The most frustrating part of the Vancouver Grizzlies’ history is how little of it had to do with basketball. From the beginning, the franchise was unstable. Arthur Griffiths originally owned the team, but he sold it before it even played its first game. That turmoil followed the team throughout its six-year existence.
Just four years later, McCaw was already looking to sell. In 2001, he sold the team to Michael Heisley, who immediately pushed for relocation.
There were even accusations that ownership was deliberately tanking the franchise to justify moving cities. No expansion team could survive that level of dysfunction.
It is not fair to say basketball failed in Vancouver. The franchise was never given a real chance to succeed.
A new team in Vancouver would enter a completely different landscape, one where basketball in Canada is thriving. It would immediately tap into a growing national market while bringing instant rivalries with Toronto and Seattle.
If the NBA is serious about expansion, Vancouver should have been part of the conversation.