The 1995-96 season marked the inaugural campaign for the Memphis Grizzlies, who were then known as the Vancouver Grizzlies, as they entered the NBA as an expansion team. The Grizzlies, alongside the Toronto Raptors, were part of the NBA’s effort to expand into Canada. The team played their home games at the then-named General Motors Place.
Under the guidance of head coach Brian Winters, the Grizzlies faced the typical struggles of a new franchise, finishing the season with a record of 15 wins and 67 losses. This placed them last in the Midwest Division and reflected the growing pains of building a competitive team from scratch. The team’s roster included Benoit Benjamin, who was their leading scorer, and Greg Anthony, who served as the floor general. The Grizzlies also drafted Bryant Reeves, a promising center from Oklahoma State University, as their first-ever pick, who quickly became a fan favorite.
Despite the challenges, the Grizzlies’ inaugural season laid the groundwork for the franchise’s future development. The season was marked by the excitement of introducing a new team to the league and providing Vancouver with its first taste of NBA action. The team’s struggles on the court were expected for an expansion team, but they set the stage for future growth and development, eventually leading to the franchise’s relocation to Memphis in 2001.
- Regular Season Record: 15-67
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Memphis Grizzlies Roster and Stats for 1995-96 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Greg Anthony | 69 | 14.0 | 2.5 | 6.9 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 33.2 | |||||||
| Benoit Benjamin | 13 | 13.9 | 7.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bryant Reeves | 77 | 13.3 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Blue Edwards | 82 | 12.7 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 34.3 | |||||||
| Byron Scott | 80 | 10.2 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 33.5 | |||||||
| Kenny Gattison | 25 | 9.2 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Eric Murdock | 64 | 9.1 | 2.4 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 32.0 | |||||||
| Chris King | 80 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 38.9 | |||||||
| Gerald Wilkins | 28 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 21.9 | |||||||
| Darrick Martin | 24 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 22.7 | |||||||
| Lawrence Moten | 44 | 6.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 32.7 | |||||||
| Ashraf Amaya | 54 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Anthony Avent | 71 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Antonio Harvey | 18 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Eric Mobley | 34 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 50.0 | |||||||
| Rich Manning | 29 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Doug Edwards | 31 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cuonzo Martin | 4 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 100.0 | |||||||
Memphis Grizzlies 1995-96 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1995-96 season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 03, 1995 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 92-80 | |
| Nov 05, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 100-98 | |
| Nov 07, 1995 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 99-88 | |
| Nov 08, 1995 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 111-62 | |
| Nov 10, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 98-91 | |
| Nov 11, 1995 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-81 | |
| Nov 13, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 94-89 | |
| Nov 16, 1995 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 103-98 | |
| Nov 17, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 114-91 | |
| Nov 19, 1995 | @ New York Knicks | L 98-93 | |
| Nov 22, 1995 | @ Orlando Magic | L 95-93 | |
| Nov 24, 1995 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 116-104 | |
| Nov 25, 1995 | @ Miami Heat | L 111-91 | |
| Nov 28, 1995 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 121-98 | |
| Nov 30, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 94-88 | |
| Dec 01, 1995 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 113-100 | |
| Dec 03, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 109-95 | |
| Dec 05, 1995 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 112-108 | |
| Dec 07, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 93-84 | |
| Dec 10, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 93-81 | |
| Dec 13, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 100-89 | |
| Dec 15, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 104-100 | |
| Dec 16, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 116-85 | |
| Dec 18, 1995 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 92-85 | |
| Dec 19, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 94-93 | |
| Dec 21, 1995 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 92-68 | |
| Dec 22, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 101-80 | |
| Dec 26, 1995 | @ Houston Rockets | L 100-84 | |
| Dec 28, 1995 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 103-101 | |
| Dec 30, 1995 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 103-95 | |
| Jan 05, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 103-102 | |
| Jan 07, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 101-93 | |
| Jan 09, 1996 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 109-103 | |
| Jan 10, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 91-85 | |
| Jan 12, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 104-95 | |
| Jan 13, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 69-65 | |
| Jan 18, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 98-90 | |
| Jan 20, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 84-80 | |
| Jan 22, 1996 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 100-92 | |
| Jan 24, 1996 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 104-84 | |
| Jan 25, 1996 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 106-101 | |
| Jan 27, 1996 | @ Washington Bullets | L 102-77 | |
| Jan 29, 1996 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 103-92 | |
| Jan 31, 1996 | @ Boston Celtics | L 131-98 | |
| Feb 02, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 93-84 | |
| Feb 05, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 92-83 | |
| Feb 07, 1996 | @ Utah Jazz | L 102-79 | |
| Feb 14, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 93-86 | |
| Feb 16, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 110-100 | |
| Feb 18, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 118-109 | |
| Feb 19, 1996 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 98-94 | |
| Feb 25, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 95-84 | |
| Feb 28, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 99-80 | |
| Mar 01, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 119-111 | |
| Mar 02, 1996 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 108-82 | |
| Mar 04, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 96-81 | |
| Mar 05, 1996 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 110-78 | |
| Mar 08, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 94-80 | |
| Mar 10, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 95-89 | |
| Mar 11, 1996 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 92-88 | |
| Mar 15, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 92-87 | |
| Mar 17, 1996 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 90-85 | |
| Mar 19, 1996 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 82-77 | |
| Mar 20, 1996 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 98-93 | |
| Mar 22, 1996 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 111-94 | |
| Mar 24, 1996 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 90-85 | |
| Mar 26, 1996 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 86-75 | |
| Mar 28, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 92-88 | |
| Mar 29, 1996 | @ Utah Jazz | L 105-91 | |
| Mar 31, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 121-88 | |
| Apr 02, 1996 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 101-85 | |
| Apr 03, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 105-103 | |
| Apr 05, 1996 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 104-94 | |
| Apr 07, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 112-92 | |
| Apr 09, 1996 | @ Houston Rockets | L 90-84 | |
| Apr 10, 1996 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 105-82 | |
| Apr 12, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | L 99-98 | |
| Apr 14, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 81-79 | |
| Apr 16, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 95-86 | |
| Apr 18, 1996 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 94-79 | |
| Apr 19, 1996 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 92-78 | |
| Apr 21, 1996 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 108-101 |