Ever seen a Thrashers crowd in Atlanta? It was kinda like that.
If you can't put a decent crowd together when the defending champions are in town with David Robinson and Tim Duncan, you aren't a basketball town.
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs at Vancouver 2 games
19,193
18,448
1999-00 San Antonio Spurs at Vancouver 2 games
14,403
14,206
highest attendance
1st. 1995-96 704,489 17,183 Vancouver
2nd. 2004-05 691,362 16,862 Memphis
3rd. 1998-99 417,966 16,719 Vancouver (lockout)
4th. 1996-97 679,422 16,571 Vancouver
5th. 1997-98 660,457 16,109 Vancouver
6th. 2005-06 647,533 15,793 Memphis
7th. 2003-04 622,723 15,188 Memphis
8th. 2002-03 614,301 14,983 Memphis
9th. 2006-07 600,836 14,654 Memphis
10th. 2001-02 591,030 14,415 Memphis
11th. 1999-00 569,864 13,899 Vancouver
12th. 2000-01 563,218 13,737 Vancouver
13th. 2009-10 552,914 13,485 Memphis
14th. 2007-08 523,578 12,770 Memphis
15th 2008-09 509,806 12,745 Memphis
Well apparently Vancouver is more a basketball town than where they were moved to. In fact Vancouver Grizzlies attendance was remarkably strong when you realize just how bad the home team was in their six year history in Vancouver. Only in the last two year after a. An NBA lockout and b. it was clear the team was going to be moved did attendance start to slip.
2000-01 Vancouver Grizzlies 23-59
1999-00 Vancouver Grizzlies 22-60
1998-99 Vancouver Grizzlies 8-42
1997-98 Vancouver Grizzlies 19-63
1996-97 Vancouver Grizzlies 14-68
1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies 15-67
101-359 record in six years
Fan support was not an issue in their time in Vancouver. It was the league that let Vancouver down, not the other way around.