Memphis Grizzlies jerseys say “Vancouver” on some nights because the franchise started as the Vancouver Grizzlies and the team is using throwback “Classic Edition” uniforms to honor that origin and anniversary milestones.

Quick Scoop

  • The Grizzlies were founded in 1995 as the Vancouver Grizzlies, part of the NBA’s Canadian expansion along with the Toronto Raptors.
  • They played six seasons in Vancouver before relocating to Memphis in 2001, keeping the Grizzlies name and history.
  • For special seasons (like the franchise’s 30th anniversary), Memphis wears Classic/throwback uniforms that closely replicate the original Vancouver jerseys, including the city name across the chest.
  • These uniforms are meant as a nostalgia play and a tribute to their roots, not a sign that the team has moved back. Fans can also buy this retro merch as part of the celebration.

A bit of backstory

When you see Ja Morant and the current Memphis squad in teal with “Vancouver” across the chest, you’re basically seeing a modern recreation of the 1990s expansion-era look: turquoise, bronze, red and black, plus the Pacific Northwest–inspired trim that defined the original brand.

The idea is to lean into NBA nostalgia, similar to how other teams use retro logos and colors from earlier eras, but here the old city name is still baked into the original design.

Why keep “Vancouver” instead of swapping to “Memphis”?

Teams generally try to keep true throwbacks as accurate as possible, so they tend not to alter core elements like the wordmark and city name; that’s what makes them throwbacks in the first place.

So instead of a teal “Memphis” version, the Grizzlies chose to keep “Vancouver” to fully mirror the original uniforms and emphasize the franchise’s full history, even if it predates Memphis.

What fans are saying

On forums and social media, you’ll see a split:

  • Some fans love the retro teal look and see it as a cool nod to a unique, short-lived era in NBA history.
  • Others really dislike wearing another city’s name and feel that a Memphis-based team should not be running out in “Vancouver” across the chest, calling it confusing or even “stolen valor.”

That tension is why this keeps popping up as a trending topic and “why do Memphis Grizzlies jerseys say Vancouver” stays a common search. Bottom line: they say “Vancouver” because those are intentional Vancouver Grizzlies throwback jerseys, used to celebrate the franchise’s origins and anniversaries, even though the team now plays in Memphis.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.