The Memphis Grizzlies weren't always masters of the NBA's grit-and-grind game.
They weren't even always Bluff City residents.
Their first home base was Vancouver, British Columbia (one of two Canadian markets the league established 20 years ago, along with the Toronto Raptors), and the Grizzlies' first franchise face was a player better known by his nickname than his legal one.
Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year at Oklahoma State, was the NBA's first player drafted by a Canadian team. The Grizzlies grabbed the burly 7-footer with the sixth overall selection of the 1995 draft.