By Woodrow Carroll
A look at the names of many of the sports teams around the country, there can be wonder how the names, or more rightly the nicknames applied to the teams originated. For starters, the NBA (National Basketball Association) has three teams with names that seem a bit out of place, although in time the names have been accepted. For instance, there are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Memphis Grizzlies, and Utah Jazz.
California is a large state, in fact, is third largest state geographically in the U.S. trailing only Alaska and Texas in size. Given the state’s size, we are well aware of the what it has to offer in hunting and fishing. Lakes for fishing exist, yet, hunting and fishing are not foremost on the minds of the state’s citizens. Nor is California known first and foremost for its lakes.
Why Lakers then, and, in Los Angeles? Well, prior to the 1960-61 season, the Lakers were in Minneapolis. Minnesota has the 10,000 lakes image that is well promoted. Take a look at the state’s license plate. The plate is generally blue and white with the state’s outline. And, the writing on the plate tells us Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The Minneapolis Lakers were big winners in the early years of the NBA by winning championships in 1949, 1950. 1952, 1953 and 1954. However, there was a strong call to put an NBA team (or on the West Coast and Minneapolis was the pick to move to California and Los Angeles.
Winning alone will not save teams The Minneapolis Lakers may have been a winning franchise. Well, so were the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants in the 1950s. On court (basketball) and on field (baseball) success didn’t keep those franchises from going to greener pastures out West, either.
Try finding a Grizzlie Bear near Memphis! Good luck.
The NBA, in its effort to spread the NBA gospel, looked upon Canada as fertile ground. With that in mind, Toronto and Vancouver joined the NBA fold in the 1990s. Say “hello” to the Vancouver Grizzlies.
The Vancouver Grizzlies lasted six seasons in Vancouver and were a classic example of a flop. The best the Vancouver Grizzlies could do over the course of the franchise’s six-season run in British Columbia was 23-59 (.280 percentage) which was in 2000-2001, the Club’s final campaign in Vancouver.
Memphis had a long history of high school and collegiate basketball to make the city solid choice when it became clear that the Vancouver franchise would be moved. The Memphis Grizzlies have yet to win an NBA championship, although winning seasons have made the franchise a respectable operation.
Jazz om Utah? It is unlikely, yet, another example of a franchise move.
From 1974-1979 the Jazz called New Orleans home. Again it was the old story of not enough victories and not enough fans, ergo, a franchise move was in order. The greater Salt Lake City was where the Jazz ended up. A franchise move that soon paid dividends.
Chicago Bulls fans will be glad to point out, the Jazz has yet to win the NBA championship, although, with Karl Malone and John Stockton directing traffic, the Utah Jazz came ever so close in 1997 and 1998. The Bulls and Michael Jordan upending the Jazz on each occasion in championship matches in each case.
The Lakers, Grizzlies, and Jazz have all fared well after moving and retained the franchise names even if they do seem a bit out of place within the environments.