June 24, 1999 Grizzlies select G Steve Francis at No. 2 overall Steve Francis has some serious ups. In Canada, he would have jumped only about two-thirds as high. Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport By the look on Steve Francis' face at the 1999 NBA Draft, you'd have thought he had been drafted by the Russian army to go fight the Battle of Leningrad. Citing the distance between his Maryland home, taxes, endorsements, and, later, God's will, Francis was not looking forward to his rookie season. But he got over it ... after forcing the team into a three-team, 11-player deal that sent Francis to Houston and brought Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Antoine Carr, Brent Price, plus first- and second-round picks. He'd go on to share Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 18 point, 6.6 assists and 1.53 steals in 77 starts. In his first game back in Vancouver, Francis was harassed verbally and physically, as tomatoes, eggs and a tennis ball came hurtling out of the crowd. "I'll admit it was pretty bad," he said. Thing were pretty much the same in subsequent visits, as he became the poster boy for all things wrong with the Grizzlies fortunes. Asked if maybe it's time for the Vancouver fans to just get over it, Francis smiled and shrugged. "If they don't, I understand," he said. At least he'll never have to go back. Memo To Francis: Goodbye Vancouver Province -- July 2, 1999 By Tony Gallagher People in this business are frequently asked what it's like dealing with athletes who make mountains of money. It isn't always easy but in the case of Steve Francis, there is one consolation. At the end of the day he'll be much richer and perhaps even much happier than you, but he'll still be a stupid, ignorant dork when he wakes up the next morning. We here in Vancouver can all understand why somebody from Maryland may not wish to be drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies. It's a long way from home and it's a move to another country, something that can be difficult for anyone let alone an uneducated, provincial doofus like this kid. But buddy, hide it a little better. There are two ways to look at Francis' performance Wednesday at the National Basketball Association draft. He is either making his displeasure known so as to force a trade by the man posing as the general manager of the Grizzlies, or he was one of the worst-prepared people in the history of the NBA draft. And that is no small feat. Whomever is responsible for the education of this dolt evidently left off a little early. Did it not dawn on Francis or any of his close family that Vancouver had the No. 2 pick and that Chicago might actually go for a player other than himself? Did it not dawn on him that, given Vancouver did have this pick, he might actually look at a map for the first time in his life to see where this hellhole of a town might actually be located? If this is an example of the composure we can expect from this kid on the basketball court when something doesn't go his way, it looks like Stu Jackson has made a pick that will make Antonio Daniels look good. What is it with the preparation of the Grizzlies in this area? When they talk to these kids, don't they ask them to put on a brave face in the horrific event they are actually chosen by this organization? Don't they ask the kid or his agent or his grandmother whether he would mind playing in Vancouver if it meant going No. 2? Wasn't the Mike Bibby experience enough to alert them to the possibility of a similar public relations nightmare this year? And what about the concept of drafting a player who actually wouldn't mind joining Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Bryant Reeves and Bibby to form a coming young team? After all, Mr. Jackson has been telling us just how good this young core is going to be for quite some time now. Why is it players like Francis have an embolism when they find themselves joining Jackson's coming juggernaut? Francis, evidently an infrequent visitor to the geography department at the University of Maryland, said of the mandatory Grizzlies hat plunked onto his empty head at the draft when asked: "As soon as I can take it off, I will." Roger Watts, Vancouver, B.C. L'Affaire Francis. This is not so much a criticism of the Grizzlies, as they were as much a victim in this mess as anyone else in Vancouver. The fact that Steve Francis decided to act like a 2-year-old on national TV in the 1999 draft and start whining about coming to Vancouver was far more his problem than anyone else's. Nonetheless, it robbed Vancouver of a much-needed instant impact player (as he has obviously turned out to be, to Vancouver's continued anguish) and gave the city a bit of a much-undeserved black eye in the PR department. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/news/2001/07/04/sayitaintso_grizzlies/ ------------------ "Instinctly u recognize things,now take advantage of what u just recognized!".. Hakeem..
I don't think the fact that Francis acted that way hurt Vancouver's image, only his own. John Elway did something similar in the NFL, and refused to play for the team that drafted him. Elway didn't recieve half the flack Francis has. Francis has worked hard, and done a lot since that time. I wish people could just move on. I am sure Stevie must too. ------------------
And look what happened. That team moved away, too. It's a pattern, I tell you. ------------------ Why not visit MovieForums.com
Putting a team in Vancouver was the mistake. That and letting it be run by such a group of incompetent morons. Monkeys banging on typewriters could've drafted better than them. ------------------ I lost a bet.
