Grizzlies' infamous draft pick Steve Francis booed, cheered in return to Vancouver (VIDEOS)
Vancouver Grizzlies fans might have a long memory.
But that in turn means that they’re not always willing to forgive, either.
During Saturday’s Vancouver International Film Festival premiere of the documentary The Grizzlie Truth at šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl’a7shn (formerly the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza), former Grizzlies draft pick Steve Francis was introduced to the crowd.
And well, the reaction was a little mixed.
Mix of boos and cheers for Steve Francis in his return to Vancouver at the premiere of @thegrizztruth
🎥: vancitynba/Instagram pic.twitter.com/7VeTTLY8ku
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) October 2, 2022
If you don’t recall (or weren’t alive for the backstory), the short version is: Francis was drafted second overall by Vancouver in 1999, but never played for the team after being traded away later that same year.
The long version is that Francis had told the Grizzlies he had no interest in playing for them, was still drafted by GM Stu Jackson anyway, and then was traded to Houston before the following season began.
Regardless of how it transpired, Francis is a big part of the Vancouver franchise’s history, with some people willing to forgive him. Others? Not so much.
The film was made by the same local filmmaker — Kat Jayme — that brought us Finding Big Country in 2018,
The trailer for The Grizzlie Truth is available below, which will be available on Crave at a later date.
Follow Channels and Categories