Quick Facts
- Date: November 3, 1995. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
- Matchup: Vancouver Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers (franchise’s first regular-season game). ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
- Location: Rose Garden Arena (Portland, Oregon). ([upi.com](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/11/04/Grizzlies-92-Blazers-80/3807815461200/?utm_source=openai))
- Final Score: Grizzlies 92, Trail Blazers 80. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
- Key Figures: Benoit Benjamin (29 points, 13 rebounds); Byron Scott (14 points; sparked pivotal 12–0 fourth‑quarter run). ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
Main Story
On November 3, 1995, the NBA’s newest team took the floor in Portland and immediately made history. In their first official game, the Vancouver Grizzlies—ancestors of today’s Memphis Grizzlies—defeated the Trail Blazers 92–80 in the Blazers’ home opener at the brand‑new Rose Garden. Benoit Benjamin led the way with 29 points and 13 boards, while veteran guard Byron Scott delivered 14 points and fueled a decisive 12–0 run in the fourth quarter. The win was a signature opening statement for an expansion club, and it came on the road against an established Western Conference opponent. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
Box‑score records confirm the moment’s basics: a tight game through three quarters that swung late to the Grizzlies, with Benjamin’s interior scoring and Scott’s timely buckets sealing the franchise’s first victory. For Memphis fans tracing the team’s lineage, this night marks the very first chapter of Grizzlies basketball—years before the franchise relocated to Tennessee and became part of Memphis history and the culture of Beale Street and the wider 901. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/151103022))
Legacy
The franchise moved from Vancouver to Memphis after the 2000–01 season, with NBA owners approving the relocation on July 3, 2001. The Grizzlies debuted in the Bluff City that fall, opening at The Pyramid on November 1, 2001. Those milestones formally linked the team to Memphis, but the club’s competitive identity began with that first win in Portland—a touchstone that connects early beginnings to today’s community‑rooted NBA presence in the Bluff City. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/news/2001/0703/1222036.html?utm_source=openai))
Sources
- ESPN box score: Grizzlies 92–80 Trail Blazers (Nov. 3, 1995)
- UPI report: “Grizzlies 92, Blazers 80” (Nov. 4, 1995)
- Associated Press via ESPN: NBA owners approve Grizzlies’ move to Memphis (July 3, 2001)
- NBA.com History: This Date in the NBA – July 3, 2001 (Grizzlies relocation approved)
- UPI: Detroit 90, Memphis 80 (Grizzlies’ first Memphis home game, Nov. 1, 2001)
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