Because Vancouver is very close to the Trail Blazers, the match between the two teams is always scheduled early in the season.
In the 1996-1997 season, when Gan Guoyang first returned, the initial game was against the Grizzlies in Vancouver.
At that time, the young Grizzlies were pathetically weak, not even up to NBA level, and seemed fragile as summer ice floes facing the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang.
Three seasons have passed, and the Grizzlies are still struggling in the mire, seemingly sinking even deeper—they never managed to get that superstar who could change the team's fate, which is fatal for a young team.
In contrast, the Toronto Raptors, also in Canada, were lucky enough to get Vince Carter in 1998. This North Carolina "UFO" quickly ignited Toronto's basketball market, the attendance rates soared, and Carter began to be known as the "Canadian Flyer."
With Carter's influence and box office appeal, the Raptors have already secured their position in Toronto.
