Today, the UBC Thunderbirds are the biggest game in town when it comes to basketball in Vancouver. 20 years ago, that wasn't the case.
 
Back in 1995, when the Grizzlies rolled into the Lower Mainland, it was a revelation for the people of B.C.
 
UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball head coach Kevin Hanson remembers it fondly.
 
"It was an unbelievable experience, as cliché as that sounds. Even after the first initial "Wow!" factor of the NBA being in Vancouver, Grizzlies games were a gathering place."
 
T-Birds women's basketball head coach, Deb Huband, took it one step further, noting that the games not only sparked the interest of the city as a whole, but captured the imagination of a younger generation.
 
"It was great for the basketball community to have a team locally - it was a catalyst for the basketball community brought things to a much more personal level. To be able to attend games, meet the athletes, have superstars like Michael Jordan comes to town, all of that helped create personal connections to the sport at grass roots level."
 
As quickly as they arrived, though, the Grizzlies were gone. Despite a couple of individual stars like Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Mike Bibby, the team's mediocre on-court performance wasn't enough for the team to remain in Vancouver, as they eventually moved to Memphis in 2001.
 
Even with the abrupt departure of the Grizzlies, and the hole that they left in the hearts of those die-hard fans, there still remains a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness when it comes to talking about what could have been.
 
"Personally, it would be cool to watch those [NBA stars] on a night-in, night-out basis," said T-Birds forward Conor Morgan. "It'd be awesome to have different superstars come to the city."
 
Hanson summed up the city's feelings towards the game, even after a tumultuous relationship with its only professional franchise.
 
"Vancouver loves basketball."
 
 
That love will be felt in full this weekend, as the Bell NBA All-Star Challenge presented by AIR MILES is making its way across Canada ahead of the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, and on Saturday, January 23, the competition will make its way to UBC's Point Grey campus.
 
Saturday's festivities, culminating with the Thunderbirds men's and women's double-header against the Regina Cougars, will be headlined by an appearance by former Grizzlies icon Shareef Abdur-Rahim, an NBA skills competition, and NBA dancers. The NBA will be rolling out the full big-league experience at War Memorial Gym during the two Thunderbird basketball games, as sponsors Bell, Samsung, BMO, and AIR MILES will be doling out prizes, giveaways amidst a host of interactive exhibits and performances. 
 
This weekend's contests, as well as the Bell NBA All-Star Challenge, serve as another milestone for the Thunderbirds as they make their stretch run to March, when the Blue and Gold will host the CIS Men's Basketball Final 8.
 
Get your tournament packages, and single game tickets, for the CIS Men's Basketball Final 8 now, as the competition is set to take place from March 17-20 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.