Steve Francis on why he refused to play for the Grizzlies: "I didn't think I was ready to check Kobe Bryant"

Steve Francis was the Vancouver Grizzlies' second pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. However, long before David Stern called his name to the stage, the University of Maryland product let the world know he would not play for the Canadian franchise. As a result, the Grizzlies ended up trading him before the start of the season.

Twenty-five years later, Francis talked to radio legend EZ Street on the Live From the District podcast and explained the real story behind his refusal to play for the Grizzlies.

"For me, being the number two pick, it was a big drama about Steve Francis didn't want to go to Vancouver," he said . "So when you get a chance to look it up, it's a movie we just did two years ago about the 1999 Draft. It's called The Grizzly Truth."

Francis did not want to play for Vancouver

The Grizzly Truth was a 2022 Canadian documentary directed by Kat Jayme. The movie is about the short history of the Vancouver franchise and its abrupt relocation to Memphis.

Part of the documentary was about Francis and why he did not want to play for the organization. And for the first time, the 2000 co-Rookie of the Year opened up to share his side of the story.

"Basically, I just said that I didn't want to go to a franchise, one, that was far away from my family, and two, to play a position that I never played," Francis said. "A lot of players get caught up one or two so me coming out of the University of Maryland, I didn't think that I was ready to check Kobe Bryant at the shooting guard at my size. I didn't think I could check Eddie Jones or Jamal Mashburn, or Isaiah Rider. I'm a point guard, so they had a point guard already, so I was like, 'You know what, man, I'm not going to come.'"

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The Airport incident sealed the deal

Although Francis had valid reasons not to play for Vancouver, he was considering changing his stance and making a U-turn. However, the incident at a Vancouver airport where his small entourage was mistaken for a rap group convinced Steve that he wouldn't play for the Grizzlies .

Francis was shipped to the Houston Rockets before his rookie season in what was the largest trade in NBA history, involving 11 players and three teams. He averaged 18.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Elton Brand.

The Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001. And while Francis still ended up guarding the likes of Kobe, Eddie Jones, and "Monster Mash" in cross-matchups and switches, he thrived playing his natural position in Houston.

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