The Grizzlies have been recognizing their 30th season as a franchise this season by paying homage to their original Vancouver Grizzlies logo and jerseys throughout the season. Their play-in and playoff clinching experience this season marks their 15th time making postseason play, all occurring in their 24 seasons in Memphis.
The franchise's first six seasons in Vancouver resulted in no seasons with more than 23 wins before moving to Memphis in 2001. After two additional seasons with a max of 28 wins in Memphis, the franchise broke through with a 50-win season and playoff appearance during the 2003 - 2004 season.
Not including the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies will enter their 14th season with a playoff appearance when they face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder today. Let's look back on their history in the playoffs as they begin another run towards the franchise's first-ever NBA championship.
2003-04:1st Round loss (0-4)
The Grizzlies entered their first playoff appearance as the number six seed against the third seed and defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Their first appearance was cut short with a sweep, and only one game was within single digits.
2004-05: 1st Round loss (0-4)
The following season, the Grizzlies returned to the playoffs as an eighth seed against the number one seed Phoenix Suns, which resulted in another sweep.
2005-06: 1st Round loss (0-4)
The Grizzlies secured a third straight playoff appearance, this time as a number five seed. They faced the fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks and were swept again by the eventual NBA Finals participant.
2010-11: 2nd Round loss (7-6)
After missing the playoffs for four straight seasons, the Grizzlies returned as an eight seed with a new regime. After failing to secure a playoff victory in the previous three appearances, the Grizzlies stole game one against the top-seeded Spurs before upsetting them in the first round 4-2. They took the fourth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round before being eliminated.
2011-12: 1st Round loss (3-4)
In the four vs five seed matchup, the Grizzlies faced the Los Angeles Clippers in an entertaining series. Memphis lost game one at home after leading by as many as 27 points and attempted a 3-1 comeback before falling to the Clippers at home again in game seven.
2012-13: Western Conference Finals loss (8-7)
In the Grizzlies' most successful playoff run, they avenged their two previous playoff series losses to the Clippers in the first round (4-2) and the Thunder in the second round (4-1). However, the Spurs avenged their upset loss to the Grizzlies from two years prior with a sweep in the Western Conference Finals.
2013-14: 1st Round loss (3-4)
The seventh-seeded Grizzlies took the second-seeded Thunder to the brink before a suspension to Zach Randolph in game seven was too much to overcome.
2014-15: 2nd Round loss (6-5)
In what is widely considered the Grizzlies' best team during the Grint 'N' Grind era, they defeated the fourth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round 4-1. They followed it by taking a 2-1 lead over the top-seeded Golden State Warriors in the second round before losing to the eventual NBA champions 4-2.
2015-16: 1st Round loss (0-4)
The Spurs' dominance over the Grizzlies continued with another sweep over a Grizzlies team that limped into the playoffs with a plethora of injuries as a seventh seed.
2016-17: 1st Round loss (2-4)
The seventh-seeded Grizzlies were competitive with the Spurs in their last playoff appearance in the Grit 'N' Grind era before losing in six games.
2020-21: 1st Round loss (1-4)
A young Grizzlies team led by Ja Morant upset the Warriors in the NBA's first season of the play-in tournament to face the number one-seeded Utah Jazz and former point guard Mike Conley Jr. They stole game one before falling to the Jazz in five games.
2021-22: 2nd Round loss (6-6)
A surprise rise to the two seed was in store for the Grizzlies, and they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round 4-2. What followed was a different era of the Grizzlies facing the eventual champion Warriors in the second round, whom they lost to in six games.
2022:-23 1st Round loss (2-4)
The Grizzlies entered the playoffs with a short-handed frontcourt that became too much to overcome as they lost to LeBron James and the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round 4-2.