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People and Pop Culture

Former Grizzlies Owner Heisley Passes Away Due To Complications From Stroke

Former Grizzlies Owner MICHAEL HEISLEY died Saturday afternoon at the age of 77 following "complications from a massive stroke he suffered nearly 15 months ago," according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. Heisley moved the Grizzlies to Memphis from Vancouver in '01. He paid $160M for the team in '00 and sold the franchise to current team Owner ROBERT PERA in '12. Pera's group "purchased the Grizzlies" for $377M. Stability "was never an issue with the franchise under Heisley," who was known for "being a passionate, no-holds-barred personality." He "regularly stated that his declining health was a major reason for wanting to sell" the team. Grizzlies GM CHRIS WALLACE: "Mike Heisley was as tough and strong-willed a person as I have ever met, yet he was also the biggest-hearted." Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN: "He was an amazing man that I looked up to in so many ways. He never looked for credit for anything he did. He will be missed by everyone who knew him" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 4/27). Grizzlies F MARC GASOL said, "I'm really sad, really, really sad. Mr. Heisley was a person that really loved this team. He always cared a lot about us, and we always had a great relationship" (AP, 4/26).

IMPORTANT FIGURE FOR MEMPHIS: NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER noted in addition to moving the Grizzlies to Memphis, Heisley also was responsible for getting FedExForum built. Silver: "He was a longtime friend of the league. He was a wonderful owner, a terrific friend" (THE DAILY). In Memphis, Geoff Calkins writes FedFexForum "wouldn’t have existed without Heisley’s decision to move a basketball team to Memphis." Without Heisley, there "would be no" Grizzlies. Calkins: "This city needed him. It needed his deep pockets, when the team ran annual deficits. It needed his stubbornness ... to get FedExForum built" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 4/28). The NBA in '05 said that the Grizzlies were "in the upper echelon of teams in terms of charitable work," having raised more than $17M in donations and pledges for various charities (N.Y. TIMES, 4/28).

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