Francis was drafted #2 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies and he quickly pouted his way back to the United States, drawing the wrath of Canadians everywhere. They should have directed their angst at then-Grizzlies GM Stu Jackson, who cashed Francis in for Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington and a Marcus Banks to be named later.
Nonetheless, there was hostility and they poured it on Francis on November 29, 1999 (see: Recap).
"Oh Canada" became "Francis Sucks!" for much of the game, fans booed him at every turn and some even threw vegetables. Francis responded with 24 points, 10 assists, 9 boards and 0 turnovers. Yes, zero turnovers. That's a far cry from the 6 points-4 turnovers-5 Heinekens Francis we see today.
Digging into the hard drive vault, here are a few clips I uploaded today of the nastiness of that game, including Francis drawing a technical by barking at the bench/fans and Charles Barkley (in vintage form) letting a fan or two hear it:
