The six-year experiment with the professional game in Vancouver ended on a sour note as Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley took his time negotiating with several cities before making true on his desire to relocate the franchise to Memphis.

 The departure was met with the token resistance from hardcore fans, but in reality, the team's history of losing and the lack of local ownership groups had alienated Vancouver sports fans.

 The loss of the Grizzlies, one of two Canadian NBA teams, could have been the start of a year-long death watch as speculation swelled that Carter would not re-sign with the Toronto Raptors.

 But the winter dreads gave way to a summer of optimism when Carter surprised team general manager Glen Grunwald by expressing a desire to get a contract extension signed.

 On a hot August afternoon, Carter, dressed in a breezy grey silk suit and a wide smile, announced he'd signed a six-year contract extension with the Toronto Raptors, worth as much as $94 million US. Carter's career has been punctuated with thunderous dunks and breathtaking leaps that seemingly arise from nowhere, and leave behind a chorus of thunderous applause.

 Even in contract negotiations, Carter showed a flair for the dramatic.

 "I could make millions of dollars somewhere else and not be happy," Carter said that day. "That's what it's about, being happy. The money is always going to be there. It was all about happiness, I like to live my life happy."

 On the heels of the Raptors' most successful season -- the team lost by a point to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, Grunwald spent more than $140 million US in an off-season signing spree. Grunwald signed Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams, and Carter, then nabbed one of the greatest centres in NBA history in Hakeem (the Dream) Olajuwon in a sign-and-trade deal.

 "I really am speechless," said a giddy Grunwald, at the news conference to announce Carter's signing -- the pen Carter used subsequently sold for $3,600 Cdn in an on-line auction. "I don't think words can convey what a great day this is for the franchise and for the city."

 Canadian men's basketball coach Jay Triano said it was difficult to put the significance of Carter's contract extension into words.

 "If he'd left, man, who knows what would have happened to pro basketball in Canada?" asked Triano.

 Far from wallowing in Canada, as critics predicted, the high-flying Carter's popularity continues to soar. After the first ballot count for the upcoming NBA all-star game, Carter is the No. 1 vote-getter for the third straight year.

 And the Raptors can boast the second-high season's ticket base in the NBA.

 But it wasn't just American-born players who saw their popularity bloom.

 Nash, the pride of Victoria, was a key cog in the Dallas Mavericks' ascension to one of the NBA's most exciting teams. The point guard also led the Canadian team to a berth in this summer's world championships in Indianapolis.

 And Winnipeg native Todd MacCulloch is thriving with the New Jersey Nets, after signing a six-year, $33.75-million US contract with the team as a free agent in the off-season. A bit player last year with the Philadelphia 76ers, the 27-year-old seven-footer is the Nets starting centre.

 "Things are going pretty well," said MacCulloch. "I'm enjoying the bigger role. I enjoy being a bigger part of things, and I'm very glad I'm helping the team be successful."

 Canadian women were also making basketball headlines. Tammy Sutton-Brown of Markham, Ont., led the Charlotte Sting to the WNBA final, going up against Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks, one of the greatest names in the women's game. Sutton-Brown, the third Canadian to play in the WNBA, scored a team-high 12 points in the championship game, losing 82-54 to the Sparks.

 And Stacey Dales of Brockville, Ont., earned NCAA all-American honours as a junior with the University of Oklahoma, and is a sure bet to be drafted into the WNBA next season.

 "She's the real deal, top to bottom," said Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale. "She has become the personality of Oklahoma women's basketball. She's what we sell."

 The Canadian women's team though, had a disappointing season, falling just short of qualifying for the world championships, losing the deciding game to Argentina on a three-point shot in the dying seconds.

 Head coach Bev Smith resigned after more than 20 decades in the national program. Smith, also head coach of the University of Oregon's women's team, said she was frustrated by the apathy towards amateur athletes in Canada, and the constant struggle for better funding.

 No surprise, Smith was succeeded by former Simon Fraser University coach Allison McNeill, Smith's good friend and her assistant coach with the Ducks.