Portland Trail Blazers

• 1. Franchise Inception And Naming

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  On the 6th of February 1970, the NBA board of governors granted Harry Glickman the rights to a franchise in Portland. This decision followed years of effort by the sports promoter who had proposed expansion teams as far back as 1955. The Memorial Coliseum opened in 1960 provided the necessary venue for professional basketball. To secure the $3.7 million admission tax required for entry, Glickman partnered with real estate magnates Robert Schmertz, Larry Weinberg, and Herman Sarkowsky. Two weeks after receiving league approval, management held a public contest to select the team's name. Over 10,000 entries poured into the selection process. While "Pioneers" was the most popular choice, it was excluded because Lewis & Clark College already used that name for their sports teams. The winning entry received exactly 172 votes from the judging panel. On March 13, during halftime of a SuperSonics game at the Memorial Coliseum, the name "Trail Blazers" was officially revealed. Glickman stated the name reflected both the ruggedness of the Pacific Northwest and the start of a major league era in Oregon. Despite initial mixed reactions, the moniker became deeply embedded in local culture.

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• 2. The Bill Walton Championship Era

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  In 1974, the Trail Blazers selected number one pick Bill Walton from UCLA. That same summer, they hired Jack Ramsay as head coach. The ABA, NBA merger of 1976 saw four rival leagues join forces, distributing players among remaining squads. Maurice Lucas joined Portland through this dispersal draft. In his first season leading the team, Ramsay guided them to their first playoff berth and eventually an NBA championship in 1977. Starting April 5 of that year, the franchise began a sellout streak of 814 straight games. This record stood as the longest in American major professional sports history until 1995. Walton earned NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honors after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers. He also won the regular season MVP award the following year. The team started the 1977, 78 season with a 50, 10 mark before Walton suffered a foot injury ending his campaign. He held out the entire 1978, 79 season and left as a free agent thereafter. Maurice Lucas departed in 1980, dismantling much of the championship core.

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• 3. Clyde Drexler Dynasty And Finals Runs

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  In the 1983 draft, the Trail Blazers selected University of Houston guard-forward Clyde Drexler with the 14th pick. Two years later, they made a controversial choice by selecting Kentucky center Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan at number two overall. That summer, Portland traded Fat Lever, Wayne Cooper, and Calvin Natt to the Denver Nuggets for Kiki Vandeweghe. In 1985, the team drafted point guard Terry Porter with the last pick of the first round. Porter became the franchise's all-time leader in assists. Despite early struggles, the roster evolved into a competitive unit under coach Mike Schuler. They reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and again in 1992, losing to Detroit and Chicago respectively. During their 1990 Finals run, the team recorded songs titled "Bust a Bucket" and "Rip City Rhapsody." A heartbreaker occurred in game six against the Lakers when Cliff Robinson dropped a pass under the basket. Terry Porter then missed a wide-open 20-footer in the final seconds. The sellout streak ended after moving to the Rose Garden Arena in fall 1995. Drexler requested a trade and was sent to the Houston Rockets in July 1994.

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• 4. Paul Allen Ownership And The Jail Blazers Scandal

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  In 1988, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen purchased the Trail Blazers for $70 million. At age 35, he became the youngest owner in Big Four professional sports history. By the 2000, 2001 season, media outlets began calling the team "The Jail Blazers" due to player criminal activity. Shawn Kemp checked himself into rehab for cocaine use in April 2001. Free agent Ruben Patterson had previously pleaded no contest to a felony sexual assault charge. In 2002, police found a pound of cannabis in Damon Stoudamire's crawlspace during an illegal search. Zach Randolph and Patterson fought in the locker room, fracturing Patterson's left eye socket. Qyntel Woods pleaded guilty to first-degree animal abuse for staging dog fights involving his pit bull named Hollywood. Guard Bonzi Wells told Sports Illustrated that fans did not matter to them despite booing. Wells received a $50,000 fine from the franchise for those comments. Attendance declined steadily alongside the team's reputation by summer 2003. General manager Bob Whitsitt resigned to focus on Paul Allen's Seattle Seahawks.

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• 5. The Damian Lillard Renaissance And Trades

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  On the 28th of June 2012, the Trail Blazers selected Weber State guard Damian Lillard with the sixth pick overall. He was unanimously chosen as NBA Rookie of the Year following the 2012, 13 season. The team finished 54, 28 in 2013, 14, securing the fifth seed in the playoffs. A series against the Houston Rockets went six games before Lillard hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining. This moment became known as "Rip City Revival." In December 2013, LaMarcus Aldridge recorded 31 points and 25 rebounds against the Rockets. On the 21st of April 2018, Portland lost to New Orleans in a four-game sweep. They reached the Western Conference Finals in 2019 but were swept by Golden State. Following a first-round loss to Denver in May 2021, head coach Terry Stotts parted ways with the organization. Chauncey Billups was hired as the next head coach. On the 8th of February 2022, CJ McCollum was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Lillard requested a trade on the 1st of July 2023. By the 27th of September 2023, he had been sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Jrue Holiday and others.

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• 6. Venues And Branding Evolution

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  The team played home games at the Memorial Coliseum until moving to the Rose Garden in 1995. The new arena opened that fall with seating capacity of 19,980 spectators. It was renamed Moda Center in August 2013 following a $4 million agreement with Moda Health Corporation. Prior to 1995, the Memorial Coliseum seated 12,888 people for basketball. The original pinwheel logo featured red and black sides representing opposing teams. Initial uniforms displayed white at home and red on the road from 1970 through 1975. A diagonal sash appeared on jerseys after their 1977 championship victory. In 1991, the design shifted to uppercase letters with drop shadows. Silver accents were added during the 2002, 03 rebrand. The mascot Blaze the Trail Cat replaced Bigfoot in 2002 after the latter caused controversy in March 1989. Bill "The Beerman" Scott worked as an unofficial cheerleader from 1981 through 1985. On the 22nd of March 1989, Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson protested Bigfoot's antics involving a model bridge.

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