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Portland Trail Blazers

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2007-08 Portland Trail Blazers season
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers logo
Conference Western Conference
Division Northwest Division
Founded 1970
History Portland Trail Blazers
1970-present
Arena Rose Garden Arena
City Portland, Oregon
Team colors Red, black, silver, and white
Owner Paul Allen
General manager Kevin Pritchard
Head coach Nate McMillan
NBA D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede
Championships 1 (1977)
Conference titles 3 (1977, 1990, 1992)
Division titles 4 (1978, 1991, 1992, 1999)

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise, based in Portland throughout its existence, entered the league in 1970, and is currently the only major league franchise in the state of Oregon. From 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American professional sports.[1] They originally played their home games in the Memorial Coliseum, before moving to the Rose Garden Arena in 1995. The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA Championship once, in 1977. The team also advanced to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.[2] The team has qualified for the playoffs during 25 seasons of their 36-season existence, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003.[3] Four Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, and Drazen Petrovic)[4], as well as one player (Scottie Pippen) who was recognized as one of the league's 50 greatest but who is not yet eligible for the Hall. Bill Walton is the franchise's most decorated player; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1977, and the regular season MVP the following year.[2][5] Three Blazer rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, and Brandon Roy) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Two Hall of Fame coaches, Lenny Wilkens and Jack Ramsay, have patrolled the sidelines for the Blazers, and two others (Mike Schuler and Mike Dunleavy) have won the NBA Coach of the Year award with the team.[4]

The team owner is Paul Allen, who purchased the team in 1988. The team president is Larry Miller, and the general manager is Kevin Pritchard. The head coach of the Trail Blazers is Nate McMillan.[6] The team's NBDL affiliate is the Idaho Stampede.[7]

Contents

Name and branding

Trail Blazers logo from 1970-1991.
Trail Blazers logo from 1970-1991.[8]
TrailBlazers logo from 1991-2002.
TrailBlazers logo from 1991-2002.[8]
Trail Blazers logo for 2002-03 season.
Trail Blazers logo for 2002-03 season.[8]

The team has been known as the "Trail Blazers" throughout its history. Two weeks after being awarded an expansion franchise in 1970, team management held a contest to select the team's name. More than 10,000 entries were submitted. The most popular choice was "Pioneers", but that name was excluded from consideration as it was already used by sports teams at Portland's Lewis and Clark College. The name "Trail Blazers" received 172 entries, and that was the name that was selected.[8] The team's colors are red, white, black; silver was added in 2002.[9] The team's "pinwheel" logo, originally designed by the cousin of former Blazer executive Harry Glickman, is a graphic interpretation of two five-on-five basketball teams lined up against each other. One side of the pinwheel is rendered in red; the other side is rendered in a monochrome color (black, silver, or white). The logo has gone from a vertical alignment to a slanted one over time.[8] Portland's home uniforms are white in color, with red and black accents; the primary road uniform is black, with red, white, and sliver accents. The alternate road uniforms are red, with white, silver, and black accents. From 1970 to the 1977-78 season, the team wore red road uniforms, switching to black in that year. The team again wore red during the 1984-85 season, switching back to black road jerseys after that. In 2002, the team reintroduced red jerseys. [9] The team's mascot is Blaze the Trail Cat, a two-tone silver-colored mountain lion,[10] which has been the team's official mascot since 2002.[11] Prior to Blaze's debut, the Trail Blazers never had any official mascot. A popular unofficial mascot was Bill "The Beerman" Scott, a Seattle beer vendor/cheerleader who worked for numerous pro teams, including the Trail Blazers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Seattle Mariners. Scott worked for the Trail Blazers from 1981 through 1985.[12]

History

Main article: History of the Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers entered the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team, playing in the Memorial Coliseum. The team was led in its early years by charismatic players such as Geoff Petrie and Sidney Wicks, but as is common with expansion teams, were not successful. The Blazers failed to qualify for the NBA postseason in their first six years of existence. During that span, the team had three head coaches (including future hall-of-famer Lenny Wilkens); team executive Stu Inman also served as coach.[13] The team won the first pick in the NBA Draft twice during that span; the 1972 selection of LaRue Martin with the number one pick is considered by many NBA observers one of the worst draft picks in NBA history.[14] However, in 1974 the team selected Bill Walton from UCLA; a pick that would reverse the team's direction.

Championship

Main article: 1977 NBA Finals

In 1976, the American Basketball Association merged with the NBA. Four ABA teams joined the NBA; the remaining teams were dissolved and their players distributed among the remaining NBA squads in a dispersal draft. The Trail Blazers selected Maurice Lucas in the dispersal draft;[15] that summer they also hired Jack Ramsay as head coach. The two moves, coupled with the emergence of Walton as a premier NBA big man, led the team to its first winning record (49—33), its first playoff appearance, and its only NBA Championship in 1977.[2] On April 5 of that year, the team failed to sell out a game, after which they would embark on a sellout streak of 809 straight games--the longest in sports history--which would not end until 1995, after the team moved into a larger facility.[1] The team started the next season with a 50-10 record, and many predicted a dynasty in Portland, but it was not to be. Walton suffered a foot injury which ended his season and would plague his entire career, and the team struggled to a 58-24 record, losing to the Seattle Supersonics in the conference semifinals.[16] That summer, Bill Walton demanded a trade; when none was forthcoming he held out the entire 1978-1979 season and left the team as a free agent thereafter.[17] Maurice Lucas would leave the team in 1980, and the Blazers "dynasty" was finished.

The 1980s

During the 1980s, the team would be a consistent presence in the NBA post-season, only once failing to qualify for the playoffs (in 1982). However, they would never advance past the conference semifinals during the decade.[18] The Pacific Division of the NBA was owned by the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the decade, and only the Lakers and the Houston Rockets would represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Key players for the team during the early 80s included Mychal Thompson, Fat Lever, Darnell Valentine, Wayne Cooper, T. R. Dunn, Jim Paxson, and Calvin Natt. But the off-seasons of 1983 and 1984 would be instrumental in defining the future success (and failure of) the team into the next decade. In 1983, the team selected University of Houston guard/forward Clyde Drexler with the 13th pick in the draft[19]; "Clyde the Glide" would become the face of the franchise for over a decade, and the team's most decorated player with the exception of Walton.[20] The following year, the Trail Blazers landed the #2 pick in the NBA Draft. After the Houston Rockets selected Drexler's college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon, known at that time as Akeem Olajuwon, at #1, the Trail Blazers selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie. Drafting third, the Chicago Bulls would select Michael Jordan. Many sportswriters and analysts have criticized the selection of the injury-plagued Bowie over Jordan as the worst draft pick in the history of American professional sports.[14][21] That summer, the Blazers also made a controversial trade, sending Lever, Cooper, and Natt to the Denver Nuggets for high-scoring forward Kiki Vandeweghe.[22] However, the Blazers continued to struggle in the post-season, and in 1986 Ramsay would be fired and replaced with Mike Schuler.[13] That off-season, the team would draft two players from behind the Iron Curtain, Arvydas Sabonis and Drazen Petrovic.[19], and send Thompson to the San Antonio Spurs for former Oregon State University star Steve Johnson, a high-scoring forward-center who the team intended to pair with Bowie on the frontline. It was not to be, as Bowie broke his leg five games into the 1986-87 season, and would miss the next two and a half seasons.[23][24] During Schuler's brief tenure, the Blazers failed to advance out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.[18]

Paul Allen buys the team

In 1988, the team was purchased by billionaire Paul Allen[25]. His first season as owner was one marked by turmoil, as conflicts over who should start erupted at several positions. Both Kiki Vandeweghe and Steve Johnson suffered injuries and were replaced in the starting lineup by Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth respectively, and several players, most notably Clyde Drexler was accused of undermining Schuler[26] The team struggled to a losing record and appeared in danger of missing the playoffs. Schuler was fired[27] and replaced on an interim basis with assistant coach Rick Adelman, and Vandeweghe was traded to the New York Knicks.[28] Under Aldeman, the team rallied to a 39-43 record, barely qualifying for the playoffs. That offseason, the team traded Sam Bowie (who had returned to the team to end the season) to the New Jersey Nets for forward Buck Williams, and Adelman was given the coaching job on a non-interim basis.[13] The addition of Williams, and the replacement of the defensively-challenged Vandeweghe with the defensive-minded Kersey, turned the team from a poor defensive squad into a good one.[29] Led by the charismatic Clyde Drexler, the team would reach the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls respectively. The year in between, the team posted a league-best 63-19 record before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. However, the team failed to win an NBA title; and failed to advance past the first round in 1993 and 1994.[18] Adelman was fired after the 1994 season[30], and replaced with P. J. Carlesimo.[31] Adelman's close friend, executive vice president Geoff Petrie, resigned[32].

The Whitsitt years

In July of 1994, the Trail Blazers announced the hire of a new team president--former Seattle Supersonics GM Bob Whitsitt.[1] Whitsitt immediately set about retooling the Blazers; this included dismantling the Drexler-led team which had twice been to the finals[33], but which was getting long in the tooth. In 1993, Kevin Duckworth was traded to the Washington Bullets for forward Harvey Grant. Several key players were permitted to walk away in free agency, including Buck Williams (1996), Terry Porter (1996), and Cliff Robinson (1997).[34] Jerome Kersey was left unprotected in the 1996 expansion draft.[35] And Drexler himself would request and get a trade to the Rockets.[33] In the fall of 1995, the team left the Memorial Coliseum for a new home, the 20,000-seat Rose Garden.[13] The sellout streak would end in the new building[1]. In an effort to rebuild, the team acquired several players who were highly talented, but had reputations for off-court troubles. Isaiah Rider and Rasheed Wallace were acquired in trades, and point guard Kenny Anderson was signed as a free agent[36], and subsequently traded for Damon Stoudamire.[37] Initially, this approach worked, as the team returned to the Western Conference finals in 1999 under head coach Mike Dunleavy.[13] After being swept by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs, Whitsitt sent Rider and guard Jim Jackson to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Steve Smith, and acquired former All-Star forward Scottie Pippen from the Houston Rockets. This team would again advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they faced a Los Angeles Lakers team led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. In that series, the Blazers dropped 3 out of the first 4 games before winning the next two, forcing a pivotal Game 7. The Blazers had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but lost the game and the series to the Lakers, who would go on to win the first of three titles in a row.[38]

The "Jail Blazers" era

After that failure, the team made a series of personnel moves in the 2000 and 2001 off-seasons which failed to produce the desired results, and continued to alienate the community. Up-and-coming forward Jermaine O'Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Dale Davis, and the team traded popular forward Brian Grant for troubled ex-Seattle forward Shawn Kemp.[39] The team started off well, posting the Western Conference's best record through March of 2001; but then signed guard Rod Strickland to augment their point guard corps.[40] The move backfired, and the team lost 17 of its remaining 25 games, and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.[41] Many in the media began to criticize the team,[42] and Whitsitt, previously proclaimed a genius for his work in both Seattle and Portland, started coming under criticism.[41] A particular criticism was that Whitsitt was attempting to win a title by assembling a roster of superstars, without paying attention to team chemistry;[41] longtime NBA coach and analyst Doug Collins referred to Whitsitt as a "rotisserie-league manager".[40] A fan was ejected from the Rose Garden for holding up a banner that said "Trade Whitsitt"[43], and many in the national media started referring to the team as the "Portland Jail Blazers".[44] That offseason, the churning continued. Dunleavy was fired,[45] and replaced with Maurice Cheeks, a "players coach" who it was thought would relate better to the players than did Dunleavy.[46] More transactions followed, as the Blazers traded Steve Smith to the Spurs for Derek Anderson[39]. In one of his most controversial moves to that time, Whitsitt signed free agent Ruben Patterson, who had previously plead nolo contendre to a felony sexual assault charge, and was required to register as a sex offender.[47] Popular center Arvydas Sabonis, who during the playoffs had a towel flung in his face by Rasheed Wallace[48] decided to leave the team.[49] The next two seasons were just as disastrous for the team's reputation. Numerous players, including Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, and Qyntel Woods, were arrested for marijuana possession. Rasheed Wallace was suspended for seven games for threatening a referee. Zach Randolph and Ruben Patterson got in a fight during practice, with Randolph sucker punching his teammate in the jaw.[50] Police answering a burglar alarm at Stoudamire's house noticed a marijuana smell, searched the premises, and found a pound of cannabis located in a crawlspace;[51] the search was later declared illegal and charges in the matter were dropped.[52] Guard Bonzi Wells famously told Sports Illustrated in a 2002 interview:[53]

they [fans] really don't matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they're still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street.

As a result, fan discontent soared; despite the team continuing to post a winning record, attendance at the Rose Garden started to decline.[43] In the summer of 2003, with attendance declining, the team going nowhere on the court, and an exorbitant payroll, Whitsitt announced that he would leave the team to focus on Paul Allen's other franchise (the Seattle Seahawks). [54]

Downfall; Rose Garden bankruptcy

To replace Whitsitt, the team split his role into two and hired two men. The new general manager was John Nash, a veteran NBA executive[55], and the new team president was Steve Patterson[56]. The new management promised a focus on character while remaining playoff contenders; the team soon published a "Twenty-Five Point Pledge" to fans [57] Troublesome players including Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, and Jeff McInnis were traded away.[13] However, the team failed to qualify for the 2004 NBA playoffs, ending a streak of 21 straight appearances.[3] The following year was marked by more trouble, as the team plummeted to a 27-55 record. The bankruptcy of the Oregon Arena corporation, which resulted in the Rose Garden being owned by a consortium of investment firms, further alienated the fanbase, as did an incident in which forward Darius Miles (himself African-American) called coach Maurice Cheeks a "nigger".[58] The latter incident was compounded by what many viewed as inadquate discipline for Miles, followed by a secret agreement between the team and Miles to refund the amount of his fine.[58] Cheeks would be fired that season and was replaced on an interim basis by director of player-personnel Kevin Pritchard.[59] That summer, the team would hire Nate McMillan, who had coached the Sonics the prior season, to replace Cheeks.[60] The following season was not better, as the Blazers posted a league-worst 21-61 record.[61] Attendance was dismal, and the year was not free of player incidents, as players such as Miles, Ruben Patterson, Zach Randolph, and Sebastian Telfair were involved in either on-court bickering or off-court legal incidents[61]. At the end of the season, GM John Nash would be fired, with Patterson assuming the role in addition to his duties as president.[62] In addition, the team had a poor relationship with the management of the Rose Garden, frequently complaining of a "broken economic model".[63] It was widely speculated by the end of the year that Allen would sell the team; and the team was offered for sale that summer, with several groups expressing interest.[64] However, Allen was willing to spend money and urged Pritchard to make draft-day trades. He subsequently took the team off the market..[65]

Rebirth in 2007

In the spring of 2007, Paul Allen entered into an agreement to re-purchase the Rose Garden.[66] Steven Patterson resigned as team president[67] On the court, the team finished with a 32-50 record, an 11 game improvement, and rookie Brandon Roy was name the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year.[68] That summer, Kevin Pritchard was promoted to general manager[69], and former Nike Inc. executive Larry Miller was hired as team president. To top it off, the Blazers won the 2007 NBA Draft Lottery, and selected Ohio State center Greg Oden with the #1 pick in the draft. However, Oden would suffer a pre-season knee injury requiring microfracture surgery; he is expected to miss the entire 2007-08 season.[70] Despite this, the Trail Blazers had a 13-game winning streak that began in early December, resulting in a 13-2 record, an NBA best for the month of December. McMillan would also go on to win NBA Coach of the Month honors and Roy garnered NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks.

Transactions

Main article: List of transactions involving the Portland Trail Blazers

NBA Draft

The Trail Blazers have had the #1 pick in the NBA Draft four times in their history; each time selecting a center. In 1972 the choice was LaRue Martin, Bill Walton was picked in 1974, Mychal Thompson in 1978, and Greg Oden was taken in 2007. Several Blazer picks have been criticized by NBA commentators as particularly unwise:[14]

Other notable players drafted by the team include[19]

Notable trades

On February 9th, 2004 Rasheed Wallace traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Wesley Person for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau. On February 22nd, 2007, Juan Dixon was traded to the Toronto Raptors for Fred Jones.

Notable player signings and departures

Team and player statistics

Season-by-season results

In the team's 36 years of existence, excluding the current season, the Blazers have qualified for the NBA playoffs 25 times. This includes a streak of 21 straight playoff appearances from 1983 through 2003. The team has one NBA title, in 1977, and appeared in the NBA Finals two other times, in 1990 and 1992. The best record posted by the team was 63-19, in 1991; the worst record was 18-64, in the team's second season. Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss %

Season W L  % Playoffs Results
Portland Trail Blazers
1970-71 29 53 .354 Did not make the playoffs
1971-72 18 64 .220 Did not make the playoffs
1972-73 21 61 .256 Did not make the playoffs
1973-74 27 55 .329 Did not make the playoffs
1974-75 38 44 .463 Did not make the playoffs
1975-76 37 45 .451 Did not make the playoffs
1976-77 49 33 .598 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals		 Portland 2, Chicago 1
Portland 4, Denver 2
Portland 4, Los Angeles 0
Portland 4, Philadelphia 2
1977-78 58 24 .707 First round bye (1st seed)
Lost Conference Semifinals		 Seattle 4, Portland 2
1978-79 45 37 .549 Lost First Round Phoenix 2, Portland 1
1979-80 38 44 .463 Lost First Round Seattle 2, Portland 1
1980-81 45 37 .549 Lost First Round Kansas City 2, Portland 1
1981-82 42 40 .512 Did not make the playoffs
1982-83 46 36 .561 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals		 Portland 2, Seattle 0
Los Angeles 4, Portland 1
1983-84 48 38 .585 Lost First Round Phoenix 3, Portland 2
1984-85 42 40 .512 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals		 Portland 3, Dallas 1
Los Angeles 4, Portland 1
1985-86 40 42 .489 Lost First Round Denver 3, Portland 1
1986-87 49 33 .598 Lost First Round Houston 3, Portland 1
1987-88 53 29 .646 Lost First Round Utah 3, Portland 1
1988-89 39 43 .476 Lost First Round Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
1989-90 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals		 Portland 3, Dallas 0
Portland 4, San Antonio 3
Portland 4, Phoenix 2
Detroit 4, Portland 1
1990-91 63 19 .768 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals		 Portland 3, Seattle 2
Portland 4, Utah 1
Los Angeles 4, Portland 2
1991-92 57 25 .695 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals		 Portland 3, Los Angeles 1
Portland 4, Phoenix 1
Portland 4, Utah 2
Chicago 4, Portland 2
1992-93 51 31 .622 Lost First Round San Antonio 3, Portland 1
1993-94 47 35 .573 Lost First Round Houston 3, Portland 1
1994-95 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Phoenix 3, Portland 0
1995-96 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Utah 3, Portland 2
1996-97 49 33 .598 Lost First Round Los Angeles 3, Portland 1
1997-98 46 36 .561 Lost First Round Los Angeles 3, Portland 1
1998-99† 35 15 .700 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals		 Portland 3, Phoenix 0
Portland 4, Utah 2
San Antonio 4, Portland 0
1999-2000 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals		 Portland 3, Minnesota 1
Portland 4, Utah 1
Los Angeles 4, Portland 3
2000-01 50 32 .610 Lost First Round Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
2001-02 49 33 .598 Lost First Round Los Angeles 3, Portland 0
2002-03 50 32 .610 Lost First Round Dallas 4, Portland 3
2003-04 41 41 .500 Did not make the playoffs
2004-05 27 55 .329 Did not make the playoffs
2005-06 21 61 .256 Did not make the playoffs
2006-07 32 50 .390 Did not make the playoffs
2007-08 20 13 .606
Totals 1608 1430 .529    
Playoffs 91 103 .469 1 Championship
  • † Lockout-shortened season (50 games)

League record performances

Several league record performances have been recorded by members of the Trail Blazers or the team as a whole; or against the Trail Blazers by an opponent. A partial list is as follows:

Most blocks in a game / half
Elmore Smith recorded 17 blocks against the Trail Blazers, October 28 1973. That game, he set the record for the most blocks in a half (11); the latter record has since twice been tied.[71]
Fewest points (combined) in the first half of an NBA game
The Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets combined for 55 points in the first half of a game on November 28 2004 (Portland led 30-25).[72]
Largest margin of victory in overtime
The Blazers outscored the Houston Rockets 17-0 during the first (and only) overtime period on January 22 1983[72]
Most games holding an opponent scoreless in overtime
In eight games, a team has been held scoreless in an overtime period; the Trail Blazers are the only NBA team to hold a team scoreless in overtime on two separate occasions.[72]
Most three-point field goals, half
The Trail Blazers made 12 3-pointers against the New Orleans Hornets on January 14, 2005, and allowed the same against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 5 2001. In the latter game, Tim Thomas hit eight 3-pointers in a half, also an NBA record.[73]
Most three-point attempts, game (combined)
The Blazers and the Golden State Warriors combined for 69 3-point attempts on April 15 2005. In that game, Damon Stoudamire of the Blazers attempted 21 three-point shots, also a record.[73]

Players

See also: Category:Portland Trail Blazers players

Current players

The current roster for the Trail Blazers is as follows:[74]

Portland Trail Blazers roster
This box:  •  • edit
Players Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From
F/C 12 Flag of the United States Aldridge, LaMarcus (C) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Texas
PG 2 Flag of the United States Blake, Steve 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 172 lb (78 kg) Maryland
F/C 44 Flag of the United States Frye, Channing 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Arizona
PG 0 Flag of the United States Green, Taurean 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 177 lb (80 kg) Florida
G 1 Flag of the United States Jack, Jarrett 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 197 lb (89 kg) Georgia Tech
G/F 33 Flag of the United States Jones, James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Miami (FL)
C 9 Flag of the United States LaFrentz, Raef 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Kansas
PF 4 Flag of the United States McRoberts, Josh 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Duke
G/F 23 Flag of the United States Miles, Darius (INJ) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 222 lb (101 kg) East St. Louis HS (IL)*
C 52 Flag of the United States Oden, Greg (INJ) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Ohio State
F 25 Flag of the United States Outlaw, Travis 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Starkville HS (MS)*
C 10 Flag of the United States Przybilla, Joel 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Minnesota
PG 11 Flag of Spain Rodríguez, Sergio 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Spain
G 7 Flag of the United States Roy, Brandon (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 229 lb (104 kg) Washington
G/F 8 Flag of the United States Webster, Martell 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 229 lb (104 kg) Seattle Prep HS (WA)*
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (INJ) Injured

Roster • updated 2007-10-30

Current depth chart

Pos. Starter Bench Reserve Inactive
C Joel Przybilla Raef LaFrentz Greg Oden (INJ)
PF LaMarcus Aldridge Channing Frye Josh McRoberts
SF Martell Webster Travis Outlaw Darius Miles (INJ)
SG Brandon Roy James Jones
PG Steve Blake Jarrett Jack Sergio Rodriguez Taurean Green

Player honors

All-Stars and All-Star weekend participants

Members of the Trail Blazers who have been nominated for the NBA All-Star Game at least once while a Blazer include:

Other participants in NBA All-Star Weekend include:

All-NBA Honors

Hall of Fame and Top 50 players

Clyde Drexler.
Clyde Drexler.

Five players who have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as players have played for the Trail Blazers.[4]; as have four players named to the NBA's Top 50 Players:[94]

  • Clyde Drexler. Hall of Fame, Top 50.
  • Drazen Petrovic. Hall of Fame.
  • Bill Walton. Hall of Fame, Top 50.
  • Lenny Wilkens. Hall of Fame (as player), Top 50. Spent two years as head coach of the Blazers in the 1970s, including one year as player-coach. Also name one of the Top 10 coaches--the only person to make both lists.[95]
  • Scottie Pippen. Top 50. Not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame, but considered a likely candidate[96], though some consider him unworthy[97].

Center Arvydas Sabonis is also considered a likely Hall candidate, chiefly for his international career.[96]

Retired numbers

Several players (and others) have had their numbers retired by the team. These are:[4]

Two non-players also have honorary jerseys hanging in the rafters:

  • 1 Larry Weinberg, Team founder-owner, 1970-88. Jersey is honorary, as #1 is still used by team players (currently guard Jarrett Jack).
  • 77 Dr. Jack Ramsay, Head Coach, 1976-86. Number selected in honor of 1976-77 season.

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame

Drexler, Lucas, Petrie, Twardzik, and Walton are members of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Also inducted into the Hall are the 1976-1977 team, and the following Trail Blazers' players:[98]

Front office

The team is ultimately owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen; ownership of the Trail Blazers is via a series of holding companies which Allen owns. Vulcan Inc. is a private corporation which has Allen as chairman and sole shareholder. A subsidiary of Vulcan, Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE), manages Allen's sports-related properties, including the Trail Blazers, the Seattle Seahawks NFL team, and the Rose Garden arena. The president of VSE is Tod Leiweke, who also briefly served as the president of the Trail Blazers.[67] The Trail Blazers as a corporate entity are owned by VSE. Allen serves as the team's chairman, and his longtime associate Bert Kolde is vice-chairman. The current president of the Trail Blazers is Larry Miller. The chief operating officer of the team is Mike Golub,[99] and the team's general manager is Kevin Pritchard.[100] Prior to 1988, when Allen purchased the team, the Trail Blazers were owned by a group of investors headed by Larry Weinberg. People who currently serve, or who have served, in the Trail Blazer management hierarchy include:

Ownership

Year Principal Owner Others Notes
1970-1975 Herman Sarkowsky[101][102] Robert Schmertz (1970-1972)[103]
Larry Weinberg[101]		 Plus other minority owners
1975-1988 Larry Weinberg[101][25] Plus other minority owners
1988-present Paul Allen[104][25] Vice-chair Bert Kolde[105] through Vulcan Sports and Entertainment

Executive management

Year Team President Executive VP/COO Notes
1970-1975 Herman Sarkowsky
1975-1987 Larry Weinberg Harry Glickman
1987-1994 Harry Glickman[106]
1994-1995 Bob Whitsitt/Marshall Glickman[107][108]
1995-2000 Bob Whitsitt[1][54]
2000-2001 Bob Whitsitt Harry Hutt[109][110][111]
2001-2003 Bob Whitsitt Erin Hubert[111][112]
2003-2006 Steve Patterson[56][62][67]
2006-2007 Steve Patterson Mike Golub[99]
2007 Tod Leiweke (interim)[67] Mike Golub
2007– Larry Miller[100] Mike Golub

Basketball operations

Year General Manager VP of Basketball Ops Assistant GM Director of Player-Personnel Notes
1970-1981 Harry Glickman[106] Stu Inman[113][114]
1981-1986 Stu Inman[113]
1986-1989 Jon Spoelstra[115][116] Bucky Buckwalter[117]
1989-1990 Bucky Buckwalter[117] Brad Greenberg[118]
1990-1994 Geoff Petrie[119] Bucky Buckwalter Brad Greenberg Buckwalter won NBA Executive of the Year in 1991
1994-1995 Bob Whitsitt[1][54] Bucky Buckwalter Brad Greenberg
1995-1996 Bob Whitsitt Bucky Buckwalter Jim Paxson[120]
1996-1998 Bob Whitsitt Jim Paxson
1998-2003 Bob Whitsitt Mark Warkentien[121]
2003-2004 John Nash[55][62] Mark Warkentein[121]
2004-2006 John Nash Kevin Pritchard[122]
2006-2007 Steve Patterson[62] Kevin Pritchard
2007 Tod Leiweke (interim)[67] Kevin Pritchard
2007– Kevin Pritchard[69] Tom Penn

Coaching staff

The current head coach of the Trail Blazers is Nate McMillan. Assistant Coaches include Dean Demopoulos (Lead Assistant Coach), Bill Bayno, Maurice Lucas, and Monty Williams. The training and conditioning staff includes Geoff Clark (Assistant Athletic Trainer/Equipment Manager), Jay Jensen (Head Athletic Trainer), Bob Medina, (Strength & Conditioning Coach), and Bradley Weinrich (Director of Basketball Operations) Two former Blazer coaches are in the Hall of Fame for their coaching career[4]:

Two other coaches, Mike Schuler in 1987 and Mike Dunleavy in 1999, have won NBA Coach of the Year awards[4]. The complete list of Trail Blazers' head coaches, and their tenures, is as follows[123]:

Among Trail Blazers' assistants who have served as head coaches elsewhere in the NBA are Dick Harter, Mike D'Antoni, Bill Musselman and Rick Carlisle. Two former UNLV men's basketball coaches, Bill Bayno and Tim Grgurich, have served on the Blazers' coaching staff.

Venue

The Rose Garden Arena, the current home of the Blazers.
The Rose Garden Arena, the current home of the Blazers.

The Trail Blazers play their home games in the Rose Garden, a multipurpose arena which is located in Portland's Rose Quarter, northeast of downtown. The Rose Garden, which opened in 1995, can seat a total of 19,980 spectators for basketball games; capacity increases to 20,580 with standing room.[124] Like the Trail Blazers, the Rose Garden is owned by Paul Allen through subsidiary Vulcan Sports and Entertainment.[125] It is managed by Global Spectrum.[126] During a two-year period between 2005 and 2007, the arena was owned by a consortium of creditors who financed its construction after the Oregon Arena Corporation, a now-defunct holding company owned by Allen, filed for bankruptcy in 2004.[127] Prior to 1995, the Trail Blazers home venue was the Memorial Coliseum, which today stands adjacent to the Rose Garden. This facility, built in 1960, can seat 12,888 spectators[124]

In-game entertainment

The team has a cheerleading/dance squad known as the BlazerDancers. Consisting of 12 members, the all-female BlazerDancers perform dance routines at home games.[128] A junior dance team composed of 8–11 year old girls also performs at selected home games,[129] as does a hip-hop dance troupe.[130] Other regular in-game entertainment acts include an co-educational acrobatic stunt team which performs technically-difficult cheers,[131] a break dancing squad[132], and a pair of percussion acts.[133][134]

Fan support and "Blazermania"

Trail Blazers regular season
attendance figures, 1970-2007[135]
Year Total Average # Games Notes
1970-71 245,383 6,135 41 Inaugural season
1971-72 279,506 6,988 41
1972-73 333,480 8,134 41
1973-74 327,495 7,988 41
1974-75 441,506 10,768 41 First season with Bill Walton
1975-76 413,992 10,097 41
1976-77 499,302 12,178 41 Won NBA title. Sellout streak starts
1977-78 519,306 12,666 41
1978-79 519,306 12,666 41
1979-80 519,306 12,666 41
1980-81 519,306 12,666 41
1981-82 519,306 12,666 41
1982-83 519,306 12,666 41
1983-84 519,306 12,666 41
1984-85 519,306 12,666 41
1985-86 519,306 12,666 41
1986-87 519,306 12,666 41
1987-88 519,306 12,666 41
1988-89 527,008 12,854 41 Seating added to Memorial Coliseum
1989-90 528,244 12,884 41 Advanced to NBA Finals
1990-91 528,244 12,884 41 Won Pacific Division
1991-92 528,408 12,888 41 Advanced to NBA Finals
1992-93 528,408 12,888 41
1993-94 528,408 12,888 41
1994-95 529,759 12,921 41 Includes attendance for one game played in Yokohama, Japan[136]
1995-96 850,338 20,740 41 First season in Rose Garden; Sellout streak ends
1996-97 852,799 20,800 41
1997-98 843,647 20,577 41
1998-99 486,556 19,462 25 Lockout-shortened season; Advance to Western Finals
1999-00 835,078 20,368 41 Advance to Western Finals
2000-01 831,376 20,277 41
2001-02 797,821 19,459 41
2002-03 796,258 19,421 41
2003-04 684,038 16,684 41 No playoffs
2004-05 680,374 16,594 41 No playoffs; RG Bankruptcy filed
2005-06 617,199 15,053 41 No playoffs; NBA's worst record (21-61)
2006-07 670,778 16,360 41 No playoffs
2007-08 253,289 18,092 14 Current season in progress

The relationship between the team and its fans, commonly known as "Blazermania", has been well-chronicled. The Trail Blazers have long been one of the NBA's top draws, with the exception of two periods in the team's history. The team drew poorly during its first four seasons of existence, failing to average more than 10,000 spectators per game. Attendance increased in 1974, when the team drafted Bill Walton.[137] The phenomenon known as Blazermania started during the 1976-1977 season, when the team would post its first winning record, make its first playoff appearnce—and capture its only NBA title, defeating the heavily-favored Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals; the team has been wildly popular in Portland since that time. [138][17] That season, the team started their famous sellout streak which would continue until the team moved into the Rose Garden in 1995.[1] The team continued to average over 19,000 spectators per game until the 2003-04 season. Attendance declined significantly in the 2003-04 season, as the team continued to suffer image problems due to the "Jail Blazer" reputation it had gained, and was no longer competitive on the court[43]. Writing for the New York Times, NBA columnist Chris Broussard remarked that Blazermania was "dead"[139] A series of management miscues, including the Rose Garden arena bankruptcy took a further toll on attendance, and the team posted two straight seasons with less than thirty wins, including a 21-61 campaign in the 2005-06 season, the worst in the NBA.[140] After drafting eventual Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy in 2006, attendance climbed a bit in the 2006-07 season, as the team was more competitive and posted a 32-50 record. Many expect that the selection of Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Draft will cause attendance to increase. [141] Prior to his season-ending knee surgery, season ticket sales were markedly up. Even with Oden on crutches on the sideline, the team's 2007-08 home opener, a 93–90 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, was a sellout.[142]

The Trail Blazers and the media

Television and radio broadcast

Like all NBA franchises, games of the Trail Blazers are routinely broadcast via television and radio. The team was one of the first in the NBA to produce its own television broadcasts,[143]. The team's television production facility is known as Post-Up Productions. Television broadcast of Blazer games, when not carried on a national network, are broadcast in one of two forms:

  • On the Blazers Television Network, a network of four over-the-air television stations located in Oregon. The flagship station of the network is KGW-TV in Portland.[144]
  • Via Comcast SportsNet, a cable channel.[144]

For the '07-'08 season , all but 6 regular season games are to be carried on one these networks; the other six are to be broadcast nationally on TNT. Thirty-four games are to be produced and broadcast in HDTV.[144] Radio broadcast of the team's games are carried on the Trail Blazers radio network, a network consisting of 25 stations located in the Pacific Northwest. The flagship station of the Blazers' radion network is KXL (AM 750), a Portland news/talk station owned by Paul Allen. All Trail Blazer games are broadcast over the radio. Radio broadcasts of games are preceded by a pre-game analysis show, Blazers Courtside, and followed by a post-game show known as The 5th Quarter.[144]

Personalities

The current media personalities for the Trail Blazers include television play-by-play announcer Mike Barrett and analyst Mike Rice. Tony Luftman serves as studio host; Rebecca Haarlow as sideline reporter, and former Trail Blazers' player Michael Holton is studio analyst. The radio broadcasting team consists of play-by-play announcer Brian Wheeler, analyst Antonio Harvey, and studio host Jay Allen.[144] [145] The team is also known for its long association with Steve "Snapper" Jones, who played for the team prior to his career as a television analyst; Jones departed the franchise in 2005[146] The original radio announcer for the team was Bill Schonely, who served as the team's radio play-by-play announcer from 1970 until his retirement in 1998, and who remains with the team in a community ambassador role.[147]

Criticism

Trail Blazers broadcasts have been criticized on several fronts. The broadcast personalities, all of whom are Trail Blazers employees, have been criticized in the media for being "homers"; further it has been alleged that the 2005 departure of Steve Jones was due in part to team displeasure with Jones' sometimes frank analysis of the team's on-court performance and off-court decisions.[148] A television deal signed with Comcast SportsNet in 2007 has also been criticized for not ensuring access to Blazer games via satellite television providers such as DirecTv and Dish Network, both of which compete with Comcast's cable television operations.[149]

Online presence

The team maintains a website located in the nba.com namespace, at www.nba.com/blazers[150].

Press relations

Several local news outlets provide in-depth coverage of the Trail Blazers. Chief among them is The Oregonian, the largest paper in the state of Oregon. Other newspapers providing detailed coverage of the team (including the assignment of beat writers to cover the team) include the Portland Tribune, a bi-weekly Portland paper, and the Vancouver, Washington Columbian. Notable local journalists to cover the team include John Canzano and Jason Quick of the Oregonian and Dwight Jaynes of the Portland Tribune. Online coverage of the Oregonian is provided through oregonlive.com[151], a website collaboration between the paper and Advance Internet.[152] In addition to making Oregonian content available, oregonlive.com hosts several blogs covering the team written by Oregonian journalists[153][154], as well as an additional blog, "Blazers Blog", written by Casey Holdahl.[155]

Trail Blazers vs. The Oregonian

Relations between the team and The Oregonian have often been tense; the paper is editorially independent of the team and is often critical. During the Steve Patterson era, relations between the two institutions became increasingly hostile; several NBA executives told ESPN's Chris Sheridan that the situation was the "most dysfunctional media-team relationship" that they could recall.[156] Much of the hostility started after an incident in which forward Darius Miles called coach Maurice Cheeks an ethnic slur in 2005, and was suspended for two games, an amount many fans considered to be insufficient[157] A proposed agreement was negotiated behind-the-scenes between the team and the player to refund much of his fine provided he drop appeals to the players' union. Details of this agreement were leaked to Oregonian columnist John Canzano[158], who reported the existence of the agreement in his column, criticizing the team for its apparent duplicity.[159] The Trail Blazers denied that such an agreement was in the works, at which point the paper published the leaked memo online;[156] the team would later claim that the memo came from Miles' agent.[157] The relationship between the paper and the team continued to deteriorate over the following year.[156] In May 2006, the team instituted a new policy requiring that it be permitted to record all interviews of team players and staff, including the right to post transcripts or recordings on the team website. [160] Prior to the 2006 NBA Draft, a group of reporters was invited to a pre-draft workout the team was holding. During a portion of the workout which was closed to the media, Oregonian reporter looked through a curtain separating the press from the workout, and observed Gonzaga University star Adam Morrison, then considered a likely draft prospect for the team, playing poorly; he wrote about this on his blog.[161] The team was outraged, and published a scathing criticism of Quick on its website; closing subsequent practices to the press altogether.[162] John Canzano responded with outrage on this blog, called the team "paranoid", and referred to Art Sasse, the Blazers' VP of communications, as a "henchman" and "Steve Patterson's personal bootlicker".[163] Henry Abbott of ESPN blog TrueHoop commented that the team had gone "off the deep end", nothing that "[t]here has never been a team of any kind, in the history of eternity, that won over the public while declaring war on the reporters covering the team."[164] In November 2006, the Oregonian commissioned an outside editor, Craig Lancaster of the San Jose Mercury-News, to investigate the deteriorating relationship between the paper and the team's management,[165] a move the rival Willamette Week called "unusual"[166] In the report[167], Lancaster criticized both sides somewhat, but did not make any revelations which were unexpected.[166]. Canzano referred to the piece as "ill conceived" and a "waste of space"; the team found the article unsatisfying as well.[166]

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External links

Preceded by
Boston Celtics
1976		 NBA Champions
Portland Trail Blazers
1977		 Succeeded by
Washington Bullets
1978
 This box:  •  • edit National Basketball Association (2007-08)
Eastern Conference Western Conference
Atlantic Central Southeast Northwest Pacific Southwest
Boston Celtics Chicago Bulls Atlanta Hawks Denver Nuggets Golden State Warriors Dallas Mavericks
New Jersey Nets Cleveland Cavaliers Charlotte Bobcats Minnesota Timberwolves Los Angeles Clippers Houston Rockets
New York Knicks Detroit Pistons Miami Heat Portland Trail Blazers Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies
Philadelphia 76ers Indiana Pacers Orlando Magic Seattle SuperSonics Phoenix Suns New Orleans Hornets
Toronto Raptors Milwaukee Bucks Washington Wizards Utah Jazz Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs
Annual events: Playoffs · Finals · All-Star Game · Weekend · Rookie Challenge · Three-point Shootout · Skills · Shooting Stars · Slam Dunk · Draft
Other: Current team rosters · Midwest Division · Dress code · Salary Cap · Arenas · D-League · WNBA (Finals) · Europe Live Tour · Larry O'Brien Trophy · Finals MVP · 50 Greatest Players
 •  • e
Portland Trail Blazers 1976-77 NBA Champions

10 Calhoun | 16 Davis | 3 Gilliam | 30 Gross | 14 Hollins | 34 Jones | 20 Lucas | 36 Neal | 15 Steele | 13 Twardzik | 42 Walker | 32 Walton (Finals MVP)
Coach Ramsay
 •  • e
Sports teams based in Oregon
Baseball PCL: Portland Beavers, NWL: Eugene Emeralds · Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Basketball NBA: Portland Trail Blazers, IBL: Portland Chinooks · Salem Stampede · Eugene Chargers · Central Oregon Hotshots
Hockey WHL: Portland Winter Hawks, NPHL: Eugene Generals · Rogue Valley Wranglers
Soccer USL-1: Portland Timbers, PDL: Cascade Surge
Lacrosse NLL: Portland LumberJax
University athletics University of Oregon · Oregon State University  · Portland State University · University of Portland

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Portland Trail Blazers from Wíkipedia. ©2006 by Wíkipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. View a list of authors or edit this article.

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