Last Updated on April 11, 2024 by Nasir Hanif
In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of the Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Team, the record of the team’s greatest players, and its record of winning NBA Championships. Whether you’re a fan or not, you can appreciate the team’s history, its great players, and team achievements.
Origins of Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Team
The Portland Trail Blazers basketball team is a professional basketball team from the Pacific Northwest. The team was founded in 1970 and has been a member of the National Basketball Association ever since. The franchise was awarded to Portland, Oregon, as part of the NBA’s expansion process. Portland was one of the first teams to be awarded a franchise, and they joined the NBA in 1970.
The Blazers entered the NBA as an expansion team in 1970 and failed to make the playoffs during their first six seasons. They had three head coaches during that time, and three of their star players were traded. Despite this, the team got twice the first pick in the NBA draft. In 1972, they drafted LaRue Martin with the number one pick.
In 1970, the Trail Blazers paid $3.7 million to become a member of the NBA. They joined the league in the same year as the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Geoff Petrie was the team’s star, and they acquired 6’10” LeRoy Ellis in the expansion draft. In 1970, they finished with a 29-53 record. In 1971, they won 18 games, and Sidney Wicks was named Rookie of the Year.
NBA Championships won
The Portland Trail Blazers basketball team won its first NBA Championship 45 years ago. The team had a record of 49-33 entering the postseason. The Blazers had never made it that far in the postseason before that year, and they lost the first two games of the series in Philadelphia. They won the next two games to take a 3-1 series lead, and in Game five in Philadelphia, they beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-game series to win the championship.
The Portland Trail Blazers began the season by going 7-2. However, the team struggled to adjust to a new offensive approach under coach Raymond Felton. The team’s star, LaMarcus Aldridge, was named to his first All-Star Game. The team grew in popularity but also became inconsistent.
The team went through a financial downturn in 2004. Its attendance at the Rose Garden began to dwindle. The team’s parent company, the Oregon Arena Corporation, filed for bankruptcy and was bought by a group of investment firms. The Blazers’ losing records and frequent confrontations with the Portland Police Department led to declining fan interest. However, the team’s fortunes turned around, and the team went on to win two NBA Championships in a row.
Greatest players
There are a few great players on the Portland Trail Blazers. One of them is Clyde Drexler. He has eight All-Star appearances and helped the Blazers reached the NBA Finals in 1992. He was also the first two-guard to go toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan. Despite their excellent matchups, Drexler lost to Jordan in the 1992 Finals.
Kiki Vandeweghe was the offensive force for the Blazers during the 1980s. The 6’8″ power forward was efficient at the rim and was one of the highest-scoring forwards in the league at times. After four years in Denver, he returned to Portland and continued his stellar play. He averaged 24.5 PPG and 11.5 RPG during his first season with the Blazers. His shooting percentage and ability to rebound helped him earn All-Star honors.
Bill Walton is another great player who made the Blazers world-famous. He was the first overall pick in 1974 and helped the team win the NBA Championship in 1977. Walton was also an elite big man in his era and led the league in rebounds and blocks.
Records
The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The team is a member of the National Basketball Association and plays in the Northwest Division. They joined the NBA in 1970 and are one of two major league franchises in Oregon. The Blazers are known for their offensive play and hard-nosed defense.
In the 1980s, the Blazers were among the most consistent teams in the NBA. They only failed to qualify for the playoffs once, in 1982. They were never able to advance beyond the conference semifinals. At that time, the Los Angeles Lakers dominated and represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Some of the Trail Blazers’ most successful players were Billy Ray Bates, Fat Lever, Darnell Valentine, Wayne Cooper, and T. R. Dunn. The Blazers also had two franchise-firsts: Clyde Drexler and Wayne Cooper.
In 1987-88, the Portland Trail Blazers finished with a 52-29 record. In that season, Jim Paxson became the first Trail Blazer to reach the thousand-point mark in a season. In addition, Portland Trail Blazers star pivot Darius Drexler had 2,185 points in the regular season, setting a new club record. The Blazers lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
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