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The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise entered the NBA in 1970, and is the only major league franchise in Oregon. The Trail Blazers sold out 814 consecutive home games from 1977 through 1995, the longest such streak for American professional sports teams.[1] The team has played their home games at the Rose Garden Arena since the 1995–96 NBA season. The Trail Blazers are owned by Paul Allen, and Kevin Pritchard, a former Trail Blazers head coach, is their general manager.[2][3] Since the team joined the NBA in 1970, it has won one NBA championship, three conference championships, four division championships, and has appeared in the NBA playoffs twenty-six times.[4]

The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA Championship once, in 1977. The other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992.[5] The team has qualified for the playoffs in 25 of their 36 seasons, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 to 2003.[6] Four Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, and Drazen Petrovic),[7] as well as one player (Scottie Pippen) who was recognized as one of the league's 50 greatest but is not yet eligible for the Hall. Bill Walton is the franchise's most decorated player; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1977, and the regular season MVP the following year.[5][8] 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 coached the Blazers, and two others, Mike Schuler and Mike Dunleavy, have won the NBA Coach of the Year award with the team.[7]

The Blazers have set several team and individual league records. They are the only team to have held a team scoreless during overtime on two separate occasions. In a game that went to four overtime periods, the Blazers and the Chicago Bulls combined to commit 87 personal fouls. In another four-overtime game, the Blazers and the Utah Jazz collected a combined 106 defensive rebounds. The Blazers set two records against the Golden State Warriors: the record for combined three-point field-goal attempts by both teams and the record for the most three-point field-goal attempts by one player. This page details the all-time statistics, records, and other achievements pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Individual accomplishments[]

All-Stars and All-Star Weekend participants[]

The NBA All-Star Game is played between the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and the Western Conference All-Star Team; the teams' starters are chosen through fan voting, and the teams' reserves are chosen by NBA teams' coaches.[9] Template:Columns-start

All-Star Game selection
  • Clyde Drexler, ten selections total, eight as a Trail Blazer (1986, 1988–1994).[10]
  • Sidney Wicks, four selections total, all as a Trail Blazer (1972–1975).[11]
  • Maurice Lucas, four selections total, three as a Trail Blazer (1977–1979).[12]
  • Rasheed Wallace, four selections total, two as a Trail Blazer (2000–2001)[13]
  • Brandon Roy, three selections, all as a Blazer (2008–2010)[14]
  • Kevin Duckworth, two selections, both as a Blazer (1989, 1991)[15]
  • Jim Paxson, two selections, both as a Blazer (1983–1984)[16]
  • Geoff Petrie, two selections, both as a Blazer (1971, 1974)[17]
  • Terry Porter, two selections, both as a Blazer (1991, 1993)[18]
  • Bill Walton, two selections, both as a Blazer (1977–1978)[19]
  • Lionel Hollins, one selection as a Blazer (1978)[20]
  • Cliff Robinson, one selection as a Blazer (1994)[21]
  • Kermit Washington, one selection as a Blazer (1980)[22]

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All-Star Weekend participants

Template:Columns-end

NBA awards and honors[]

The NBA presents several annual awards to recognize its teams, players and coaches for their accomplishments. In addition, three honorary teams (All-NBA, All-Rookie, All-Defensive) are formed by voting to honor the best players, best rookies and best defenders respectively.

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Most Valuable Player[8]
Finals Most Valuable Player[28]
  • Bill Walton, 1976–77
Rookie of the Year[29]
Most Improved Player[30]
Sixth Man of the Year[31]
  • Cliff Robinson, 1992–93
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award[32]
  • Terry Porter, 1992–93
  • Chris Dudley, 1995–96
  • Brian Grant, 1998–99
Coach of the Year[33]
  • Mike Schuler, 1986–87
  • Mike Dunleavy, 1998–99

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First Team, All-NBA[34]
Second Team, All-NBA[34]
  • Bill Walton, 1976–77
  • Maurice Lucas, 1977–78
  • Jim Paxson, 1983–84
  • Clyde Drexler, 1987–88, 1990–91
  • Brandon Roy, 2008–09
Third Team, All-NBA[34]
  • Clyde Drexler, 1989–90
  • Brandon Roy, 2009–10

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First Team, All-Defensive[35]
Second Team, All-Defensive[35]
All-Rookie First Team[36]

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European awards and honors[]

European players in the NBA are currently eligible for three prestigious continent-wide awards for their performances with their club and national teams:

  • Mr. Europa, awarded since 1976 by the Italian weekly magazine Superbasket
  • Euroscar Award, awarded since 1979 by the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award, awarded since 2005 by FIBA Europe and based on voting by fans and a continent-wide panel of basketball experts, journalists, and coaches

Two Blazers players have won at least one of these awards while in Portland.

  • Dražen Petrović won the Euroscar in 1989, a year that he started with Real Madrid and finished with the Blazers. Before coming to Portland, he swept the Euroscar and Mr. Europa in 1986, and after being traded to the New Jersey Nets, he won the Euroscar again in 1992 and won both awards posthumously in 1993.
  • Arvydas Sabonis, like Petrović before him, won the Euroscar in the year he arrived from Real Madrid, 1995. Sabonis swept Mr. Europa and the Euroscar in 1997, and won the Euroscar again in 1999. During his previous career in the former Soviet Union, Sabonis won the Euroscar in 1984 and 1988, and both awards in 1985.

Hall of Fame and Top 50 players[]

File:Clydeandme.jpg

Clyde Drexler

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the game. In 1996, the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen by a panel of media, former players and coaches, current and former general managers and team executives. Five Trail Blazers players have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame,[7] and the team had four players selected to be in the NBA's Top 50 Players list.[37]

  • 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 both player and coach—one of only three individuals so honored), Top 50. Spent two years as head coach of the Blazers in the 1970s, including one year as player-coach. Also named one of the Top 10 coaches—the only person to make both lists.[38]
  • Scottie Pippen. Top 50. Not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame[39]
  • Coach Dr. Jack Ramsay — Hall of Fame, coached the team to their only NBA title in 1977.

Retired numbers[]

Several players (and others) have had their numbers retired by the team. These are:[7]

  • 13 Dave Twardzik, G, 1976–80
  • 14 Lionel Hollins G, 1975–80 (number retired April 18, 2007)
  • 15 Larry Steele, G, 1971–80
  • 20 Maurice Lucas, F, 1976–80 and 1987–88 (number retired November 4, 1988)
  • 22 Clyde Drexler, G, 1983–95
  • 30 Bob Gross, F, 1975–82
  • 30 Terry Porter, G, 1985–95 (number retired December 16, 2008)
  • 32 Bill Walton, C, 1974–78
  • 36 Lloyd Neal, C, 1972–79
  • 45 Geoff Petrie, G, 1970–76

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.
  • 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, which honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. Also inducted into the Hall are the 1976–77 team, and the following Trail Blazers' players:[40]

  • Danny Ainge (#9, G, 1990–92, also Oregon native)
  • Steve Johnson (#33, C, 1986–89, from Oregon State)
  • Steve Jones (#23, G, 1975–76, from Portland and the University of Oregon)
  • Jim Paxson (#4, G, 1980–87)

NBA records[]

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 steals in a game franchise record
  • Brandon Roy stole the ball 10 times, setting a new franchise record on January 24th, 2009 against the Washington Wizards.
Most rebounds in a game franchise record
  • Joel Przybilla grabbed a franchise record of 26 rebounds on March 22nd, 2008.
Most assists in a game franchise record
  • Rod Strickland on March 30th, 1996, tied the franchise record of 20 assists.
Most 3 pointers in a game franchise record
  • Damon Stoudamire on January 14, 2005, set a franchise record of 8 three point shots.
Franchise scoring record
  • Damon Stoudamire on January 14, 2005, hit a career-high and Blazers franchise record 54 points, which included 8 3-pointers, against the New Orleans Hornets.
Most blocks in a game/half
  • Joel Przybilla has the franchise record with 9 blocks, on April 2nd, 2006. 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 been tied twice since.[41]
Fewest points (combined) in the first half of a 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).[42]
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.[42]
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 have held a team scoreless in overtime on two separate occasions, against the Rockets and the Indiana Pacers.[42]
Most three-point field goals, half
  • The Trail Blazers made 12 three-point field goals against the New Orleans Hornets on January 14, 2005, and allowed the same amount 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.[43]
Most three-point attempts, game (combined)
  • The Blazers and the Golden State Warriors combined for 69 three-point field goal attempts on April 15, 2005. In that game, Damon Stoudamire of the Blazers attempted 21 three-point shots, also a record.[43]
Fewest blocks (combined), game
  • On November 22, 1973 (against Seattle) and on November 25, 1979 (against Phoenix), the Blazers and their opponents combined for zero blocks, a record that has been matched eight other times.[41]
Most combined personal fouls, game (since the 1954–55 season)
  • The Blazers and the Chicago Bulls combined for 87 personal fouls in a game that went to four overtime periods on March 16, 1984.[44]
Fewest combined personal fouls, game
  • The Blazers and the Phoenix Suns committed a combined 21 personal fouls on December 1, 2001.[44]
Fewest turnovers, game
  • The Blazers committed three turnovers against the Suns on February 22, 1991.[45]
Most combined defensive rebounds, game
  • Portland and the Utah Jazz combined for 106 defensive rebounds in a game that went to four overtime periods on October 18, 1974.[46]
Most assists, 1st quarter
  • Steve Blake tied the NBA record for most assists in the 1st quarter with 14 against the LA Clippers on February 22, 2009.[47]

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