Portland Trail Blazers all-time roster

Damian Lillard in a black Portland jersey in a game for the Blazers in 2021
Damian Lillard played for the Blazers from 2012–2023 and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 19,376 points.[1]

The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise was awarded to Portland on February 6, 1970, with their first season being 1970–71.[2] The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the Memorial Coliseum, before moving to the Rose Garden (renamed to the Moda Center in 2013) in 1995.[3] The team has enjoyed a strong following; from 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American major professional sports.[4] The Trail Blazers are one of two teams in the major professional North American sports leagues located in the state of Oregon, with the other being the Portland Timbers. The Trail Blazers are also currently the only NBA team based in the binational Pacific Northwest, after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, and the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.[5][6]

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.[7] The team has qualified for the playoffs in 37 of their 54 seasons (as of the 2023–24 season) in the NBA, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003, tied for the second longest streak in NBA history.[8][9] Six Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dražen Petrović, Arvydas Sabonis, and Scottie Pippen).[10] 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.[7][11] Four Blazer rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, Brandon Roy, and Damian Lillard) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award.[12] On December 19, 2022, Lillard became the team's all-time scoring leader, passing Drexler.[13] Ten players have had their number retired by the team following their playing careers: Dave Twardzik (#13), Lionel Hollins (#14), Larry Steele (#15), Maurice Lucas (#20), Drexler (#22), Bob Gross (#30), Terry Porter (#30), Walton (#32), Lloyd Neal (#36), and Petrie (#45).[14] Petrie was also the first ever draft pick made by the team.[15]

  1. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Career Leaders". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Franchise Was Born 50 years Ago Today: 'Congratulations, You Are in the NBA'". The Oregonian. February 7, 2020. Archived from the original on February 8, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  3. ^ Tokito, Mike (August 13, 2013). "Trail Blazers Rename the Rose Garden the Moda Center in a Sign of Changing Times". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "Company History: Portland Trail Blazers". Funding Universe. 2003. Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  5. ^ "NBA Owners Approve Grizzlies' Move to Memphis". ESPN. July 19, 2001. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  6. ^ Allen, Percy (April 19, 2008). "NBA Approves Sonics' Move to Oklahoma City". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "NBA Season Recaps: A look back at every season since 1946". NBA.com. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  8. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Seasons". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  9. ^ "Portland Trailblazers: Not so Cheeky after missing the playoffs for first time in 21 years". Pro Basketball Teams. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  10. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Hall of Fame Register". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  11. ^ "NBA MVP Award Winners". NBA.com. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "NBA History – Rookie of the Year". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  13. ^ "Damian Lillard Becomes Trail Blazers' All-Time Leading Scorer". ESPN. December 19, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Uniform Numbers". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  15. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Draft Picks". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.