The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon that competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to the Moda Center in 1995 (called the Rose Garden until 2013). The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970, and 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 at the time, and which has only since been surpassed by the Boston Red Sox and the Dallas Mavericks. [1] The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the 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.
The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the championship once in 1977. They are the only team in NBA history to win a championship in a franchise's first-ever visit to the postseason. Their other Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. [2] [3]
As of the end of the 2022–23 season, the Blazers have an all-time record of 2,271 wins and 2,006 losses in the regular season, with an additional 119 wins and 155 losses in the playoffs. The team has had 32 winning seasons, 18 losing seasons, and three seasons with a 41–41 record. The Blazers have qualified for the NBA playoffs 37 times, including a streak of 21 straight playoff appearances from 1983 through 2003.
NBA champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Playoff berth |
Season | League | Conference | Finish | Division | Finish | W | L | Pct | Playoffs [4] | Awards | Head Coach [5] | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970–71 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 5th | 29 | 53 | .354 | Geoff Petrie (Rookie of the Year) [6] | Rolland Todd | [7] | |
1971–72 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 5th | 18 | 64 | .220 | Sidney Wicks (Rookie of the Year) [6] | Rolland Todd (56 games) Stu Inman (26 games) [8] | [9] | |
1972–73 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 5th | 21 | 61 | .256 | Jack McCloskey | [10] | ||
1973–74 | NBA | Western | 9th | Pacific | 5th | 27 | 55 | .329 | [11] | |||
1974–75 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 38 | 44 | .463 | Lenny Wilkens | [12] | ||
1975–76 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 5th | 37 | 45 | .451 | [13] | |||
1976–77 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 49 | 33 | .598 | Won First round (Bulls) 2–1 Won conference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–2 Won conference finals (Lakers) 4–0 Won NBA Finals (76ers) 4–2 | Bill Walton (Finals MVP) [14] | Jack Ramsay | [15] |
1977–78 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 58 | 24 | .707 | Lost conference semifinals (SuperSonics) 4–2 | Bill Walton (MVP) [16] | [17] | |
1978–79 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 4th | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First round (Suns) 2–1 | [18] | ||
1979–80 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 4th | 38 | 44 | .463 | Lost First round (SuperSonics) 2–1 | [19] | ||
1980–81 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 45 | 37 | .549 | Lost First round (Kings) 2–1 | [20] | ||
1981–82 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 5th | 42 | 40 | .512 | [21] | |||
1982–83 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 4th | 46 | 36 | .561 | Won First round (SuperSonics) 2–0 Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1 | [22] | ||
1983–84 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 48 | 34 | .585 | Lost First round (Suns) 3–2 | [23] | ||
1984–85 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 2nd | 42 | 40 | .512 | Won First round (Mavericks) 3–1 Lost conference semifinals (Lakers) 4–1 | [24] | ||
1985–86 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 2nd | 40 | 42 | .488 | Lost First round (Nuggets) 3–1 | [25] | ||
1986–87 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 49 | 33 | .598 | Lost First round (Rockets) 3–1 | Mike Schuler (COY) | Mike Schuler | [26] |
1987–88 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 2nd | 53 | 29 | .646 | Lost First round (Jazz) 3–1 | Kevin Duckworth (MIP) | [27] | |
1988–89 | NBA | Western | 8th | Pacific | 5th | 39 | 43 | .476 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–0 | Mike Schuler (47 games) Rick Adelman (35 games) [8] | [28] | |
1989–90 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 59 | 23 | .720 | Won First round (Mavericks) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Spurs) 4–3 Won conference finals (Suns) 4–2 Lost NBA Finals (Pistons) 4–1 | Rick Adelman | [29] | |
1990–91 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 63 | 19 | .768 | Won First round (SuperSonics) 3–2 Won conference semifinals (Jazz) 4–1 Lost conference finals (Lakers) 4–2 | Bucky Buckwalter (EOY) | [30] | |
1991–92 | NBA | Western | 1st | Pacific | 1st | 57 | 25 | .695 | Won First round (Lakers) 3–1 Won conference semifinals (Suns) 4–1 Won conference finals (Jazz) 4–2 Lost NBA Finals (Bulls) 4–2 | [31] | ||
1992–93 | NBA | Western | 4th | Pacific | 3rd | 51 | 31 | .622 | Lost First round (Spurs) 3–1 | Clifford Robinson (SIX) Terry Porter (JWKC) | [32] | |
1993–94 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 47 | 35 | .573 | Lost First round (Rockets) 3–1 | [33] | ||
1994–95 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 44 | 38 | .537 | Lost First round (Suns) 3–0 | P.J. Carlesimo | [34] | |
1995–96 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 44 | 38 | .537 | Lost First round (Jazz) 3–2 | Chris Dudley (JWKC) | [35] | |
1996–97 | NBA | Western | 5th | Pacific | 3rd | 49 | 33 | .598 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–1 | [36] | ||
1997–98 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 4th | 46 | 36 | .561 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–1 | Mike Dunleavy | [37] | |
1998–99 [lower-alpha 1] | NBA | Western | 2nd | Pacific | 1st | 35 | 15 | .700 | Won First round (Suns) 3–0 Won conference semifinals (Jazz) 4–2 Lost conference finals (Spurs) 4–0 | Mike Dunleavy (COY) Brian Grant (JWKC) | [39] | |
1999–00 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Pacific | 2nd | 59 | 23 | .720 | Won First round (Timberwolves) 3–1 Won conference semifinals (Jazz) 4–1 Lost conference finals (Lakers) 4–3 | [40] | ||
2000–01 | NBA | Western | 7th | Pacific | 4th | 50 | 32 | .610 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–0 | [41] | ||
2001–02 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 49 | 33 | .598 | Lost First round (Lakers) 3–0 | Maurice Cheeks | [42] | |
2002–03 | NBA | Western | 6th | Pacific | 3rd | 50 | 32 | .610 | Lost First round (Mavericks) 4–3 | [43] | ||
2003–04 | NBA | Western | 10th | Pacific | 3rd | 41 | 41 | .500 | Zach Randolph (MIP) | [44] | ||
2004–05 | NBA | Western | 13th | Northwest | 4th | 27 | 55 | .329 | Maurice Cheeks (55 games) Kevin Pritchard (27 games) [8] | [45] | ||
2005–06 | NBA | Western | 15th | Northwest | 5th | 21 | 61 | .256 | Nate McMillan | [46] | ||
2006–07 | NBA | Western | 12th | Northwest | 3rd | 32 | 50 | .390 | Brandon Roy (ROY) | [47] | ||
2007–08 | NBA | Western | 10th | Northwest | 3rd | 41 | 41 | .500 | [48] | |||
2008–09 | NBA | Western | 4th | Northwest | 2nd | 54 | 28 | .659 | Lost First round (Rockets) 4–2 | [49] | ||
2009–10 | NBA | Western | 6th | Northwest | 3rd | 50 | 32 | .610 | Lost First round (Suns) 4–2 | [50] | ||
2010–11 | NBA | Western | 6th | Northwest | 3rd | 48 | 34 | .585 | Lost First round (Mavericks) 4–2 | [51] | ||
2011–12 [lower-alpha 2] | NBA | Western | 11th | Northwest | 4th | 28 | 38 | .424 | Nate McMillan (59 games) Kaleb Canales (23 games) [8] | [53] | ||
2012–13 | NBA | Western | 11th | Northwest | 4th | 33 | 49 | .402 | Damian Lillard (ROY) | Terry Stotts | [54] | |
2013–14 | NBA | Western | 5th | Northwest | 2nd | 54 | 28 | .659 | Won First round (Rockets) 4–2 Lost conference semifinals (Spurs) 4–1 | [55] | ||
2014–15 | NBA | Western | 4th | Northwest | 1st | 51 | 31 | .622 | Lost First round (Grizzlies) 4–1 | [56] | ||
2015–16 | NBA | Western | 5th | Northwest | 2nd | 44 | 38 | .537 | Won First round (Clippers) 4–2 Lost conference semifinals (Warriors) 4–1 | CJ McCollum (MIP) | [57] | |
2016–17 | NBA | Western | 8th | Northwest | 3rd | 41 | 41 | .500 | Lost First round (Warriors) 4–0 | [58] | ||
2017–18 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Northwest | 1st | 49 | 33 | .598 | Lost First round (Pelicans) 4–0 | [59] | ||
2018–19 | NBA | Western | 3rd | Northwest | 2nd | 53 | 29 | .646 | Won First round (Thunder) 4–1 Won conference semifinals (Nuggets) 4–3 Lost conference finals (Warriors) 4–0 | Damian Lillard (JWKC) | [60] | |
2019–20 [lower-alpha 3] | NBA | Western | 8th | Northwest | 4th | 35 | 39 | .473 | Lost First round (Lakers) 4–1 | [63] | ||
2020–21 [lower-alpha 4] | NBA | Western | 6th | Northwest | 3rd | 42 | 30 | .583 | Lost First round (Nuggets) 4–2 | [65] | ||
2021–22 | NBA | Western | 13th | Northwest | 4th | 27 | 55 | .329 | Chauncey Billups | [66] | ||
2022–23 | NBA | Western | 13th | Northwest | 5th | 33 | 49 | .402 | [67] | |||
2023–24 | NBA | Western | 15th | Northwest | 5th | 21 | 61 | .256 | [68] | |||
All-time regular & postseason record | 2,411 | 2,225 | .520 | 1970–present | ||||||||
All-time regular season record | 2,292 | 2,070 | .525 | |||||||||
All-time postseason record | 119 | 155 | .434 | Playoff Series Record: 22–36 | ||||||||
1 NBA Championship, 3 conference titles, 6 division titles | ||||||||||||
The Portland Trail Blazers are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team played its home games in the Memorial Coliseum before moving to the Moda Center in 1995. The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970, and 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 at the time, and which has only since been surpassed by the Boston Red Sox and the Dallas Mavericks. The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the 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.
William Theodore Walton III was an American professional basketball player and television sportscaster. He played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Richard Leonard Adelman is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the class of 2021.
James Andrew Jones is an American professional basketball executive and former player. He is both the president of basketball operations and general manager for the Phoenix Suns. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Ime Sunday Udoka is a Nigerian-American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he represented the Nigeria national team during his playing career. After retiring as a player, Udoka served as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets before becoming the head coach of the Boston Celtics, whom he led to the 2022 NBA Finals. After Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022–23 season for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a Celtics female employee, he was hired by the Rockets in April 2023.
Brandon Dawayne Roy is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. He was selected sixth in the 2006 NBA draft, having completed four years playing for the Washington Huskies. His nickname was "B-Roy", but he was also referred to as "the Natural" by Trail Blazers announcer Brian Wheeler. On December 10, 2011, Roy announced his retirement from basketball due to a degenerative knee condition, though he returned in 2012 to play five games for the Timberwolves.
The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz. The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions; the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Jazz are geographically closer to the Pacific Division, the Timberwolves are geographically closer to the Central Division, and the Thunder is geographically closer to the Southwest Division, although in the latter instance that was not the case when the division was formed as the Thunder were still the Seattle SuperSonics.
Nicolas Batum is a French professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He is also a member of the French national team and earned a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Patrick Sammie Mills is an Australian professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Mills was born and raised in Canberra, and is of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent. In 2007, he became the third Indigenous basketball player to play for the Australian national team. Mills was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft after playing two years of college basketball for the Saint Mary's Gaels.
The 1970 NBA expansion draft was the fifth expansion draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 11, 1970, so that the newly founded Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers could acquire players for the 1970–71 season. Buffalo, Cleveland, and Portland were awarded the expansion teams on February 6, 1970. Houston was also awarded a franchise, but the group backing the team was unable to come up with the US$750,000 down payment on the US$3.7 million entrance fee that was required before the 1970 NBA draft. The Braves later underwent two relocations, moving to San Diego in 1978 and changing their name from the Braves to the Clippers, and then relocating to Los Angeles in 1984. They are currently known as the Los Angeles Clippers.
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 one of two major league franchise in Oregon. The Trail Blazers sold out 814 consecutive home games from 1977 through 1995, the second longest such streak for American professional sports teams which was broken July 9, 2011, by the Dayton Dragons. The team has played their home games at the Moda Center, since the 1995–96 NBA season. The Trail Blazers are owned by the Paul G. Allen Trust chaired by Jody Allen, since the passing of owner Paul Allen in 2018. Since the team joined the NBA in 1970, it has won one NBA championship, three conference championships, six division championships, and has appeared in the NBA playoffs 34 times.
Christian James McCollum is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his third year in the league in 2015–16, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player.
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded for his big shots in the clutch, he has been nicknamed "Dame Time". He played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and earned third-team All-American honors in 2012. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2012–13 season, and with the team, he made seven NBA All-Star and seven All-NBA Team selections.
Meyers Patrick Leonard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Illinois Fighting Illini before being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 11th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. After spending his first seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, he was traded to the Miami Heat in the 2019 off-season. He reached the NBA Finals with the Heat in 2020.
The Portland Trail Blazers are an American 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 was founded in the 1970–71 NBA season. The team made their first draft pick in the 1970 NBA draft and have selected 283 players total. The franchise won its only NBA championship in 1977, when the team was led by their 1974 first overall pick, Bill Walton, as well as multiple other former draft picks who went on to have their numbers retired by Portland. Many of the players selected have gone on to have accomplished careers while playing for the team. Clyde Drexler and Damian Lillard hold multiple Blazer records and are first in many stats. Along with Walton and Drexler, two other draft picks, Dražen Petrović and Arvydas Sabonis, went on to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after their playing careers ended, with Petrović being inducted posthumously.
Allen Lester Crabbe III is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the California Golden Bears. He earned third-team All-American honors as a junior, when he was also named the conference player of the year in the Pac-12. Crabbe was selected in the second round of the 2013 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Noah Vonleh is an American professional basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Larry Donnell Nance Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys, where he was considered one of the best big men in the Mountain West Conference after leading the 2014–15 team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. Nance was drafted 27th overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He became part of the team's roster rebuild focusing around younger players. During the 2017–18 season, Nance was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with whom he reached the 2018 NBA Finals. During the 2021 offseason, he was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, who traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the 2021–22 season.