Portland Trail Blazers
History 1971-2021 (51 seasons)

Teams Portland Trail Blazers

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 only since surpassed by the Boston Red Sox. The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the bi-national 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 NBA championship once in 1977. Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. The team has qualified for the playoffs in 37 seasons of their 51-season existence, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003, tied for the second longest streak in NBA history. The Trail Blazers' 34 playoff appearances rank third in the NBA only behind the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs since the team's inception in 1970. Six Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dražen Petrović, Arvydas Sabonis, and Scottie Pippen). 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. Four Blazers' rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, Brandon Roy and Damian Lillard) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Three players have earned the Most Improved Player award: Kevin Duckworth (1988), Zach Randolph (2004), and CJ McCollum (2016). 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.

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 only since surpassed by the Boston Red Sox. The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the bi-national 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 NBA championship once in 1977. Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. The team has qualified for the playoffs in 37 seasons of their 51-season existence, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003, tied for the second longest streak in NBA history. The Trail Blazers' 34 playoff appearances rank third in the NBA only behind the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs since the team's inception in 1970. Six Hall of Fame players have played for the Trail Blazers (Lenny Wilkens, Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Dražen Petrović, Arvydas Sabonis, and Scottie Pippen). 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. Four Blazers' rookies (Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, Brandon Roy and Damian Lillard) have won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Three players have earned the Most Improved Player award: Kevin Duckworth (1988), Zach Randolph (2004), and CJ McCollum (2016). 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.

2012 Portland Trail Blazers

1971-2021 (51 seasons)

Portland Trail Blazers Team History

All-time franchise record

2211-1905 (.537)

1 championships in 3 appearances

Top Seasons

Year Record Result

2009 54-28 Lost First Round

2000 59-23 Lost Conference Finals

1992 57-25 Lost NBA Finals

1990 59-23 Lost NBA Finals

1977 49-33 Won NBA Finals

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Last 5 Seasons

Year Record Result

2021 42-30 Lost First Round

2020 35-39 Lost First Round

2019 53-29 Lost Conference Finals

2018 49-33 Lost First Round

2017 41-41 Lost First Round

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1st Round Draft Picks

Year Rd/Pick Player

2020 1 / 16 Isaiah Stewart PF/C

2019 1 / 25 Nassir Little SF

2018 1 / 24 Anfernee Simons SG

2017 1 / 15 Justin Jackson SF

2017 1 / 20 Harry Giles PF/C

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Longest Serving GM's

Tenure Years General Manager

1971-81 11 Harry Glickman

2013-21 9 Neil Olshey

1995-03 9 Bob Whitsitt

1986-92 7 Bucky Buckwalter

1982-86 5 Stu Inman

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Team Owners

Tenure Years Owner

2019-21 3 Jody Allen

1989-18 30 Paul Allen

1971-88 18 Robert Schmertz

1971-88 18 Larry Weinberg

1971-88 18 Herman Sarkowsky

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Related Content

Stories, Photos, Videos, Podcasts, and Publications featuring Portland Trail Blazers History

F i l t e r & S o r t

Portland Trail Blazers Media Guidepublication

Portland Trail Blazers Media Guide

55 issues 1971-2025

This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history,...