June 1
Antony Tolliver
Happy Birthday to the one and only Bill Schonely.
Nicknamed "The Schonz", Schonely was the original radio voice of the Blazers from the teams launch in 1970 until he retired in 1998. Overall, Schonely broadcast over 2500 Blazer preseason, regular season, and playoff games. He was named inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame for Broadcasting in 1999. In 2012, Schonely was awarded the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame. Schonely, who was the sixth person hired by Harry Glickman, the Blazers founder, became the teams ambassador as he traveled around the state promoting the Blazers in the early years. Schonz was aware of Portland after working in Seattle for the previous 14 years as he broadcast numerous games for a number of teams in the Emerald City. Schonz moved to Seattle in 1956 and joined KOMO radio and then moved over to KOMO-TV, where he worked with future ABC Sports broadcaster Keith Jackson. In 1957, Schonely convinced the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League, that their games should be televised and he should call them. After securing sponsors, the owner agreed and Schonely broadcast Totems games for 11 years on television and radio. |
Schonely also worked as public relations director for Longacres Race Track, called games for the Washington Huskies and baseball games for the Pacific Coast League Seattle Angels. At that time, the PCL stretched from Hawaii to Little Rock, and the station could not cover all games. Instead, Schonely would receive updates from a reporter at the game via teletype, play sound effects to simulate crowd noise, and call the game as if he were actually present. In 1967, Schonely did West Coast National Hockey League coverage for CBS and nearly became the radio voice for the newly created by NBA expansion team, the Seattle SuperSonics. The Sonics General Manager Dick Vertlieb, offered the job to Schonely, who accepted despite not being an avid NBA fan then. Schonz was pushed aside at the behest of Union Oil of California, a key sponsor who wanted Bob Blackburn, who was the Sonics' radio voice until the early 1990s.
In 1969, Schonely became the voice Major League Baseball expansion team, the Seattle Pilots. The Pilots would play a single season in Seattle before the franchise moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and became the Milwaukee Brewers. Schonely did not move with the team and was wondering what to do when he was approached by Blazers co-founder Harry Glickman, whom Schonely knew as a founder of the Portland Buckaroos. Said Glickman in a 2008 interview: "The interview only lasted a few minutes; he opened his mouth and I knew I had the right guy." |
Schonely moved to Portland to start working with his first task being to assemble a radio network, starting with Portland's KOIN as the flagship, and Blazer games were carried on six stations during the first year. Schonely was not as familiar with basketball as with other sports, and had to work hard to learn the game, attending every practice early on. Schonely called the play-by-play on 2,522 Blazers radio and television broadcasts, from Portland's very first preseason outing (September 24, 1970) to the team's appearance in the 1998 NBA Playoffs (April 30, 1998).
Schonely's announcing streak was interrupted only twice, the longest being when he missed the first 25 games of the 1982–83 season for heart bypass surgery following a heart attack. Prior to that he missed two games in December of 1975 when he was hospitalized with a virus. Since 2003, Schonely has acted as the team ambassador at charity and community events.
I worked with the Blazers for a few years late 80’s/early 90’s and got to hang around Bill occasionally. One game in particular, I was keeping stats for Schonz during a preseason game. As I was marking a made basket, the teams were coming back our way. Just as I looked up, the ball was poked towards us but hit me square in the face - bam! Bill very causally said, not only to me but to all Blazers Nation via the radio, “Welcome to the NBA, Jim. Way to keep your eye on the ball.” |
2021
@Dame_Lillard scored a PO career-high & @trailblazers team high 55 pts but @nuggets pulled out 147-140 victory. Lillard set @NBA record w/12 3-pt FG. @Nikola15Jokic recorded 38 pts, 11 rebs & 9 assts for Nuggets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k65tGUm0zPQ
@Dame_Lillard scored a PO career-high & @trailblazers team high 55 pts but @nuggets pulled out 147-140 victory. Lillard set @NBA record w/12 3-pt FG. @Nikola15Jokic recorded 38 pts, 11 rebs & 9 assts for Nuggets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k65tGUm0zPQ
June 2
1976
The @trailblazers announce Free Agent signing of #DaveTwardzik formerly of the #ABA #VirginiaSquires. Twardzik was originally a 2nd Rd. pick by the Blazers in the 1972 NBA draft from @ODU_MBB, but decided to stay close to home and play for the Squires. Twardzik played for 4 seasons and was an All-Star during the 1974/75 season. The Squires folded last month allowing Twardzik to sign with any team. Stu Inman, the Blazers Player Personal Director, called Twardzik "a poised tough player" and would be welcomed for his hustle at both ends of the floor
The @trailblazers announce Free Agent signing of #DaveTwardzik formerly of the #ABA #VirginiaSquires. Twardzik was originally a 2nd Rd. pick by the Blazers in the 1972 NBA draft from @ODU_MBB, but decided to stay close to home and play for the Squires. Twardzik played for 4 seasons and was an All-Star during the 1974/75 season. The Squires folded last month allowing Twardzik to sign with any team. Stu Inman, the Blazers Player Personal Director, called Twardzik "a poised tough player" and would be welcomed for his hustle at both ends of the floor
2000
The Blazers tie up the best-of-seven series after being down 3-1, forcing a Game 7 in Los Angeles.
By Bob Baum, The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. - In one week, the Portland Trail Blazers have gone from "death's door" to the threshold of one of the NBA's greatest comebacks. When it counted most, Portland finally beat the Los Angeles Lakers at home Friday night, sending the Western Conference finals to a deciding Game 7. Steve Smith scored 26 points and Bonzi Wells had a career-playoff high 20, 14 in the fourth quarter, as the Trail Blazers took the lead halfway through the first quarter and never gave it up in a 103-93 victory. Kobe Bryant scored 33 points for Los Angeles and played the entire game despite a sprained right foot, but it wasn't enough.
The Blazers tie up the best-of-seven series after being down 3-1, forcing a Game 7 in Los Angeles.
By Bob Baum, The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. - In one week, the Portland Trail Blazers have gone from "death's door" to the threshold of one of the NBA's greatest comebacks. When it counted most, Portland finally beat the Los Angeles Lakers at home Friday night, sending the Western Conference finals to a deciding Game 7. Steve Smith scored 26 points and Bonzi Wells had a career-playoff high 20, 14 in the fourth quarter, as the Trail Blazers took the lead halfway through the first quarter and never gave it up in a 103-93 victory. Kobe Bryant scored 33 points for Los Angeles and played the entire game despite a sprained right foot, but it wasn't enough.
The Trail Blazers, the team Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said was "at death's door" after the Lakers won twice in Portland a week ago, can become the seventh team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, and the first to do it in the West finals. "It was a team effort today," Scottie Pippen said. "It was a great game. We knew what we were up against, and we stepped up to the challenge." Portland's second consecutive victory, and first at home in three tries against Los Angeles, tied the series 3-3. Indiana's opponent in the NBA Finals will be determined in a showdown Sunday in Los Angeles, where the Blazers have won two in a row. "We have to lay it all down," Shaquille O'Neal said. "The fans have to be ready, the city has to be ready and the players have to be ready."
|
Jackson said he knew it would be difficult to beat Portland three consecutive times in the Rose Garden, and his players understand how tough this series is. "They're not happy with their performance, that's for sure," Jackson said, "but they understand this is a war. We lost a battle tonight, but the war's not over." O'Neal, averaging 29.2 points in the playoffs, had 17 points and 11 rebounds but was only 7-for-17 from the field and 3-for-10 at the line. "I thought they played extremely well on Shaquille," Jackson said. "A lot of his touches were crowded. It was tough for us to get spacing on the floor to get it in to him. But they were giving us other things. We had the types of shots we wanted."
The intensity has built as the Blazers tightened the series. "We've noticed as the games went on they started to turn away from playing the game and started to do other activities away from the game," Pippen said, "taking cheap shots at guys to try to start altercations. I'm just telling my guys to stay focused, play hard and try to walk away from it. "Rick Fox said to me, 'It's going to be on in L.A.' I'm looking forward to it." In the third quarter, O'Neal missed his first six shots and was called for a flagrant foul for flattening Pippen on a drive to the basket. After lying on the floor for several minutes, Pippen got to his feet and made one of two free throws to put Portland ahead 60-49 with 5:21 to play in the quarter. "He hit me pretty hard," Pippen said. "It was obvious what he was trying to do. He had no intention of going to the ball, so I'll see if he gets fined $10,000." Pippen was fined $10,000 for an elbow to the back of John Salley's head late in Game 4.
Pippen scored a series-low nine points and was just 1-for-6 from the field, but the Blazers had more than enough offense elsewhere with five players in double figures. Rasheed Wallace scored 18, Damon Stoudamire 14, 10 in the first half, and Arvydas Sabonis had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Glen Rice and Brian Shaw scored 12 apiece for Los Angeles. The Blazers clinched the victory by going 15-for-16 at the foul line in the fourth quarter. "They were playing desperate ball," O'Neal said. "But we knew it was going to be hard to come up here and win three games." O'Neal was 1-for-1 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line in the fourth quarter. Bryant was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and 6-for-9 for the game.
https://www.nba.com/blazers/video/2020/04/21/classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbj81Z6NloI
The intensity has built as the Blazers tightened the series. "We've noticed as the games went on they started to turn away from playing the game and started to do other activities away from the game," Pippen said, "taking cheap shots at guys to try to start altercations. I'm just telling my guys to stay focused, play hard and try to walk away from it. "Rick Fox said to me, 'It's going to be on in L.A.' I'm looking forward to it." In the third quarter, O'Neal missed his first six shots and was called for a flagrant foul for flattening Pippen on a drive to the basket. After lying on the floor for several minutes, Pippen got to his feet and made one of two free throws to put Portland ahead 60-49 with 5:21 to play in the quarter. "He hit me pretty hard," Pippen said. "It was obvious what he was trying to do. He had no intention of going to the ball, so I'll see if he gets fined $10,000." Pippen was fined $10,000 for an elbow to the back of John Salley's head late in Game 4.
Pippen scored a series-low nine points and was just 1-for-6 from the field, but the Blazers had more than enough offense elsewhere with five players in double figures. Rasheed Wallace scored 18, Damon Stoudamire 14, 10 in the first half, and Arvydas Sabonis had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Glen Rice and Brian Shaw scored 12 apiece for Los Angeles. The Blazers clinched the victory by going 15-for-16 at the foul line in the fourth quarter. "They were playing desperate ball," O'Neal said. "But we knew it was going to be hard to come up here and win three games." O'Neal was 1-for-1 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line in the fourth quarter. Bryant was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and 6-for-9 for the game.
https://www.nba.com/blazers/video/2020/04/21/classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbj81Z6NloI
2012
Former Blazers center LeRoy Ellis passed away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbHwbF_SvVk
Former Blazers center LeRoy Ellis passed away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbHwbF_SvVk
2017
Former Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Jack McCloskey died yesterday at the age of 91 in Savannah, Georgia. After coaching the Blazers for two seasons from 1972-74, McCloskey became an executive with the Detroit Pistons. As the architect of the championship-winning "Bad Boys" teams of the 1980s. |
Blazers co-founder Harry Glickman, who had originally hired McCloskey in Portland, expressed fond memories in a statement released by the Blazers organization Friday. "The world of sports lost one of its greatest competitors in the death of Jack McCloskey. He was our coach for two years and later became General Manager of the Detroit Pistons and led them to two World Championships. He was a great athlete, playing 60 minutes a game for the University of Pennsylvania. Later in life, he took up tennis and became one of the best in our country in his age bracket. We offer our condolences to his family."
June 3
1977
1992
Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin Baylor (Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the sixth three-pointer that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise.
Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. Portland held their final lead at 45–44 in the second quarter before Chicago went on a 22–6 run to grab a 66–51 halftime lead and take control. The Bulls finished with a 122–89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlaL9OhZQoc
Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin Baylor (Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the sixth three-pointer that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise.
Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. Portland held their final lead at 45–44 in the second quarter before Chicago went on a 22–6 run to grab a 66–51 halftime lead and take control. The Bulls finished with a 122–89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlaL9OhZQoc
Using the word mediocre to describe Michael Jordan is pure blasphemy. Yet, in his 15-year NBA career, the greatest player of all time was a mediocre 3-point shooter, at best.
But on June 3, 1992, in Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers, he was an absolute assassin from behind the arc. Jordan — a career 32.7 percent 3-point shooter who shot a mere 27 percent during the 1991-92 regular season — dropped six deep balls in the first half alone, tying a Finals record for 3s in a half, set by Michael Cooper in 1987 and tied by Bill Laimbeer in 1990 (Ray Allen broke the record in Game 2 of the 2010 Finals with seven first-half 3-pointers.) “Shots started dropping from everywhere,” said Jordan after Chicago’s 122-89 win, which he finished with 39 points and a still-standing NBA Finals-record of 35 in the first half. “I started running for the 3-point line. It felt like a free throw, really.” After connecting on his sixth 3-pointer of the night, which he swished over his defender Cliff Robinson, Jordan turned to the scorer’s table and shook his head three times. Then, as he jogged back down the court, he employed a simple shrug of his shoulders. |
This wasn’t a Maximus Decimus Meridius “Are you not entertained?”moment. This was a humble “Yup, I can’t believe it, either” reaction to his atypical 3-point shooting ability. “Let me tell you, I surprised them as much as I surprised you and myself, the way I was shooting today,” said Jordan following Game 1, which is now known as “The Shrug Game.” “I had to ride the wave when I had it, and everyone picked up on it.”
https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/bullsclassics_smith_111130.html
https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/bullsclassics_smith_111130.html
June 4
1977
At 4:43am, a mere six hours after their 110-104 game 5 victory against the @sixers on June 3, the @trailblazers charter jet arrived @flypdx and were greeted by estimated 3,000 fans.
At 4:43am, a mere six hours after their 110-104 game 5 victory against the @sixers on June 3, the @trailblazers charter jet arrived @flypdx and were greeted by estimated 3,000 fans.
2000
Moments after his team endured a devastating defeat that remains one of the most painful in Portland Trail Blazers history, coach Mike Dunleavy revealed an unexpected plan to move on. "I'm going to go home, have a cold beer and sit back and relax,” he said. “There is no sense talking about would've, could've and should've."
Moments after his team endured a devastating defeat that remains one of the most painful in Portland Trail Blazers history, coach Mike Dunleavy revealed an unexpected plan to move on. "I'm going to go home, have a cold beer and sit back and relax,” he said. “There is no sense talking about would've, could've and should've."
But there would be no hushing the would’ve, could’ve and should’ve stemming from the events of June 4, 2000. Not after the Blazers were dismissed 89-84 by the hated Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, spoiling a golden opportunity to play for an NBA championship for the fourth time in franchise history.
It will always be remembered as a franchise-defining loss for the Blazers, a gargantuan 48-minute what-if condensed into a painful 12-minute fourth-quarter meltdown. The Blazers led by 13 points heading into the ill-fated final period, seemingly poised to silence Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. But in the blink of an eye, the Blazers fumbled away a chance at history. They went 7 minutes, 30 seconds without scoring. They missed 13 shots in a row, six of them coming from their suddenly ice-cold All-Star, Rasheed Wallace. They were outscored 31-13. They watched feebly as Brian Shaw swished threes, Bryant tossed alley-oops to O’Neal and the Lakers completed the largest comeback ever in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
A replay of the game — and that Bryant-to-O’Neal alley-oop exclamation mark — still airs on televisions inside Staples Center two decades later on days the Blazers and Lakers play.
The Oregonian had an assortment of reporters in Los Angeles to cover that fateful night, offering an historical snapshot of the agony through game stories, columns, sidebars and even first-person player diaries.
On the 20th anniversary of the monumental defeat, here’s a look back at the buildup, collapse and fallout, as told by those who covered the moment:
It will always be remembered as a franchise-defining loss for the Blazers, a gargantuan 48-minute what-if condensed into a painful 12-minute fourth-quarter meltdown. The Blazers led by 13 points heading into the ill-fated final period, seemingly poised to silence Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. But in the blink of an eye, the Blazers fumbled away a chance at history. They went 7 minutes, 30 seconds without scoring. They missed 13 shots in a row, six of them coming from their suddenly ice-cold All-Star, Rasheed Wallace. They were outscored 31-13. They watched feebly as Brian Shaw swished threes, Bryant tossed alley-oops to O’Neal and the Lakers completed the largest comeback ever in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
A replay of the game — and that Bryant-to-O’Neal alley-oop exclamation mark — still airs on televisions inside Staples Center two decades later on days the Blazers and Lakers play.
The Oregonian had an assortment of reporters in Los Angeles to cover that fateful night, offering an historical snapshot of the agony through game stories, columns, sidebars and even first-person player diaries.
On the 20th anniversary of the monumental defeat, here’s a look back at the buildup, collapse and fallout, as told by those who covered the moment:
BLAZERS ENTERED GAME 7 CONFIDENT
The Blazers boasted the NBA’s highest payroll during the 1999-2000 season, as general manager Bob Whitsitt used $74 million of owner Paul Allen’s riches to assemble the NBA’s deepest and most versatile roster, which included Damon Stoudamire, Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, Brian Grant, Bonzi Wells and Wallace.
They had won 59 regular-season games, second-most in franchise history, and owned all the momentum in the series. After falling behind 3-1, the Blazers stunned the Lakers by winning back-to-back elimination games, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 in Los Angeles.
And the Blazers did not lack confidence heading into the finale, as beat writer Steve Brandon detailed in a Game 7 preview story: "We know they're a little bit of a fragile team," Pippen said. "They don't have the experience. They don't truly believe in the triangle (offense) system. Once you catch guys like that, you tend to think things are working in your favor."
The Blazers boasted the NBA’s highest payroll during the 1999-2000 season, as general manager Bob Whitsitt used $74 million of owner Paul Allen’s riches to assemble the NBA’s deepest and most versatile roster, which included Damon Stoudamire, Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, Brian Grant, Bonzi Wells and Wallace.
They had won 59 regular-season games, second-most in franchise history, and owned all the momentum in the series. After falling behind 3-1, the Blazers stunned the Lakers by winning back-to-back elimination games, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 in Los Angeles.
And the Blazers did not lack confidence heading into the finale, as beat writer Steve Brandon detailed in a Game 7 preview story: "We know they're a little bit of a fragile team," Pippen said. "They don't have the experience. They don't truly believe in the triangle (offense) system. Once you catch guys like that, you tend to think things are working in your favor."
Momentum is working overtime for the Blazers.
"Definitely," Wells said. "We are ready to go to The Finals."
The Lakers? "We still have a chance," forward Robert Horry said.
The Blazers, who won Games 5 and 6 to even the best-of-seven series 3-3, can become the seventh team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series. The Lakers have not lost three games in a row this season. … The Blazers' comeback has made the teams even testier toward each other, and the series has become filled with complaints of cheap shots and illegal defenses and other violations.
"We smell blood, and we want to kill these Lakers," Wells said. "The Lakers better be ready and have their hard hats on because we are coming for them."
"Definitely," Wells said. "We are ready to go to The Finals."
The Lakers? "We still have a chance," forward Robert Horry said.
The Blazers, who won Games 5 and 6 to even the best-of-seven series 3-3, can become the seventh team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series. The Lakers have not lost three games in a row this season. … The Blazers' comeback has made the teams even testier toward each other, and the series has become filled with complaints of cheap shots and illegal defenses and other violations.
"We smell blood, and we want to kill these Lakers," Wells said. "The Lakers better be ready and have their hard hats on because we are coming for them."
Each team is 3-2 this season, regular season and playoffs, on the other's court. “I’m glad we’re on their court (for Game 7),” Grant said. “That will put our backs to the wall even more.”
Stoudamire penned an ongoing first-person diary for The Oregonian throughout the postseason, dictating his words to reporter Kerry Eggers as the Blazers dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz to reach the conference finals for the second consecutive season.
On the eve of the biggest game of his career, Stoudamire said he and the Blazers were “ready” and eerily discussed the importance of starting strong and making the Lakers “play from behind."
I feel good about our chances, about us going to the Staples Center and getting the job done. We should all feel that way right now. We have played well under the biggest pressure the last two games. We should have won at least one of the games we lost, and that bothered us for a while, but that is behind us now.
Stoudamire penned an ongoing first-person diary for The Oregonian throughout the postseason, dictating his words to reporter Kerry Eggers as the Blazers dispatched the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz to reach the conference finals for the second consecutive season.
On the eve of the biggest game of his career, Stoudamire said he and the Blazers were “ready” and eerily discussed the importance of starting strong and making the Lakers “play from behind."
I feel good about our chances, about us going to the Staples Center and getting the job done. We should all feel that way right now. We have played well under the biggest pressure the last two games. We should have won at least one of the games we lost, and that bothered us for a while, but that is behind us now.
The absolute key is to jump on the Lakers early today. We are the type of team that thrives on getting a lead and making the opponent play from behind. In this series, we have been the aggressors at the beginning of the game. We have gotten off to big early leads in four of the games. The Lakers haven’t done it to us once.
…
We are ready. Our players are ready. Our coaches are ready. Our organization is ready. I am pretty sure our fans are ready, too. It would only be fitting for us to beat the Lakers on their home court today for the right to represent the West in The Finals. Let’s get it on.
…
We are ready. Our players are ready. Our coaches are ready. Our organization is ready. I am pretty sure our fans are ready, too. It would only be fitting for us to beat the Lakers on their home court today for the right to represent the West in The Finals. Let’s get it on.
BLAZERS LOSE GRIP ON CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES
The Blazers were practically unstoppable for three quarters in Game 7, building a a 16-point lead with a few seconds left before the fourth. But Shaw banked in an improbable three-pointer shortly before the final quarter, providing the Lakers a faint pulse heading into the most important 12 minutes of the season.
That pulse — and Shaw’s shot — proved to be a lifeline. From Brandon’s Game 7 game story: The Trail Blazers had the Los Angeles Lakers at death’s door. The fourth quarter was simply going to be when they administered the last rites. If ever a team was groggy and ready to be thrown across the threshold, it was Los Angeles. Quite a fall it was shaping up to be, too. The bigger they are and all that.
Unbelievably, the Blazers lost their grip. The fingers on their shooting hands started to slip. Their swagger turned into a wobble. Then their grasp on the Lakers came loose. And with that, a likely NBA championship crawled out of the Blazers' clutches. Fashioning one of the most amazing escapes in NBA playoff history, the Lakers floored the Blazers down the stretch in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
The Blazers were practically unstoppable for three quarters in Game 7, building a a 16-point lead with a few seconds left before the fourth. But Shaw banked in an improbable three-pointer shortly before the final quarter, providing the Lakers a faint pulse heading into the most important 12 minutes of the season.
That pulse — and Shaw’s shot — proved to be a lifeline. From Brandon’s Game 7 game story: The Trail Blazers had the Los Angeles Lakers at death’s door. The fourth quarter was simply going to be when they administered the last rites. If ever a team was groggy and ready to be thrown across the threshold, it was Los Angeles. Quite a fall it was shaping up to be, too. The bigger they are and all that.
Unbelievably, the Blazers lost their grip. The fingers on their shooting hands started to slip. Their swagger turned into a wobble. Then their grasp on the Lakers came loose. And with that, a likely NBA championship crawled out of the Blazers' clutches. Fashioning one of the most amazing escapes in NBA playoff history, the Lakers floored the Blazers down the stretch in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
Los Angeles rallied from a 16-point deficit in the final 12 minutes, four seconds to win 89-84 on Sunday at the Staples Center, claim the Western Conference title 4-3, and deny the Blazers a trip to the NBA Finals.
"I have never seen one quite like that," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "My condolences to Portland and also my congratulations on a great season and a very well-fought series."
The Lakers will open The Finals at home on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. Los Angeles, which trailed 71-55 late in the third quarter, outscored the Blazers 31-13 in the fourth. "We realize we sort of made cowards of ourselves in the fourth quarter," Blazers forward Scottie Pippen said. "We played like we were fatigued, and they gained the momentum they needed."
It was one of the worst collapses in Blazers' history and the worst in a seventh game of the West finals. It had to be more painful than the 4-0 sweep by the San Antonio Spurs in last year's conference finals.
In the 1992 Finals, the Blazers blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 6 at Chicago, and the Bulls won to close out the series in six games.
"Very similar," Jackson said. "However, I had much more confidence in that team. They had won a championship."
They also had Michael Jordan.
"I have never seen one quite like that," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "My condolences to Portland and also my congratulations on a great season and a very well-fought series."
The Lakers will open The Finals at home on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. Los Angeles, which trailed 71-55 late in the third quarter, outscored the Blazers 31-13 in the fourth. "We realize we sort of made cowards of ourselves in the fourth quarter," Blazers forward Scottie Pippen said. "We played like we were fatigued, and they gained the momentum they needed."
It was one of the worst collapses in Blazers' history and the worst in a seventh game of the West finals. It had to be more painful than the 4-0 sweep by the San Antonio Spurs in last year's conference finals.
In the 1992 Finals, the Blazers blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 6 at Chicago, and the Bulls won to close out the series in six games.
"Very similar," Jackson said. "However, I had much more confidence in that team. They had won a championship."
They also had Michael Jordan.
ALL-TIME MELTDOWN
The loss was so stinging and debilitating, those who covered it knew immediately the memory would linger forever. Chuck Culpepper, The Oregonian’s sports columnist, likened it to a horror film during his Game 7 column.
Horror films vary in length from the feature to the short subject; sometimes they're only about half an hour long. The horror film starring the Blazers on Sunday strings from the 10:28 mark of the fourth quarter of a quiet Game 7 through a final minute featuring 18,997 people in yellow shirts making thunder at the Staples Center. It features a 7 1/2-minute swatch where the basket snarls and throws back every Blazers shot attempt. It will rerun in snippets for weeks, for months, for years to come. It's bizarre. It's inexplicable. Viewer discretion is advised.
This relentless, uncompromising scare begins with the viewer lulled into a false sense of safety. The Blazers look like an NBA championship team. The score is 75-60. The building is serene. The people are thinking of leaving. Minds easily can picture Reggie Miller's lanky frame at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night for the start of the NBA Finals.
The beast comes from the dead. In one final, macabre plot turn, it roars back not only from hopelessness but from disarray. It comes from nowhere like some unpredicted dark sky packing an awful storm. And the Blazers prove they are not a championship team. They yield a 25-4 run. They execute, they get decent shots, but still somehow they choke, missing the same shots they had been making earlier. They "make cowards of ourselves," as Scottie Pippen put it. They turn out to be a good team with enough good heart to rebound from a 3-games-to-1 deficit, but they lack only the "special" chromosome.
The loss was so stinging and debilitating, those who covered it knew immediately the memory would linger forever. Chuck Culpepper, The Oregonian’s sports columnist, likened it to a horror film during his Game 7 column.
Horror films vary in length from the feature to the short subject; sometimes they're only about half an hour long. The horror film starring the Blazers on Sunday strings from the 10:28 mark of the fourth quarter of a quiet Game 7 through a final minute featuring 18,997 people in yellow shirts making thunder at the Staples Center. It features a 7 1/2-minute swatch where the basket snarls and throws back every Blazers shot attempt. It will rerun in snippets for weeks, for months, for years to come. It's bizarre. It's inexplicable. Viewer discretion is advised.
This relentless, uncompromising scare begins with the viewer lulled into a false sense of safety. The Blazers look like an NBA championship team. The score is 75-60. The building is serene. The people are thinking of leaving. Minds easily can picture Reggie Miller's lanky frame at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night for the start of the NBA Finals.
The beast comes from the dead. In one final, macabre plot turn, it roars back not only from hopelessness but from disarray. It comes from nowhere like some unpredicted dark sky packing an awful storm. And the Blazers prove they are not a championship team. They yield a 25-4 run. They execute, they get decent shots, but still somehow they choke, missing the same shots they had been making earlier. They "make cowards of ourselves," as Scottie Pippen put it. They turn out to be a good team with enough good heart to rebound from a 3-games-to-1 deficit, but they lack only the "special" chromosome.
They end up like the guy who hits the ball to the centerfield wall, comes streaming around third, coasting for home, then trips 10 feet from the prize. Reporter Jason Quick, a year before he took over as the Blazers’ beat writer for The Oregonian, called the meltdown one of sports all-time greats in his sidebar that night.
A 13-point lead, with 12 minutes left. A trip to the NBA Finals at stake.
Then, boom.
It hits. Thirteen consecutive misses. Zero points over 7 minutes, 30 seconds.
The lead, once huge, is gone. And so, too, was the Trail Blazers' season.
The largest comeback in a seventh game of a Western Conference finals belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers, but really, the new NBA record book should come with an asterisk. The Blazers, probably more so than the Lakers, were responsible for creating the record.
When sports historians talk about the all-time collapses, the Blazers will be mentioned right alongside Greg Norman and his finish in the 1996 Masters. They will be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series that opened the door for the New York Mets' championship. Right there with the Buffalo Bills, who allowed the Tennessee Titans to return a kickoff for a winning touchdown in the final minute during the 2000 playoffs.
It was that bad.
A 13-point lead, with 12 minutes left. A trip to the NBA Finals at stake.
Then, boom.
It hits. Thirteen consecutive misses. Zero points over 7 minutes, 30 seconds.
The lead, once huge, is gone. And so, too, was the Trail Blazers' season.
The largest comeback in a seventh game of a Western Conference finals belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers, but really, the new NBA record book should come with an asterisk. The Blazers, probably more so than the Lakers, were responsible for creating the record.
When sports historians talk about the all-time collapses, the Blazers will be mentioned right alongside Greg Norman and his finish in the 1996 Masters. They will be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series that opened the door for the New York Mets' championship. Right there with the Buffalo Bills, who allowed the Tennessee Titans to return a kickoff for a winning touchdown in the final minute during the 2000 playoffs.
It was that bad.
NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE FEELING
In Stoudamire’s final playoff diary in The Oregonian, he admitted being tongue-tied and downtrodden. The kid who grew up a couple neighborhoods away from Memorial Coliseum had returned to Rip City to try to bring a championship to his hometown.
To come so close — and feel so far — from the chance to fulfill his dream left Stoudamire stunned and emotional. I don't think too many of you will be surprised when I say this is the toughest column I have had to write during the playoffs. By far. It hurts right now. I am kind of blown away. We all sat in that locker room after Sunday's game in disbelief. There wasn't much anyone could say.
You go through so much in a season. For us to work so hard and get this far, and have it end like it ended ... I am searching for the right words to describe the feeling. Maybe there aren't any.
I am still stunned by what happened in the fourth quarter. It was like, where did the lead go? We got a little tired at the end of our third-quarter run, but our feeling was, we have them on the ropes, let's just sustain this and we will be fine.
The way this one went down reminded me of Game 6 of the Portland-Chicago NBA Finals in 1992, when the Blazers went into the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead. Then all the Bulls' bench players started knocking down threes, and they came back with the starters, and there was no stopping them.
Kudos to the Lakers. It was a hard-fought series. They have a nice team. There are no quitters on their side. I know a lot of Blazer fans will say we were the better team. You know how we felt about that. Well, we can sit here and talk about us being the better team, but it doesn’t make any difference. We are going home, and we don’t have practice today. The Lakers are playing for the championship, not us.
In Stoudamire’s final playoff diary in The Oregonian, he admitted being tongue-tied and downtrodden. The kid who grew up a couple neighborhoods away from Memorial Coliseum had returned to Rip City to try to bring a championship to his hometown.
To come so close — and feel so far — from the chance to fulfill his dream left Stoudamire stunned and emotional. I don't think too many of you will be surprised when I say this is the toughest column I have had to write during the playoffs. By far. It hurts right now. I am kind of blown away. We all sat in that locker room after Sunday's game in disbelief. There wasn't much anyone could say.
You go through so much in a season. For us to work so hard and get this far, and have it end like it ended ... I am searching for the right words to describe the feeling. Maybe there aren't any.
I am still stunned by what happened in the fourth quarter. It was like, where did the lead go? We got a little tired at the end of our third-quarter run, but our feeling was, we have them on the ropes, let's just sustain this and we will be fine.
The way this one went down reminded me of Game 6 of the Portland-Chicago NBA Finals in 1992, when the Blazers went into the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead. Then all the Bulls' bench players started knocking down threes, and they came back with the starters, and there was no stopping them.
Kudos to the Lakers. It was a hard-fought series. They have a nice team. There are no quitters on their side. I know a lot of Blazer fans will say we were the better team. You know how we felt about that. Well, we can sit here and talk about us being the better team, but it doesn’t make any difference. We are going home, and we don’t have practice today. The Lakers are playing for the championship, not us.
THE DAY AFTER
It turns out Dunleavy didn’t just go home and chug a cold one after the game, searching for solace in suds and relaxation. No, instead, he plopped down on his couch at home that night and rewatched his team choke, subconsciously searching for the would’ve, could’ve and should’ve he insisted did not exist.
What Dunleavy discovered was perhaps as surprising as the loss itself.
There were no glaring Blazers mistakes, he said. No obvious black eyes. They missed shots. The Lakers, in the end, were simply better. As the meltdown unfolded in front of his eyes for a second time in hours, he said he couldn’t identify anything he or the Blazers should have done differently. At least that’s what Dunleavy told The Oregonian’s Jim Beseda for a story Beseda wrote the day after the unforgettable playoff collapse: Even after going over the videotape at home Sunday night, Dunleavy could not pinpoint a reason for the Trail Blazers’ resounding and even a bit embarrassing collapse in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
It was a Los Angeles Lakers’ comeback so monumental, Jack Nicholson might even have rejected a script with the scenario in it — because it was unbelievable. Dunleavy asked himself all the pertinent questions. How did the Blazers let a 15-point lead slip away with just over 10 minutes to play?
How much of it could be attributed to a Blazers' collapse, and how much to the Lakers playing the fourth quarter as if a hotel operator had walked into the huddle and hollered: "THIS IS YOUR WAKEUP CALL!"? Was there anything the Blazers could have done different strategically ... other than make a few shots?
And, yes, will the Blazers be remembered as a team that choked, or as one that came back from a 3-1 series deficit to make it a series and fell just short?
It turns out Dunleavy didn’t just go home and chug a cold one after the game, searching for solace in suds and relaxation. No, instead, he plopped down on his couch at home that night and rewatched his team choke, subconsciously searching for the would’ve, could’ve and should’ve he insisted did not exist.
What Dunleavy discovered was perhaps as surprising as the loss itself.
There were no glaring Blazers mistakes, he said. No obvious black eyes. They missed shots. The Lakers, in the end, were simply better. As the meltdown unfolded in front of his eyes for a second time in hours, he said he couldn’t identify anything he or the Blazers should have done differently. At least that’s what Dunleavy told The Oregonian’s Jim Beseda for a story Beseda wrote the day after the unforgettable playoff collapse: Even after going over the videotape at home Sunday night, Dunleavy could not pinpoint a reason for the Trail Blazers’ resounding and even a bit embarrassing collapse in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
It was a Los Angeles Lakers’ comeback so monumental, Jack Nicholson might even have rejected a script with the scenario in it — because it was unbelievable. Dunleavy asked himself all the pertinent questions. How did the Blazers let a 15-point lead slip away with just over 10 minutes to play?
How much of it could be attributed to a Blazers' collapse, and how much to the Lakers playing the fourth quarter as if a hotel operator had walked into the huddle and hollered: "THIS IS YOUR WAKEUP CALL!"? Was there anything the Blazers could have done different strategically ... other than make a few shots?
And, yes, will the Blazers be remembered as a team that choked, or as one that came back from a 3-1 series deficit to make it a series and fell just short?
"To be honest, I couldn't find anything that we should have done differently," Dunleavy said Monday. "Usually when you give up a big lead, what happens is you make mistakes. We never did. We had good shots and they just didn't fall. It's unfortunate that it comes down to that, but sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way." By the time Dunleavy arrived at the team's practice facility Monday afternoon to sort through the rubble, he said he was over the loss.
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"I take great solace in how well our guys played," he said. "The fact was, we didn't make mistakes to lose that game. As a coach or as a player, you can always live with games you lose when you just don't make shots, because you can't guarantee that part of it. “Yeah, every now and then you might say, ‘I’d rather have not taken that long shot. Maybe I would have liked them to go to the basket a little bit more.’ But it was minute. It really was. It just didn’t happen for us.”
— Joe Freeman | [email protected] | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ySDRAoE3Nc
https://ripcityproject.com/2020/04/18/portland-trail-blazers-2000-lakers-fixed/
https://ripcityproject.com/2020/04/18/portland-trail-blazers-2000-lakers-fixed/2/
https://ripcityproject.com/2020/04/18/portland-trail-blazers-2000-lakers-fixed/3/
https://ripcityproject.com/2020/04/18/portland-trail-blazers-2000-lakers-fixed/4/
https://ripcityproject.com/2020/04/18/portland-trail-blazers-2000-lakers-fixed/5/
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2894431-bryantto-shaq-the-truth-about-the-lob-that-launched-a-dynasty
https://omny.fm/shows/the-full-48/bill-oram-on-the-2000-lakers-blazers-western-confe
June 5
1977
1978
The @trailblazers are eyeing @IndStAthletics junior-eligible #LarryBird with 1 of their 2 top-7 picks in the coming 1978 @NBA Draft.
Portland currently has the 3rd and 7th picks for the draft slated for June 9
The @trailblazers are eyeing @IndStAthletics junior-eligible #LarryBird with 1 of their 2 top-7 picks in the coming 1978 @NBA Draft.
Portland currently has the 3rd and 7th picks for the draft slated for June 9
1981
The Blazers traded Tom Owens to the Indiana Pacers for a 1984 1st round draft pick.
The Blazers traded Tom Owens to the Indiana Pacers for a 1984 1st round draft pick.
1990
The Blazers led 90–80 with seven minutes left and looked poised to steal one on the road. But, after a timeout, Isiah Thomas got the Pistons going with a layup and a jumper. Then Joe Dumars completed a three-point play and Aguirre scored on an offensive rebound. In less than three minutes, Detroit had tightened the game to 92–89.
Buck Williams hit a jumper to make the score 94–89, but then Thomas scored seven straight points on two free throws, a three-point shot, and an 18-footer to give the Pistons their first lead. With 1:49 left, Thomas put a final dagger into the Blazers by sticking an open three-pointer for a 99–94 lead. The Pistons went on to win, 105–99. |
This was the first Finals assignment for referee Dick Bavetta, who had been an NBA official since the 1975-76 season. He would go on to set the league record for most games officiated and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
|
A little under a month after the release of her debut single Vision of Love, future best selling recording artist Mariah Carey performed a heavily acclaimed rendition of "America the Beautiful".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZZJieZkqI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjZZJieZkqI
1992
With the Blackhawks playing for the Stanley Cup when the Bulls reached the Finals, Game 2 would have had conflict with Game 6 of the Blackhawks' series, as both teams would have played on the same day at Chicago Stadium. However, the Blackhawks series ended in 4 games, so no rescheduling was needed.
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Portland built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and held a nine-point lead at the half. However, as in Game 1, their lead started to disappear as the Bulls made their run – Jordan would score 14 points while Paxson would score 9 points, taking a seven-point lead by the end of the third quarter.
Chicago was looking to take a commanding 2–0 lead in the series when Clyde Drexler fouled out with 4:36 remaining. With the Bulls up by 10, Jordan started to lose his poise, committing a foul and then a technical foul. This would help Portland build a 15–5 run, pushing the game into overtime after Jordan narrowly missed at the buzzer. |
In overtime, Portland dominated, especially Ainge, who scored six points with one minute remaining as the Blazers won 115–104 – the Bulls' worst home defeat in an NBA Finals game.
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June 6
1999
June 7
The summer of 1984 found the Portland Trail Blazers stuck in the dreaded no-man’s-land of NBA mediocrity. They had just finished their fourth straight season with a win total in the 40’s. They were always good enough to make the playoffs, not great enough to succeed there. The second round was their ceiling, the first their floor, and the story never seemed to change.
Just making the post-season was good enough for many franchises. The Blazers and their Head Coach Jack Ramsay came from different stock. They remembered the World Championship earned seven years before. They wanted more. Portland won that title on the back of a superstar surrounded by excellent supplementary players. Their current lineup of Mychal Thompson, Kenny Carr, Fat Lever, Calvin Natt, Darnell Valentine, Wayne Cooper, and Jim Paxson provided plenty of the latter. Ramsay wanted a central scorer to pull the group together, a jump start to get the team out of the quagmire and back on the road to glory.
Just making the post-season was good enough for many franchises. The Blazers and their Head Coach Jack Ramsay came from different stock. They remembered the World Championship earned seven years before. They wanted more. Portland won that title on the back of a superstar surrounded by excellent supplementary players. Their current lineup of Mychal Thompson, Kenny Carr, Fat Lever, Calvin Natt, Darnell Valentine, Wayne Cooper, and Jim Paxson provided plenty of the latter. Ramsay wanted a central scorer to pull the group together, a jump start to get the team out of the quagmire and back on the road to glory.
With the team’s limitations on full display, most everybody expected the Blazers to do something that summer. Nobody could have predicted the trade they actually made to fulfill Ramsay’s wish, though. The collective gasp on June 7th was audible on either side of the Cascades as the Blazers traded what seemed like half the team for Denver Nuggets forward Kiki Vandeweghe.
The 25-year-old small forward sported an impressive resumé. He had just finished the season scoring 29.4 points per game for the Nuggets, earning his second straight All-Star nomination. He was practically a deity on offense, tossing lightning bolts from any and all ranges. Still, there were doubts. Doug Moe’s Nuggets ran like crazy, scored like a pinball machine, and didn’t give a rat’s behind about defense. Your great grandma could probably post 20 for them cherry picking from her rocking chair. Despite Vandeweghe’s numbers, Denver only won 38 games. The Blazers themselves had done better. Would he really help that much?
The 25-year-old small forward sported an impressive resumé. He had just finished the season scoring 29.4 points per game for the Nuggets, earning his second straight All-Star nomination. He was practically a deity on offense, tossing lightning bolts from any and all ranges. Still, there were doubts. Doug Moe’s Nuggets ran like crazy, scored like a pinball machine, and didn’t give a rat’s behind about defense. Your great grandma could probably post 20 for them cherry picking from her rocking chair. Despite Vandeweghe’s numbers, Denver only won 38 games. The Blazers themselves had done better. Would he really help that much?
And wow...the price Portland paid. Calvin Natt was a stalwart, a 20-point producer. Fat Lever was an up-and-comer, Wayne Cooper a regular rotation center. Plus the Blazers sent two (2) draft picks??? Could any player be worth that much? As it turned out, Kiki was. Natt would become an All-Star. Lever would too, morphing into a triple-double machine. Cooper would start 324 games for the Nuggets over five seasons. Denver selected center Blair Rasmussen with Portland’s first-rounder; he’d play six seasons for them. Add it all together and Denver got 1525 games, 19416 points, 10055 rebounds, 4804 assists, 1644 steals, 1443 blocks, and three All-Star berths out of that deal, and that’s not even counting the playoffs. The Blazers still came out of it smelling like a rose. Vandeweghe was that good.
Kiki’s stats were enough to make even the most jaded fan vomit with joy. Instead of telling you which shots he could make, it’d be easier to tell you which ones he couldn’t. That would be none of them. A perimeter-oriented, volume-shooting small forward who hits 50% for a season raises eyebrows. Kiki shot 52.6% from the field over his entire five-year run in Portland. That’s enough to lift the hair right off your head. He did it while scoring 23.5 points per game. He averaged 88% from the foul line as well, drawing over 6 free throws each contest.
The numbers become more impressive when you consider the company Vandeweghe kept. This was not Denver’s lineup, where—apart from an occasional post toss to Dan Issel—Vandeweghe and Alex English were free to put up a thousand shots, ignoring teammates. In addition to Paxson and Thompson, Kiki suited up with Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter, and occasionally Sam Bowie. The team was stacked.
Kiki’s stats were enough to make even the most jaded fan vomit with joy. Instead of telling you which shots he could make, it’d be easier to tell you which ones he couldn’t. That would be none of them. A perimeter-oriented, volume-shooting small forward who hits 50% for a season raises eyebrows. Kiki shot 52.6% from the field over his entire five-year run in Portland. That’s enough to lift the hair right off your head. He did it while scoring 23.5 points per game. He averaged 88% from the foul line as well, drawing over 6 free throws each contest.
The numbers become more impressive when you consider the company Vandeweghe kept. This was not Denver’s lineup, where—apart from an occasional post toss to Dan Issel—Vandeweghe and Alex English were free to put up a thousand shots, ignoring teammates. In addition to Paxson and Thompson, Kiki suited up with Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Terry Porter, and occasionally Sam Bowie. The team was stacked.
Kiki didn’t detract from the ensemble. His chemistry with Drexler was legendary. They’d play strong side-weak side ball to perfection. Clyde would drive and draw defenders then dish to the open Vandeweghe, or Kiki would threaten a shot and turn all eyes his way, only to toss to Drexler with a now-open lane in full view ahead. Results were predictable, but never got old.
Kiki also introduced Portland to the three-pointer. The shot had been around since 1979, but in the mid-80’s it was still considered half-gimmick. For most, it was a situational shot, used in desperation comebacks, last-minute deficits, and last-second buzzer-beaters. Serious players didn’t shoot from that range; traditional coaches seldom favored it. The distance was too far, the success rate too low. Vandeweghe’s three-point attempt rate of 1.0 per game in 1986-87 looks ludicrously small by today’s standards, but his 48.1% success rate for the season would make anybody stand up and take notice. It was more of a surprise to see him miss one than make it. Home crowds began to yell as soon as he caught the ball at the arc, swelling to a roar that rested on a long “e” vowel sound. Nobody was quite sure whether the Blazers faithful were screaming “three” or “Keeee-ki” but it hardly mattered. It all got lost in the riotous screams as the ball went through the twine. Vandeweghe would end up averaging 40.8% beyond the arc over five seasons with the Blazers.
Vandeweghe posted at least one forty-point game in each of his seasons in Portland except 1985-86. He only got to 38 that season. In his defense, he did score 30 or more on 23 separate occasions that year. That was also the season he averaged 24.8 points per game on 54% shooting, a jaw-dropping stat line that left him among the franchise elite. In the history of the franchise, only Damian Lillard has exceeded Vandeweghe’s points per game production, and that only by half a point so far. Kiki was no shrinking violet in the playoffs either. In 21 postseason performances for the Blazers over four years he averaged 21.1 points on 51.5% shooting, connecting on 94% of his free throws. Dude missed six foul shots total in four years of post-season play. That’s cold.
The only two knocks on Vandeweghe: a lack of defense (the Blazers knew what they were getting there, though) and the fact that Portland didn’t fare much better after his arrival than before. Had Bowie been healthy the story might have been different. As it was, Ramsay’s big scorer didn’t end up saving his coach’s job. Only once did the Blazers win 50 with Kiki on board. That was 1987-88, the year he got injured and played only half a season with severely limited minutes. Health, defensive issues, and the advent of Jerome Kersey at small forward began to weigh against Vandeweghe as the decade neared its close. With their star scorer not playing much (thus no longer scoring), the Blazers pulled the trigger on a midseason deal in 1989 that shipped Vandeweghe to New York for a draft pick.
Vandeweghe would never score 20 again, limping his way through four more years before retiring in 1993. He later became a coach with the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets. He served as General Manager for the Nuggets and Nets. He is currently the NBA’s Executive Vice President for Basketball Operations. The muted end to Vandeweghe’s Portland run doesn’t overshadow the eye-searing stats he produced in his prime. You only have to watch about five seconds of the videos below to see how good he was. For the threes, for ALL the points, for justifying one of the biggest trades in franchise history, and for all the fun with Clyde, Kiki Vandeweghe earns the 17th spot on our Top 100 list of Trail Blazers players and influencers. What a run.
https://prohoopshistory.substack.com/p/kikis-curse
Kiki also introduced Portland to the three-pointer. The shot had been around since 1979, but in the mid-80’s it was still considered half-gimmick. For most, it was a situational shot, used in desperation comebacks, last-minute deficits, and last-second buzzer-beaters. Serious players didn’t shoot from that range; traditional coaches seldom favored it. The distance was too far, the success rate too low. Vandeweghe’s three-point attempt rate of 1.0 per game in 1986-87 looks ludicrously small by today’s standards, but his 48.1% success rate for the season would make anybody stand up and take notice. It was more of a surprise to see him miss one than make it. Home crowds began to yell as soon as he caught the ball at the arc, swelling to a roar that rested on a long “e” vowel sound. Nobody was quite sure whether the Blazers faithful were screaming “three” or “Keeee-ki” but it hardly mattered. It all got lost in the riotous screams as the ball went through the twine. Vandeweghe would end up averaging 40.8% beyond the arc over five seasons with the Blazers.
Vandeweghe posted at least one forty-point game in each of his seasons in Portland except 1985-86. He only got to 38 that season. In his defense, he did score 30 or more on 23 separate occasions that year. That was also the season he averaged 24.8 points per game on 54% shooting, a jaw-dropping stat line that left him among the franchise elite. In the history of the franchise, only Damian Lillard has exceeded Vandeweghe’s points per game production, and that only by half a point so far. Kiki was no shrinking violet in the playoffs either. In 21 postseason performances for the Blazers over four years he averaged 21.1 points on 51.5% shooting, connecting on 94% of his free throws. Dude missed six foul shots total in four years of post-season play. That’s cold.
The only two knocks on Vandeweghe: a lack of defense (the Blazers knew what they were getting there, though) and the fact that Portland didn’t fare much better after his arrival than before. Had Bowie been healthy the story might have been different. As it was, Ramsay’s big scorer didn’t end up saving his coach’s job. Only once did the Blazers win 50 with Kiki on board. That was 1987-88, the year he got injured and played only half a season with severely limited minutes. Health, defensive issues, and the advent of Jerome Kersey at small forward began to weigh against Vandeweghe as the decade neared its close. With their star scorer not playing much (thus no longer scoring), the Blazers pulled the trigger on a midseason deal in 1989 that shipped Vandeweghe to New York for a draft pick.
Vandeweghe would never score 20 again, limping his way through four more years before retiring in 1993. He later became a coach with the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets. He served as General Manager for the Nuggets and Nets. He is currently the NBA’s Executive Vice President for Basketball Operations. The muted end to Vandeweghe’s Portland run doesn’t overshadow the eye-searing stats he produced in his prime. You only have to watch about five seconds of the videos below to see how good he was. For the threes, for ALL the points, for justifying one of the biggest trades in franchise history, and for all the fun with Clyde, Kiki Vandeweghe earns the 17th spot on our Top 100 list of Trail Blazers players and influencers. What a run.
https://prohoopshistory.substack.com/p/kikis-curse
1990
The Blazers, playing surprisingly well on the road, had control of the game past the third quarter. Behind Bill Laimbeer, however, the Pistons made a comeback in the fourth period. Laimbeer, who had scored only seven points over the first three periods, went wild in the fourth and overtime, making 19 points over the last 17 minutes. For the game, he successfully converted six three-pointers, tying a Finals record set by the Lakers' Michael Cooper in 1987.
The Pistons had a 94–91 lead with 49 seconds left after a John Salley tip-in. Five seconds later, Clyde Drexler, who would finish with 33 points, made a free throw. With 23 seconds left, Isiah Thomas missed a potential game-clinching layup. Terry Porter tied the game at 94 with a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left, and the game went to overtime when Thomas missed an 18-footer at the buzzer. |
A hook shot by James Edwards and two three-pointers by Laimbeer gave the Pistons a 102–98 lead with 1:30 left in overtime. Porter hit another set of free throws to trim the lead to two; then Drexler tied it at the one-minute mark with a 17-footer.
Portland took the lead at 104–102 when Thomas fouled out with 1:10 left. Laimbeer promptly bailed the Pistons out with 4.1 seconds remaining by hitting a 25-foot three-pointer for a 105–104 lead. |
Portland gave the ball to Drexler, who was fouled by Dennis Rodman, playing on a sore ankle, with two seconds left. Drexler made both foul shots to give the Blazers the 106–105 lead. The Pistons quickly passed the ball to Edwards, who tried a shot from the left of the paint, but rookie Clifford Robinson blocked it at the last second. With that, the Blazers won the game and took away the home-court advantage.
Game 2 of the 1990 Finals marked the first time in six years that a Finals game went into overtime, the last being Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP75rx_wNRQ |
June 8
1975
Geoff Petrie joins 16 other NBA players in an All-Star Exhibition game in Honolulu Hawaii. The original report for the game was made on March 8 1975, with the article to the right. Among players initially listed, Sidney Wicks was supposed to have been with the group. Other noted players that did not make the tour were Bob McAdoo, Phil Chenier, Bob Lanier, and Spencer Haywood. They were replaced by Don Chaney, Jim Chones, Sam Lacey, Paul Westphal, and local player Tom Henderson. |
1978
June 9
1978
While the Blazers didn't get the chance to draft Larry Bird, they did select center-forward Mychal Thompson with the first pick and guard Ron Brewer with their second pick, seventh overall to add to the team with the best record in the NBA. "It came down to Brewer and Bird for us." said Stu Inman as the Blazers second choice approached but the decision was made when the Boston Celtics selected Bird at number six.
While the Blazers didn't get the chance to draft Larry Bird, they did select center-forward Mychal Thompson with the first pick and guard Ron Brewer with their second pick, seventh overall to add to the team with the best record in the NBA. "It came down to Brewer and Bird for us." said Stu Inman as the Blazers second choice approached but the decision was made when the Boston Celtics selected Bird at number six.
1981
Jeff Lamp drafted
Jeff Lamp drafted
June 10
1980
On this date in 1980, the Blazers selected Kelvin Ransey; or, rather, received the rights to Ransey after selecting Ronnie Lester instead. Lets's see how this actually happened: The roots for Ransey actually start in 1975 and branches to 1992... if you follow the twists and turns.
In 1975, the Blazers drafted Lionel Hollins in the 1st round. Hollins played a vital role in the only championship for Portland, but just a few years later, Hollins felt he was under appreciated and demanded a trade. Hollins was ultimately traded to Philadelphia in February of 1980 for, in part, a 1st round pick in the 1981 NBA draft. Before the 1980 draft, the Blazers and the Chicago Bulls constructed a a trade in which Portland would select Ronnie Lester with the 4th pick, but then traded Lester to the Bulls after they selected Kelvin Ransey with the 10th pick. In addition, the teams would exchange picks in 1981, including the pick acquired in the Hollins trade. In the 1981 draft, after the swapping of picks, the Blazers selected Darnell Valentine. You follow along so far? That path is about to go on a little further. |
In 1982, the Blazers traded Ransey to the Dallas Mavericks for Wayne Cooper and a 1985 1st round pick. The Blazers would use that pick from the Mavericks to select Terry Porter, who played 10 years for Portland. As well, Cooper, after playing 2 years with the Blazers, was part of a blockbuster trade by the Blazers to the Denver Nuggets for Kiki Vandeweghe. After the dust settled in that trade, Vandeweghe played 5 years with Portland before he was traded in 1989 to the New York Knicks for a pick in that years draft. That summer, the Blazers re-signed Cooper as a free agent, as well as drafting Byron Irvin with the pick from the Knicks. Irvin, who played a single season with the Blazers, was traded in the summer of 1990, along with two other draft choices, to the Sacramento Kings for Danny Ainge After 2 very successful years, Ainge would sign with the Phoenix Suns as a Free Agent and Cooper would retire. So if you follow the path, it's clear that drafting Lionel Hollins in 1975 led to the Blazers acquiring Darnell Valentine. Or maybe Kiki Vandeweghe? Or was it Wayne Cooper? Perhaps it was even Danny Ainge. |
1990
Joe Dumars' father, Joe Dumars II, died of congestive heart failure 1 1/2 hours before the tipoff of Game 3. He had suffered from severe diabetes, which had forced the amputation of both of his legs in 1985. As his father's condition worsened, Dumars realized that the news of his father's death might come before or during an important game. So he asked Debbie, his wife, not to inform him of any news until after the game had ended. His father had instilled such professionalism in Dumars, and his wife kept his wish.
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Two things were stacked against the Pistons. One, they had not won in Portland since October 19, 1974, the second game of Bill Walton's career. Two, they would be without Dennis Rodman, whose ankle had stiffened.
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But, Vinnie Johnson found his range for the first time, making 9 of 13 shots for 21 points. The consummate professional Dumars was the most potent, however, leading Detroit with 33 points on an array of shots. One such shot was a three-pointer that stifled a Blazer run after they had cut the Piston lead to 68–60 in the third.
Detroit won, 121–106. Dumars' wife then used a courtside phone to inform Joe of his father's death. Dumars decided he would play the next game but declined press interviews. |
1992
Portland was still playing as they were during Game 3, not scoring for four minutes and finding themselves down 10–0. The Bulls would be up 22–9 before the Blazers rallied and cut the deficit to three at the half, but found themselves down again in the third quarter. While Jordan scored 13 points in the third quarter, he would not score in the game's final 10:26. Portland would go on a 15–6 run to even the series at two games apiece. |
June 11
June 12
Happy Birthday to former Blazer guard @SergioRodriguez. Originally drafted by Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA draft, he was traded to Portland for cash considerations as the @Suns were in a cost cutting made.
Rodríguez is known for his play in @EuroBasket and with Spain in @Olympics competition. He was a member of the team that won a silver medal in 2012 and a bronze medal in 2016. He also won EuroBasket title in 2015, silver in 2007, and a bronze in 2013.
While in Portland, Rodriguez and fellow Spaniard Rudy Fernandez were known as the "Spanish Connection."
|
https://www.hispanosnba.com/noticias/2014/05/08/ex-nba-sergio-rodriguez-rudy-fernandez-cinco-ideal-euroliga
1974
The @trailblazers waived rookie guard Bernie Fryer. Fryer played 80 games for Portland during the the 1973–74 season but is more known as an @OfficialNBARefs which he did from 1978 to 2007.
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After retiring as a player, Fryer would embark upon a lengthy career as an NBA referee, beginning in 1978. By the time he retired in 2007, he had officiated 1806 regular season, 145 playoff, and 11 NBA Finals games as well as the 1998 All-Star Game.
Fryer was also one of three former NBA players (Leon Wood and Haywoode Workman) who officiated in the league. Fryer played an instrumental role in the league using video replay when during a 2002 playoff game between the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, Fryer and his officiating crew disallowed a field goal made by the Hornets' Baron Davis. Davis received an inbound pass with 0.7 seconds remaining and successfully made the shot before the buzzer sounded. This incident led Commissioner David Stern to consider the use of instant replay in NBA games.
Fryer was also one of three former NBA players (Leon Wood and Haywoode Workman) who officiated in the league. Fryer played an instrumental role in the league using video replay when during a 2002 playoff game between the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic, Fryer and his officiating crew disallowed a field goal made by the Hornets' Baron Davis. Davis received an inbound pass with 0.7 seconds remaining and successfully made the shot before the buzzer sounded. This incident led Commissioner David Stern to consider the use of instant replay in NBA games.
1990
The Pistons were plagued with shooting problems as the Blazers raced off to a 32–22 lead at the end of the first period. But Vinnie Johnson and Joe Dumars took over, leading a 9–0 run that pulled the Pistons to 32–31 with 7:49 left in the half. The Pistons led 51–46 at intermission as the suffocating Detroit defense held the Blazers to 14 second-quarter points
Isiah Thomas scored 22 points in the third and capped his onslaught with a three-pointer at the 2:15 mark that gave the Pistons an 81–65 lead and seemed to quiet the Portland crowd. |
But, over the next eight minutes, the Blazers suddenly remembered the pressure defense and running game that had gotten them to the NBA Finals. They went on a 28–11 run of their own, and Terry Porter drove for a layup to give them a 93–92 lead with 5:20 left.
The game became a nip-and-tuck affair until Detroit led 106–102 on a jumper by Dumars at 1:16, but the Blazers fought back and had a chance to tie it with 35 seconds left. Buck Williams missed one of two free throws and Portland trailed 106–105. Four seconds later, in a scramble under the Pistons' basket, Bill Laimbeer drew his sixth foul, and Clyde Drexler made both free throws to give Portland the lead, 107–106, with 31.8 seconds left. But Thomas responded by sinking a 22-footer that returned the edge to Detroit 108–107. |
With nine seconds left, Porter attempted to drive on Dumars, but Joe blocked his path. Thomas scooped up the ensuing loose ball and headed the other way. Danny Young quickly fouled him as he let fly a 55-footer that went in. The officials quickly ruled it no good, but Thomas made the free throws for a 110–107 lead with 8.4 seconds showing.
Mark Aguirre then fouled Porter with 6.5 seconds left, and he made both, drawing Portland to 110–109. On the ensuing play, James Edwards got the ball downcourt to a wide-open Gerald Henderson for an easy layup and a 112–109 lead. Portland now had the ball and 1.8 seconds to get a shot. The Blazers whipped the ball upcourt to Young, who promptly knocked down a 35-footer from the right sideline. |
Immediately players from both benches came onto the floor, the Blazers believing the game was now tied and the Pistons believing otherwise. Veteran referee Earl Strom, calling his final NBA game, huddled the officials amid the din and signalled that the shot was too late. Videotaped replays later confirmed the accuracy of the call. The Blazers were down, three games to one.
1992
The Bulls jumped out to a 10–2 lead and never looked back, answering every Blazers comeback attempt with a run of their own. Chicago opened the second half on a 16–8 run to give the Bulls a 20-point lead. Portland didn't pull back within single digits until less than four minutes were left in the game, and ended up losing 119–106.
Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.
Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.
June 13
1988
Arvydas Sabonis is featured in the June 13th issue of Sports Illustrated with possibility of his going the Blazers after the 1988 Olympics.
Arvydas Sabonis is featured in the June 13th issue of Sports Illustrated with possibility of his going the Blazers after the 1988 Olympics.
June 14
1990
The Portland Trail Blazers lost the NBA Championship to the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 by a final score of 92-90. With the win, the Pistons became just the third franchise to win back to back championships. Only the Lakers and Celtics had accomplished the feat before the Pistons joined the exclusive club. The Game 5 victory was a a dramatic one. The Pistons controlled things early before the Blazers rallied late to go up 76-68 with just 10 minutes to play. The lead didn't last long though as Vinnie Johnson took over. Nicknamed "The Microwave", Johnson went on a 9-0 run that gave the Pistons a 77-76 edge with 6:35 on the clock. The Blazers still had some fight left in them, with solid pressure they took the lead back and found themselves up 90-83 with 2:05 to go, seeming to force a Game 6 in Detroit. Soon though "The Microwave" went on another 9-0 run that nailed the coffin shut on Portland, with his last shot coming with just :07 left on the clock. |
For much of Game 5 it appeared Portland would at least send the series back to Detroit. The Pistons shot poorly starting out, missing seven of their first 11 shots, but still led 26–22 after one quarter. They held the same four-point edge at the half, 46–42, but the Blazers rallied in the third period, and with 10 minutes to play in the game, they led 76–68.
Vinnie Johnson then went on the first of two scoring streaks. "The Microwave" scored all of Detroit's points in a 9–0 run to give his team a 77–76 edge with 6:35 to go. The Blazers stepped up their pressure and again built a 90–83 lead with 2:05 left. |
But, when Clyde Drexler fouled out, Portland could not score the rest of the way and "The Microwave" heated up again. Johnson scored seven points in Detroit's astounding 9–0 run to close the game and the series. His last shot was a 15-footer from the right sideline with Jerome Kersey draped all over him and 0:00.7 showing on the clock.
Isiah Thomas was named the Finals MVP. He had scored 33, 23, 21, 32 and 29 points, respectively, in the five games. From three-point range he had made 11 of 16 shots. For the series, he had averaged 27.6 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.2 rebounds, a performance that caused him to unleash his full smile afterward. "You can say what you want about me," he said, "but you can't say that I'm not a winner." The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win back-to-back championships, joining the Lakers and Celtics. |
Drexler began to go at Jordan in the second quarter with some success and a dunk and Portland especially began crashing the boards and taking away the inside from the Bulls. The Trail Blazers went on a 10-0 run to take a 43-28 lead and it began to look more and more like another seventh game after the Bulls were pushed to the edge by the Knicks in the conference semifinals. The Bulls continued to hang in, though, trailing 50-44 at halftime. But Portland was clearly the aggressor.
The Bulls opened the second half badly with turnovers and fell behind by 17. B.J. Armstrong made a pair of baskets to keep the game from getting away, but the Trail Blazers still led 79-64 entering the fourth quarter and 42-14 on inside points. But it all would change in an instant.
The Bulls opened the second half badly with turnovers and fell behind by 17. B.J. Armstrong made a pair of baskets to keep the game from getting away, but the Trail Blazers still led 79-64 entering the fourth quarter and 42-14 on inside points. But it all would change in an instant.
Jackson took a flier on Hansen, playing for the injured Craig Hodges, and Hansen came through with a quick three with a group that included King, Armstrong and Scott Williams with Pippen. King, who had struggled and was unable to beat out Horace Grant after being the sixth pick in the 1989 draft, had one of his best sequences with a free throw on a flagrant foul by Kersey and then a drive for a score. Pippen went into the post for a score after another Armstrong jumper three minutes into the quarter and the Bulls were within 81-76. Portland, as Jackson predicted, was imploding with turnovers and bad fouls.
King then hit a banker, making it scores on seven straight possessions for the Bulls to get within three points midway through the quarter when Jackson sent Jordan back into the game. Jordan scored right away with a floater as Portland began to become even more distracted, claiming bad foul calls. Pippen hit an unlikely three at the 24-second buzzer, and amazingly the Bulls were tied at 85. Shortly thereafter, the Bulls took the lead, their first since it was 4-2. |
John Paxson stripped even the usually reliable Terry Porter and Jordan would finish it up with a driving score and post up to begin the wild celebration, the first home celebration after a title victory for a Chicago team in decades. Oh, what a night it would be in anticipation now of three.
June 15
1989
Steve Johnson was selected by the expansion team Minnesota Timberwolves
Steve Johnson was selected by the expansion team Minnesota Timberwolves
June 16
Happy Birthday to former Blazer player and coach Rick Adelman
Rick Adelman was one of the original Trail Blazers, starting as the point guard on the 1970-71 team, where he averaged a career-high 12.6 points and 4.7 assists over 81 games that first season. Adelman spent three seasons with the Blazers, averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 assists in 237 games. He set the team record with 17 assists in 1971 that would hold for 16 years before Terry Porter topped him, but his 237 games as a player wouldn’t begin to describe his contributions to the organization. His real legacy with the club began midway through the 1988-89 season. |
Adelman was hired by the Blazers in 1983 as an assistant coach to Jack Ramsay. When Ramsay was let go after 10 years in 1986, he was replaced by Mike Schuler who retained Adelman. In his first year, Schuler led the team to a 49–33 record, winning the NBA Coach of the Year Award, becoming the first Blazer coach to win the award. He followed that up with a 53–29 campaign, though both seasons ended in first-round playoff defeats.
Schuler's third season with the Blazers, the 1988–89 season, was racked with dissension and the team was 25–22 when he was fired. Adelman became the interim coach, posting a 14-21 record to finish the season. Despite a 39-43 record, the Blazers reached the 1989 NBA Playoffs, but again were eliminated in the first round. Adelman was named the head coach during the off season. The next three years were quite successful for Adelman and the Blazers as the team went to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 (losing to the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls respectively) and went to the Western Conference finals in 1991 (losing to the Los Angeles Lakers). Adelman spent two more years with the team, but was dismissed after the 1993–1994 season. Adelman's overall record with Portland was 291-154, a .654 winning percentage, which stands as the Blazers winningest coach, percentage-wise. His 291 wins rank as the third best, behind Ramsay's 453 wins and Terry Stotts 325 wins he recorded prior to the 2019/20 season. |
In all, Adelman's record was 616-532 in 1148 games over 14 seasons w/@trailblazers.
https://www.blazersedge.com/2020/4/28/21238864/trail-blazers-all-time-top-players-list-countdown-rick-adelman-32
https://www.blazersedge.com/2020/4/28/21238864/trail-blazers-all-time-top-players-list-countdown-rick-adelman-32
1971
The Blazers Rookie camp, starring Sidney Wicks and 12 other rookies, opens on June 14 and concludes when the team play against Japan's National Team win June 16. Stu Inman, the Blazers head scout, has been helping the team for many years, both in Japan and the US.
The Blazers Rookie camp, starring Sidney Wicks and 12 other rookies, opens on June 14 and concludes when the team play against Japan's National Team win June 16. Stu Inman, the Blazers head scout, has been helping the team for many years, both in Japan and the US.
June 17
1970
1976
A merger agreement between the rival National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA) has been agreed to with the NBA absorbing 4 of the remaining 6 teams. The Virginia Squires finished the 1975/76 season but folded soon after. The ABA–NBA merger needs to be approved by legal counsel
A merger agreement between the rival National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA) has been agreed to with the NBA absorbing 4 of the remaining 6 teams. The Virginia Squires finished the 1975/76 season but folded soon after. The ABA–NBA merger needs to be approved by legal counsel
1986
Entering the 1986 NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers had the 14th and 24th picks and hoped to have a gem fall to them. What they didn't expect was to find Walter Berry, the NCAA College Player-of-the-Year from St. John's University, at 14 and were delighted to chose him. With the 24th pick, the last in the first round, the Blazers selected Russian center Arvydas Sabonis. The Blazers also drafted Dražen Petrović in the 3rd round.
The Blazers are also close to trading former No. 1 pick Mychal Thompson to the San Antonio Spurs for former Oregon State University player Steve Johnson.
In other draft day news, the Blazers traded Steve Colter to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to Larry Krystowiak and second round picks in 1987 and 1992. Colter averaged 8 pts and 3.1 assists in two seasons with Portland.
Entering the 1986 NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers had the 14th and 24th picks and hoped to have a gem fall to them. What they didn't expect was to find Walter Berry, the NCAA College Player-of-the-Year from St. John's University, at 14 and were delighted to chose him. With the 24th pick, the last in the first round, the Blazers selected Russian center Arvydas Sabonis. The Blazers also drafted Dražen Petrović in the 3rd round.
The Blazers are also close to trading former No. 1 pick Mychal Thompson to the San Antonio Spurs for former Oregon State University player Steve Johnson.
In other draft day news, the Blazers traded Steve Colter to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to Larry Krystowiak and second round picks in 1987 and 1992. Colter averaged 8 pts and 3.1 assists in two seasons with Portland.
June 18
1985
The Blazers were looking to draft a local in A.C. Green, the Benson Tech and Oregon State graduate, but the Los Angeles Lakers changed their plans when Green was selected with the 23rd pick so the Blazers had to settle for Terry Porter with the 24th, and last pick, of the first round.
The Blazers were looking to draft a local in A.C. Green, the Benson Tech and Oregon State graduate, but the Los Angeles Lakers changed their plans when Green was selected with the 23rd pick so the Blazers had to settle for Terry Porter with the 24th, and last pick, of the first round.
June 19
1971
The Blazers and Sonics Rookies play a home and home set of games, the first one in Seattle with the Seattle rooks pulling out a 120-114 victory. Sidney Wicks led all players with 34 points and 15 rebounds but Spencer Haywood led the Sonics with 30 points and 14 rebounds. The teams would travel to Portland to play the following night. |
June 20
Rookie Sidney Wicks made his home Blazer debut, leading the Portland Rookies to a 100-93 victory over the Seattle SuperSonic Rookies. Wicks again led all scorers with 33 points and grabbed a game-high 19 rebounds. Bill Smith, the 7'-0 center for Portland grabbed 18 rebounds and scored 10 points. Larry Steele and Charlie Yelverton scored 8 and 10 points respectively for the Blazers. |
1984
Having lost the coin flip for the first pick to the Houston Rockets, and after acquiring All-Star Forward Kiki Vandeweghe just 12 days ago, the Blazers felt the need for a center and chose Sam Bowie from the Univ. of Kentucky with the second pick. The Blazers were hoping to select John Stockton or Vern Fleming with the 19th pick but were stymied when the Utah Jazz selected selected Stockton at 16 and Indiana chose Fleming at 18, leaving the Blazers to select Bernard Thompson with the 19th pick.
In the second round, Portland selected Victor Fleming (26), Steve Colter (33), and Jerome Kersey (46). All but Fleming, who never played in the NBA, played at least one season with the Blazers. Thompson played his rookie season with Portland before being traded and Colter lasted two years before he was traded. Kersey played 11 seasons with Portland and is ranked in the Top-10 in 15 statistical categories, among them are points, games, minutes, rebounds, and steals.
Having lost the coin flip for the first pick to the Houston Rockets, and after acquiring All-Star Forward Kiki Vandeweghe just 12 days ago, the Blazers felt the need for a center and chose Sam Bowie from the Univ. of Kentucky with the second pick. The Blazers were hoping to select John Stockton or Vern Fleming with the 19th pick but were stymied when the Utah Jazz selected selected Stockton at 16 and Indiana chose Fleming at 18, leaving the Blazers to select Bernard Thompson with the 19th pick.
In the second round, Portland selected Victor Fleming (26), Steve Colter (33), and Jerome Kersey (46). All but Fleming, who never played in the NBA, played at least one season with the Blazers. Thompson played his rookie season with Portland before being traded and Colter lasted two years before he was traded. Kersey played 11 seasons with Portland and is ranked in the Top-10 in 15 statistical categories, among them are points, games, minutes, rebounds, and steals.
The Houston Rockets used their first pick to draft Akeem Olajuwon, a junior center from the University of Houston. The Nigerian-born Olajuwon became the second foreign-born player to be drafted first overall, after Mychal Thompson from the Bahamas in 1978. The Portland Trail Blazers, who obtained the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick in a trade, were awarded the second pick and used the pick to draft Sam Bowie from the University of Kentucky. The Chicago Bulls used the third pick to draft Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Michael Jordan from the University of North Carolina. Jordan went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team in his rookie season. Jordan's teammate at North Carolina, Sam Perkins, was drafted fourth by the Dallas Mavericks. Charles Barkley, a junior forward from Auburn University, was drafted fifth by the Philadelphia 76ers. Olajuwon, Jordan and Barkley, along with the 16th pick John Stockton and the 131st pick Oscar Schmidt, have been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The first four mentioned players were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. |
The 1984 draft class is considered to be one of the best in NBA history as it produced five Hall of Famers and seven All-Stars. However, it was also marked by the Blazers' selection of Sam Bowie, considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. It is believed that the Blazers picked Bowie over Michael Jordan because they already had an All Star shooting guard in Jim Paxson and a young shooting guard in Clyde Drexler, whom they drafted in the 1983 draft. Although Drexler went on to have a successful career, Bowie's career was cut short by injuries; he had missed two of the past three seasons in his college career as well. Despite having a 10-year career in the NBA and averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, Bowie's career was interrupted by five leg surgeries, which limited him to 139 games in five years with the Blazers.
1986
The @trailblazers trade @champagnennuts to @spurs for former @BeaverMBB @stevejohnsonfm. Johnson played 3 years w/#Blazers while Thompson lasted 49 game in SA before being traded to @Lakers
The @trailblazers trade @champagnennuts to @spurs for former @BeaverMBB @stevejohnsonfm. Johnson played 3 years w/#Blazers while Thompson lasted 49 game in SA before being traded to @Lakers
June 20
1983
The Portland Trail Blazers hired Rick Adelman to be the 5th assistant coach in Franchise history. Rolland Todd, the Blazers first coach, did not have an assistant coach during the year and half he coached. The first assistant was the Hall of Fame player Neil Johnston, who sat with head coach Jack McCloskey. The previous assistants were Johnston (1972 to 74), Tom Meschery (74 to 76), Jack McKinney (76 to 78) and Jimmy Lynman (78 to 83)
The Portland Trail Blazers hired Rick Adelman to be the 5th assistant coach in Franchise history. Rolland Todd, the Blazers first coach, did not have an assistant coach during the year and half he coached. The first assistant was the Hall of Fame player Neil Johnston, who sat with head coach Jack McCloskey. The previous assistants were Johnston (1972 to 74), Tom Meschery (74 to 76), Jack McKinney (76 to 78) and Jimmy Lynman (78 to 83)
June 21
1973
Terry Dischinger retires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BSmCBNgJn8
Terry Dischinger retires
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BSmCBNgJn8
1989
Former @trailblazers Scout, GM, Interim Coach and VP #StuInman is getting his shot as Dir. of Player Personal w/@MiamiHEAT
Former @trailblazers Scout, GM, Interim Coach and VP #StuInman is getting his shot as Dir. of Player Personal w/@MiamiHEAT
2018
The Blazers select Anfernee Simons and trade for Gary Trent Jr.
The Blazers select Anfernee Simons and trade for Gary Trent Jr.
June 22
Happy Birthday to former @trailblazers great Clyde Drexler.
Nicknamed "Clyde the Glide", he played 15 seasons in the NBA, 11 1/2 with the Portland Trail Blazers before finishing with the Houston Rockets. He was a ten-time All-Star player and was named one of the top 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Drexler led the Blazers to the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals, falling short both seasons but would win one with Houston in 1995. Drexler also earned a gold medal on the 1992 United States Olympic team known as "The Dream Team". He was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2004 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". He currently serves as a color commentator for Houston Rockets home games. Drexler, who attended high School in Houston, attended his hometown college University of Houston, where he made his name as a member of the "Phi Slama Jama" basketball fraternity. Drexler helped the Cougars to two straight Final Four appearances, losing to eventual champion North Carolina in 1982 and against North Carolina State in 1983 when the Wolfpack made their miracle run to the title. |
Drexler was selected with the 14th pick in the 1983 @NBA Draft and averaged. 7.7 pts in limited rookie season action but jumped to 17.2 points, 6 rebounds, 5.5 assists & 2.2 steals per game in his second season. In his third season, Drexler made his first NBA All-Star team when he averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2.6 steals. Drexler was selected to be a participant in the 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1989 NBA Dunk Contest but only advanced to the finals in 1989, losing to the Knicks Kenny "Sky" Walker.
In the 1989–1990 season, Drexler led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals, averaging 26.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, but his team lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games. In the 1990–1991 season Drexler led Portland to a franchise-best 63–19 record. Heavily favored to win the West, the Los Angeles Lakers upset the Blazers by winning the Western Conference Finals. In the 1991–92 season he made the All-NBA First Team and finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. The Blazers met Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals in 1992 only to fall short, as Jordan and the Bulls went on to win their second consecutive championship. In the six-game series against Chicago, Drexler averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. In 1992, he was selected to the U.S. Olympic basketball team, nicknamed "The Dream Team", which won the gold medal in Barcelona. |
Drexler played 11 1/2 years with Portland, playing 867 games. He scored 18,040 points, grabbed 5339 rebounds, passed for 4339 assists. Drexler is still ranked in Top-10 of most categories with in the Blazers record book.
His number 22 has been hanging from the rafters of the Rose Garden since 2001. Drexler played 15 seasons and finished his career with 22,195 points, 6677 rebounds, and 6125 assists. |
1989
Plenty of rumors in @trailblazers land today. Sources say that #BuckWilliams is headed to #Blazers Also potentially coming to @NBA would be Russian players #ŠarūnasMarčiulionis, #AlexanderVolkov & @ArvydasSabonis.
The solid news though is Geoff Petrie has been named as Harry Glickman's assistant and Brad Greenberg has been named as Bucky Buckwalter's assistant.
Plenty of rumors in @trailblazers land today. Sources say that #BuckWilliams is headed to #Blazers Also potentially coming to @NBA would be Russian players #ŠarūnasMarčiulionis, #AlexanderVolkov & @ArvydasSabonis.
The solid news though is Geoff Petrie has been named as Harry Glickman's assistant and Brad Greenberg has been named as Bucky Buckwalter's assistant.
2017
The @trailblazers trade up to select @zcollins_33 of @ZagMBB. Collins played 2+ seasons w/#Blazers before signing w/@spurs where he currently plays
The @trailblazers trade up to select @zcollins_33 of @ZagMBB. Collins played 2+ seasons w/#Blazers before signing w/@spurs where he currently plays
June 23
1994
@RealPJCarlesimo is hired as the Blazers coach, succeeding Rick Adelman who was released on May 19. Carlesimo coaching record with Portland was 137-109 record before he was let go in 1997.
@RealPJCarlesimo is hired as the Blazers coach, succeeding Rick Adelman who was released on May 19. Carlesimo coaching record with Portland was 137-109 record before he was let go in 1997.
June 24
1989
The Blazers traded Sam Bowie to New Jersey Nets for Buck Williams
The Blazers traded Sam Bowie to New Jersey Nets for Buck Williams
1992
On this day Portland hosts the 1992 NBA Draft, Magic drafted Shaq
By Dwight Jaynes June 24, 2020
It was on this date in 1992 that the NBA moved its draft out of New York City and into Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. And why not? The pro basketball media was in the midst of spending part of its summer vacation in Portland, anyway, and it just seemed so much easier to keep everyone right here. The NBA Finals had just featured the Blazers and Bulls and, more to the point, in just three days, the Tournament of the Americas was scheduled to open in Portland. That, you will remember, was a very big deal -- the first public appearance of the Dream Team. So the league packed up its elaborate telephone system (remember those days before the lottery when team representatives sat at tables with phones and relayed their picks to the commissioner?) and headed to the Rose City. |
And it proved to be one of the deepest drafts in NBA history. At the top, a trim Shaquille O’Neal was selected No. 1 by the Orlando Magic. No. 2 was Alonzo Mourning by Charlotte.
Both ended up in the Hall of Fame. Christian Laettner, a terrific college player who was on the Dream Team, was taken third by Minnesota. The rest of the first round featured some very solid players who hung around the league for many years, including Jimmy Jackson, Walt Williams, Robert Horry, Anthony Peeler, Doug Christie, Hubert Davis, Jon Barry, Latrell Sprewell and Don MacLean. But, as far as the Trail Blazers were concerned, that depth didn’t last long enough for them to get a quality player with either of their two choices. Portland took Syracuse small forward Dave Johnson with the 26th choice and TCU center Reggie Smith at No. 31. Each player lasted just two seasons in the league. https://www.nba.com/blazers/video/2018/6/21/throwback |
It was on this date in 1992 that Shaquille O'neal was selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.
But did you know that Shaquille O'Neal was drafted in Portland?
Not by Portland. In Portland.
For those of you that don't recall, the 1992 NBA was held inside Portland's Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It was the first time since 1959 that that draft had been held outside of New York City.
At the time, the draft was thought to be one of the deepest in NBA history. While the class as a whole didn't like up to expectations, there were some incredible standouts.
The top two picks ended up being all-time greats with O'Neal going to the Orlando Magic and Alonzo Mourning going to the Charlotte Hornets.
Portland rolled out the red carpet and 8,000+ fans filled the same arena that had hosted the Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls NBA Finals just a few week prior.
Those fans not only saw O'Neal and Mourning go one-two, but they saw NCAA star and can't miss prospect Christian Laettner go No.3 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But did you know that Shaquille O'Neal was drafted in Portland?
Not by Portland. In Portland.
For those of you that don't recall, the 1992 NBA was held inside Portland's Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It was the first time since 1959 that that draft had been held outside of New York City.
At the time, the draft was thought to be one of the deepest in NBA history. While the class as a whole didn't like up to expectations, there were some incredible standouts.
The top two picks ended up being all-time greats with O'Neal going to the Orlando Magic and Alonzo Mourning going to the Charlotte Hornets.
Portland rolled out the red carpet and 8,000+ fans filled the same arena that had hosted the Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls NBA Finals just a few week prior.
Those fans not only saw O'Neal and Mourning go one-two, but they saw NCAA star and can't miss prospect Christian Laettner go No.3 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Other notable players in the 1992 NBA Draft included:
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While many of the players in the draft had solid careers, it failed to produce many stars. In fact, only four players (O'Neal - 15x, Mourning - 7x, Sprewell - 4x, Gugliotta - 1x, and Laettner - 1x) ever made an All-Star team.
The best players in the draft would end up being O'Neal, Mourning, and Sprewell, with O'Neal and Mourning both being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The two would team together in Miami in 2006 to win the NBA Championship.
While he may not be a Hall of Famer, No.11 pick Robert Horry has most of the hardware in this class. By the time his career was over, he had seven NBA titles: Two with the Rockets in '94 and '95, a threepeat with Shaq and the Lakers from '00-'02, and two with the Spurs in '05 and '07.
Horry is tied with Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey for the fourth-most championship by a single player. But it should be noted that he is the only player with seven or more rings that didn't play for the 1963 Boston Celtics.
The NBA Draft changed host cities throughout the 90s before settling back in NYC for the 2001 draft. Since 2001, only two drafts have been held outside of New York, and those were both across the river in New Jersey.
It's been nearly 20 years since the NBA Draft was held away from the East coast, and 28 years since it settled in Portland. Rip City wouldn't be upset if it returned in the future.
If it never does, the city will always have June 24th, 1992 and the night the legendary Shaq officially became part of the NBA.
The best players in the draft would end up being O'Neal, Mourning, and Sprewell, with O'Neal and Mourning both being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The two would team together in Miami in 2006 to win the NBA Championship.
While he may not be a Hall of Famer, No.11 pick Robert Horry has most of the hardware in this class. By the time his career was over, he had seven NBA titles: Two with the Rockets in '94 and '95, a threepeat with Shaq and the Lakers from '00-'02, and two with the Spurs in '05 and '07.
Horry is tied with Jim Loscutoff and Frank Ramsey for the fourth-most championship by a single player. But it should be noted that he is the only player with seven or more rings that didn't play for the 1963 Boston Celtics.
The NBA Draft changed host cities throughout the 90s before settling back in NYC for the 2001 draft. Since 2001, only two drafts have been held outside of New York, and those were both across the river in New Jersey.
It's been nearly 20 years since the NBA Draft was held away from the East coast, and 28 years since it settled in Portland. Rip City wouldn't be upset if it returned in the future.
If it never does, the city will always have June 24th, 1992 and the night the legendary Shaq officially became part of the NBA.
1993
The Blazers trade Kevin Duckworth to Washington Bullets for Harvey Grant
The Blazers trade Kevin Duckworth to Washington Bullets for Harvey Grant
1998
The @DetroitPistons had the 11th pick in the 1998 @NBA Draft and selected @BonziWells who they then traded to the @trailblazers for a future pick. Wells played 310 games with Portland and scored 4112 points in that time.
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June 25
June 26
1996
With the 17th pick in the 1996 Draft the @trailblazers draft @jermaineoneal. When he made his @NBA debut on 12/5/96 he was the youngest player to every play in the NBA, a record that held for 11 years |
June 27
1970
The Blazers hold their 1st rookie game
The Blazers hold their 1st rookie game
2001
It was a busy day today as the @trailblazers hired #MauriceCheeks to be the #Blazers 10th Head Coach. Cheeks had been an Ast. Coach w/
@sixers for past 6 seasons
The @trailblazers select @MSU_Basketball freshman @MacBo50 w/the 19th pick in @NBADraft. Randolph accidentally announced that #MauriceCheeks was new #Blazers coach when he was asked who in organization he had talked to by answering "Coach Cheeks"
It was a busy day today as the @trailblazers hired #MauriceCheeks to be the #Blazers 10th Head Coach. Cheeks had been an Ast. Coach w/
@sixers for past 6 seasons
The @trailblazers select @MSU_Basketball freshman @MacBo50 w/the 19th pick in @NBADraft. Randolph accidentally announced that #MauriceCheeks was new #Blazers coach when he was asked who in organization he had talked to by answering "Coach Cheeks"
June 28
1973
The NBA card of Governors has limited the NBA All-Star team rosters to 12 instead of 14. This action will no longer have every team have at least one player selected to play in the annual game.
The NBA card of Governors has limited the NBA All-Star team rosters to 12 instead of 14. This action will no longer have every team have at least one player selected to play in the annual game.
1982
The Blazers traded point guard Kelvin Ransey to Dallas for center Wayne Cooper. Ransey was the 4th pick in the 1980 NBA draft and played 2 years with the Blazers, averaging 15.6 points and 7 assists in 158 games. Ransey passed for 555 assists in both seasons, with 41 games with 10 or more assists. Ransey played 1 year in Dallas before being traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he played 3 seasons before retiring due to injuries.
Cooper, a 4-year veteran, has played 2 seasons with the Golden State Warriors before having single seasons with the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Blazers. Cooper played 2 years with the Blazers before he was traded in 1984 to the Denver Nuggets where he played 5 years before coming back to Portland prior to the 1989/90 season. He played 3 years before retiring after the 1991/92 season. Overall, Cooper averaged 6.1 points and 5 rebounds in his 5 seasons with Portland.
The Blazers traded point guard Kelvin Ransey to Dallas for center Wayne Cooper. Ransey was the 4th pick in the 1980 NBA draft and played 2 years with the Blazers, averaging 15.6 points and 7 assists in 158 games. Ransey passed for 555 assists in both seasons, with 41 games with 10 or more assists. Ransey played 1 year in Dallas before being traded to the New Jersey Nets, where he played 3 seasons before retiring due to injuries.
Cooper, a 4-year veteran, has played 2 seasons with the Golden State Warriors before having single seasons with the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Blazers. Cooper played 2 years with the Blazers before he was traded in 1984 to the Denver Nuggets where he played 5 years before coming back to Portland prior to the 1989/90 season. He played 3 years before retiring after the 1991/92 season. Overall, Cooper averaged 6.1 points and 5 rebounds in his 5 seasons with Portland.
1983
Portland selected Clyde Drexler
Portland selected Clyde Drexler
2006
The Portland Trail Blazers had their busiest day ever, adding two lottery picks in LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy despite not calling either name during the 2006 @NBA Draft.The Blazers drafted Tyrus Thomas with the 4th pick but traded Thomas and Viktor Khryapa to Chicago Bulls for Aldridge, who was selected as the #2 pick.
With the seventh pick the Boston Celtics selected Randy Foye, who then packaged Foye with players Dan Dickau and Raef LaFrentz to the Blazers for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and a 2008 2nd round draft pick. The Blazers then traded Foye to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Roy who was selected with the sixth pick, just before Foye. In all, they cut six draft-day trades --working with Chicago, Boston, Minnesota, Indiana, Memphis and Phoenix. And in those transactions they acquired, among other things, future draft picks, cash, Raef LaFrentz and Dan Dickau. They also subtracted veterans Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and Viktor Khryapa. |
NEW YORK (AP) -- The logo is the same, and the uniform colors haven't changed, but it's hard to recognize the Trail Blazers this morning. In the wildest and most active day in team history, the Blazers on Wednesday revamped their roster at the NBA draft, adding six players and trading three. In all, the Blazers executed an NBA draft-day record six trades, which translated into them drafting four players and sending away three key components from last season's team. Coming to Portland are highly touted draft picks LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy and emerging point guard Sergio Rodriguez, as well as established veterans in long-range shooting forward Raef LaFrentz and point guard Dan Dickau, a Vancouver native. Leaving the Blazers are promising two-year point guard Sebastian Telfair, veteran shot blocker Theo Ratliff and do-it-all forward Viktor Khryapa. "We hit a home run," Blazers President Steve Patterson said. |
Headlining the additions are two players widely regarded as among the draft's marquee players: Aldridge, a 6-foot-11 power forward from Texas, and Roy, a 6-6 shooting guard from Washington who was the Pacific-10 Conference player of the year. Aldridge, a lanky and athletic 21-year-old, was taken with the second pick by Chicago; the Blazers traded Khryapa --one of their most versatile players from last season --to the Bulls with the fourth pick, which the Blazers had used on Louisiana State forward Tyrus Thomas. "Portland is the team I wanted to play for," Aldridge said. "I like Coach Nate (McMillan) and his vision. He's about hard work and holding his players accountable. I feel like I'm going to fit in."
Roy, a dynamic guard who was widely considered the best all-around player in the draft, was selected by Minnesota with the sixth pick, then traded to Portland for Villanova guard Randy Foye, whom the Blazers drafted at No. 7, and cash considerations. "Portland felt like their dream draft would be getting me and LaMarcus, and I thought that was great," Roy said. "To me, it didn't matter where I had to go first. I just said, 'Do whatever you can to get me.' "
Roy, a dynamic guard who was widely considered the best all-around player in the draft, was selected by Minnesota with the sixth pick, then traded to Portland for Villanova guard Randy Foye, whom the Blazers drafted at No. 7, and cash considerations. "Portland felt like their dream draft would be getting me and LaMarcus, and I thought that was great," Roy said. "To me, it didn't matter where I had to go first. I just said, 'Do whatever you can to get me.' "
In making the deal with Chicago, the Blazers passed on drafting Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison, a fan favorite and the draft's top offensive player, for players they felt fit the style of McMillan --athletic, fast and defensive-minded. The whirlwind Wednesday started hours before the draft when the Blazers traded Telfair --the controversial lottery pick from the 2004 draft --and Ratliff, 33, an injury-prone center, to Boston for LaFrentz, Dickau and the seventh pick.
LaFrentz, 30, is a 6-11 power forward who has averaged 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in his eight-year NBA career. Mostly a perimeter player, LaFrentz last season averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds and shot 39.2 percent from three-point range in 24.8 minutes a game. LaFrentz is owed $35.5 million over the next three seasons, nearly $13 million more than Ratliff is due. Dickau, who played 20 games for the Blazers in 2004, is coming off a season in which he ruptured an Achilles' tendon in December, limiting him to 19 games. The previous season, spent with Dallas and New Orleans, Dickau averaged 12.5 points and 4.9 assists in 71 games. The active day left the Blazers with a vastly different roster, yet one that is still unbalanced, with four point guards, three shooting guards and shaky depth at center that consists of free agent-to-be Joel Przybilla and 20-year-old project Ha Seung-Jin. But Patterson said the Blazers are not done dealing as they enter an offseason that already has started with a rumble. While television announcers chastised the Blazers' night as a confusing mixture of moves that lacked vision, Aldridge shook his head as he watched on television in a back-room lounge at Madison Square Garden. "There are always going to be naysayers, but I think that will just motivate all of us," Aldridge said. "Out of all this, I think you can notice that we are going in a direction of getting players who are going to work hard." |
In the second round, the Blazers were again active. They held the first pick in the second round, No. 31, and selected guard-forward James White from Cincinnati. White was then traded to Indiana for the rights to Florida State forward Alexander Johnson and second-round picks, one in 2007 and one in 2008. In turn, Johnson was traded to Memphis for a second-round pick in 2008. By the end of the draft, the Blazers lowered their average roster age to 24 years and stockpiled four future picks. The Blazers also traded a 2008 second-round pick to Boston as part of the trade involving Telfair and Ratliff.
Toronto selected Italian forward Andrea Bargnani with the top pick after it unsuccessfully tried to trade the pick before the draft. Bargnani, a 7-footer who is valued for his outside shooting, is the first European player taken with the top pick.
Toronto selected Italian forward Andrea Bargnani with the top pick after it unsuccessfully tried to trade the pick before the draft. Bargnani, a 7-footer who is valued for his outside shooting, is the first European player taken with the top pick.
In another move that was lost with the acquisition of Roy and Aldridge, former Blazer Dan Dickau was re-acquired by Portland. Dickau, who was born in Portland and attended HS in Brush Prairie WA and Gonzaga Univ. in Spokane, first played 20 games with Blazers in 2003/04 season after being acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff to the Portland Trail Blazers for Wesley Person and Rasheed Wallace.
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Dickau was traded after the season to Golden State for Nick Van Exel before he moved on to Dallas, New Orleans, and finally Boston before coming back to Portland
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/may/17/former-gonzaga-star-dan-dickaus-ties-to-portland-t/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/may/17/former-gonzaga-star-dan-dickaus-ties-to-portland-t/
2012
The Blazers selected Damian Lillard with the 6th pick in the draft, one selection ahead of the Golden State Warriors who had hoped the local Oakland player would drop to them. They also selected big man Myers Leonard with pick No. 11. It is the first time the Blazers had 2 Lottery picks but it is not the first time that Portland had 2 picks within the teams not in the Playoffs. In 1978, despite winning 58 games, the Blazers had 2 picks in the top 7 due to trades, with the 3rd and 7th pick. After a trade, Portland had the 1st and 7th pick, selecting Mychal Thompson and Ron Brewer.
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June 29
1982
The Blazers select Fat Lever
The Blazers select Fat Lever
1994
The Blazers, with new coach P. J. Casrlesimo at the helm, selected Aaron McKie of Temple with their 1st round pick.
The Blazers, with new coach P. J. Casrlesimo at the helm, selected Aaron McKie of Temple with their 1st round pick.
June 30
1993
The Blazers selected James "Hollywood" Robinson
The Blazers selected James "Hollywood" Robinson