September 1
The Portland Trail Blazers signed Stan McKenzie and Joe Kennedy to contracts on this day in 1970. McKenzie becomes the 13th player signed by the NBA expansion club.
September 10
Portland Trail Blazers Sign Jim Barnett and Former #BradleyUniversity Ace Tim Robinson
The Portland Trail Blazers signed Jim Barnett, the former Oregon Men's Basketball star to a two-year extension today. Barnett had 1 more year remaining on his current contract that was to pay him $23,500. He reportedly agreed to a 2-year extension that will pay him between $35,000 to $40,000. Barnett, who was acquired in a trade this past May for Larry Siegfried, averaged over 17 ppg at Oregon and was the 8th pick overall in the 1966 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics . He played his rookie season in Boston before moving to the expansion San Diego/ Houston Rockets in 1967. In his 3 seasons with San Diego, he has raised his scoring average from 9.4 to 14.9. The Trail Blazers also invited former @bradleyumbb star Tim Robinson to their upcoming training camp. Robinson is 29-years old and is a 6-foot 6” guard/forward who averaged 16.5 points when he played for Bradley University in 1960/61. Robinson was later dismissed from the school after his name was associated with the point-shaving scandal in 1961, though that was not the official reason for his dismissal. Robinson was one of many players that were banned by the NBA during that time, including Connie Hawkins, Roger Brown, and Doug Moe. Robinson admitted to being approached but said he did not take any money but also did not report the contacts. Robinson recently had filed a $1-million suit against the NBA that was reportedly settled and allowed him to try out for an NBA team. Robinson has played the last 6 years with the #HarlemGlobetrotters and in the Continental League. Last season he averaged 25.5 points for the Waukegan, ILL team. |
Chet Walker, a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame who starred on the Chicago Bulls teams from 1969 to 1975, said he still can't understand why his former Bradley teammate Tim Robinson didn't make it to the NBA. "Tim was a great player. He had all the talent that you could ask for in a young player. He had enough talent to go to the NBA," Walker said. "He was agile, could run the court, rebound and shoot. He had all the talent. I don't know why he didn't go to the NBA. He had the talent to be a star."
Robinson, a 6-foot-5 All-State forward from Crane, and Du Sable's Mack Herndon were recruited by celebrated Bradley coach Chuck Orsborn after graduating from high school in 1959. Because of NCAA rules, they couldn't play as freshmen. But they started with Walker on Bradley's 1960-61 team. James Tim Robinson, who later played for six years with the Harlem Globetrotters, died last Wednesday after a long illness. He was 72. (December 26, 2012) In the 1950s, Crane's Tim Robinson was one of the icons of city basketball, along with St. Elizabeth's Arthur Hicks, Du Sable's Paxton Lumpkin and Charlie Brown, Marshall's Art Day and George Wilson, Dunbar's Mel Davis and Bernie Mills, Parker's Tom Hawkins and Wells' Frank Burks. "I considered Tim one of my heroes at that time, he and Bernie Mills and Frank Burks," said Wilson, who led Marshall to state championships in 1958 and 1960. "He was a smooth player, shy but strong. He could jump and had a great jump shot." Wilson, Robinson, Mills, Burks and other standouts of that era played regularly in the summer league at Marillac House at California and Jackson and at the 39th Street Park. In 1959, Wilson's Marshall team beat Robinson and Crane 61-58 for the Public League title. As a sophomore in 1957, Robinson started on a Crane team that defeated Marshall 66-61 for the city title, then lost to Evanston in the supersectional. "I got to know Tim, not just as a basketball player," Wilson said. "As you come through life, you meet special people and he was a special person in my life, in sports and life." Chicagoan Ernie Jones, who played with Robinson on the Globetrotters for two years, recalled that his teammates used to refer to Tim as "Tim the Rim" for his jumping ability. Robinson, Meadowlark Lemon, Tex Harrison, Murphy Sammons and another Chicago native, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton from Du Sable, spent a lot of time together on globe-trotting trips. |
Robinson was waived on September 22
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"Playing with the Globetrotters was a different thing," Jones said. "When it came to serious basketball, Tim played very well. At the end of the year, they selected players to play against the College All-Stars. Tim was one of those who was selected. He could play today. He was very versatile and a great athlete. And he was very much a gentleman."
Dr. Conrad Worrill, a longtime friend, still recalls how Robinson's Crane team defeated his Hyde Park team 60-59 in the 1957 Public League semifinals. "It was Marshall and Crane and Dunbar and Du Sable at that time, the most dominant teams in the city," he said. "Tim was a gifted athlete. He played all positions in high school. He was the forerunner to players like Simeon's Jabari Parker, tall guys who could play all positions. Tim played guard and forward at Crane. He could handle the ball, shoot and rebounds. He was phenomenal in all phases of the game."
Born in Mississippi, Robinson's family moved to Chicago when he was an infant. His college career was cut short after the 1960-61 season when he and Alphra Saunders from Dunbar were dismissed from Bradley in the wake of allegations of point-shaving. Robinson was employed by the Department of Human Services for more than 20 years as a social service worker in Chicago. In later years, he became involved with his church, Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church, and was preparing to become a minister. He is survived by Yvonne "Bonnie," his wife of 38 years, three children--Christy, Bryant and Raquel -- and seven grandchildren.
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/preps-talk/remembering-cranes-tim-robinson
Dr. Conrad Worrill, a longtime friend, still recalls how Robinson's Crane team defeated his Hyde Park team 60-59 in the 1957 Public League semifinals. "It was Marshall and Crane and Dunbar and Du Sable at that time, the most dominant teams in the city," he said. "Tim was a gifted athlete. He played all positions in high school. He was the forerunner to players like Simeon's Jabari Parker, tall guys who could play all positions. Tim played guard and forward at Crane. He could handle the ball, shoot and rebounds. He was phenomenal in all phases of the game."
Born in Mississippi, Robinson's family moved to Chicago when he was an infant. His college career was cut short after the 1960-61 season when he and Alphra Saunders from Dunbar were dismissed from Bradley in the wake of allegations of point-shaving. Robinson was employed by the Department of Human Services for more than 20 years as a social service worker in Chicago. In later years, he became involved with his church, Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church, and was preparing to become a minister. He is survived by Yvonne "Bonnie," his wife of 38 years, three children--Christy, Bryant and Raquel -- and seven grandchildren.
https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/preps-talk/remembering-cranes-tim-robinson
September 13
September 15
The inaugural edition of the Portland Trail Blazers opened their 1st training camp today in 1970. A total of 17 players were in attendance for the 8-day camp, including 7 rookies along with a rookie coach, Rolland Todd. Todd played in the National Industrial Basketball League in 1959 and 1960 as well as in the American Basketball League in 1961 to 1963 before moving into coaching. He spent the last 5 seasons at #UNLV where he compiled a 96-40 record for the @TheRunninRebels before being hired by the Blazers.
an interview with Coach Todd can be heard at this link ... http://media.oregonlive.com/…/au…/BFT-RollandTodd2-20-12.mp3 |
The six rookies invited to the Inaugural Blazers camp include Geoff Petrie, the first pick in team history. Three rookies that will play for Portland during the season are Ron Knight, Claude English, and Walt Gilmore. Bill Cain and Walt Simon rounded out the first year players at camp.
Among the veteran Guards in camp are Rick Adelman, Jim Barnett, Stan McKenzie, and Pat Riley. Adelman, Barnett, and Riley all played for the San Diego Rockets during the 1969/70 season while McKenzie played for the Phoenix Suns. Barnett was the only player not acquired in the expansion draft as he was acquired in a trade with the Rockets for Larry Siegfried. Riley would be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the regular season starting.
The veteran Forwards in camp include Gary Gregor, Joe Kennedy, and Ed Manning. Kennedy and Manning were selected in the expansion draft from the Seattle SuperSonics and Chicago Bulls respectively. Gregor was acquired in trade from the Atlanta Hawks for Jerry Chambers, who the Blazers selected in the expansion draft. The Blazers also invited former Bradley University star Tim Robinson to their training camp. Robinson is 29-years old and is a 6-foot 6” guard/forward who averaged 16.5 points when he played for Bradley during the 1960/61. I have been unable to locate a picture of Mr. Robinson.
The veteran Centers invited are LeRoy Ellis, Dorie Murrey, and Dale Schlueter. Ellis is the oldest player in camp at 30 years of age. Murrey and Schluter are expected to be backup to Ellis
September 22
September 24
People always say things were simpler in the olden days.
Bill Ammons proved that adage back in 1970 when he dialed up the telephone operator to get ahold of the Portland Trail Blazers’ owner, Harry Glickman, to find out if he could help put on the fledgling franchise’s very first game. The best part was that Ammons wanted to bring the Blazers to Longview. Ammons was sitting in his barbershop when the idea took root and decided to give the brand new NBA owner a ring to see if he could host the team’s inaugural game at Mark Morris High School. The game wouldn’t count in the standings, but it would bring big NBA players to the small town and help to grow the fan base on the north side of the Columbia River. |
“I was about 28 years old and I loved sports my whole life. I was just sitting there and said, ‘You know what, I’m calling Harry Glickman.’ He and I just kind of clicked then. I still can’t believe I put that on,” Ammons said.
The deal that Glickman and Ammons struck stated that all the ticket money had to go to charity. The Longview Progress Center, which works to help children meet their developmental marks by age three, wound up as the financial beneficiary of the one-off arrangement. |
After weeks of planning and coordinating the game tipped off in the Monarchs’ gymnasium, now named Ted M. Natt Court, on September 24, 1970. While the official tally says 2,800 people were on hand at Mark Morris to see the Blazers budding stars, Ammons says he knows there were more.
The shiny new band of Blazers boasted a roster with familiar names such as NBA vet Stan McKenzie, Rick Adelman and former Oregon Duck Jim Barnett as they took on the Warriors, then of San Francisco. “A lot of big studs were there. They played their top guys. There was real talent out there. It was a real game,” Ammons said.
The shiny new band of Blazers boasted a roster with familiar names such as NBA vet Stan McKenzie, Rick Adelman and former Oregon Duck Jim Barnett as they took on the Warriors, then of San Francisco. “A lot of big studs were there. They played their top guys. There was real talent out there. It was a real game,” Ammons said.
Ammond, a life-long Cowlitz County resident, added that while most people were expecting a blowout the Blazers were able to keep pace in their first trip out of the gate. The 119-118 loss to the Warriors was enough to prove that the new team from Portland was for real. “I was fortunate enough to meet them all. I sat with them before the game and talked to everyone. They all said this is a cool place. The players were impressed so many people came out,” Ammons remembered.
Sitting in the front row of that game was a young teenager named Kirc Roland. Now a fixture on the radio and the athletic director of Lower Columbia College, Roland said the moment Ammons told him the Blazers were coming to town he realized the day would be historic. “I was a boy who all of a sudden had a NBA game being played in my hometown. You just had to be there. It’s a pretty cool story that a young guy like Bill (Ammons) would call Glickman and get this event here,” Roland said. |
Roland’s favorite part of the whole event occurred during warm ups. He and a friend were sitting front row thanks to Ammons who had let them in early. As the Warriors went through their preparatory paces a ball bounced Roland’s way. When none of the players came to fetch it Roland and his anonymous friend hid the roundball behind their backs and went home with a remarkable souvenir. Back in those days you couldn’t just go to the store and buy a NBA ball.” Roland also recalls that Blazers legend Jerry Lucas refused to play during the game because he thought the court floor was too hard. (I assume the writer meant Warrior legend Lucas, who played 43 minutes)
“It wasn’t until years later, when I played basketball at Mark Morris and understood what he meant,” Roland said. That offensive floor has since been replaced but a plaque commemorating the event now hangs on the wall in the hallway near the concession stand outside the gym.
Ammons believes the huge crowd, the big names, and the professional grade skills on display at the game helped to ignite many local teams. He says that after the Blazers played in Longview there were numerous new AAU teams that seemed to sprout up overnight.
“That first game was talked about for years. It spurred all these young guys up here. This crowd wasn’t used to seeing 7-foot-tall guys who could dunk like no tomorrow,” Ammons explained. “It was a real experience, a tremendous event. To get that kind of crowd was great. I feel fortunate to have been able to do it and I was just a kid. I am so proud of that.” Roland said the game remains a highlighted memory for him. To watch stars like Hall of Famer Pat Riley play in his hometown and his future high school was a once in a lifetime kind of deal. “You have got to understand it was a different time,” Roland said. “It was the 70’s. You wouldn’t see that in today’s world. The game was an exhibition game, so it didn’t really count. But it counted to Longview. It’s a little piece of history in this town because of Bill.”
“It wasn’t until years later, when I played basketball at Mark Morris and understood what he meant,” Roland said. That offensive floor has since been replaced but a plaque commemorating the event now hangs on the wall in the hallway near the concession stand outside the gym.
Ammons believes the huge crowd, the big names, and the professional grade skills on display at the game helped to ignite many local teams. He says that after the Blazers played in Longview there were numerous new AAU teams that seemed to sprout up overnight.
“That first game was talked about for years. It spurred all these young guys up here. This crowd wasn’t used to seeing 7-foot-tall guys who could dunk like no tomorrow,” Ammons explained. “It was a real experience, a tremendous event. To get that kind of crowd was great. I feel fortunate to have been able to do it and I was just a kid. I am so proud of that.” Roland said the game remains a highlighted memory for him. To watch stars like Hall of Famer Pat Riley play in his hometown and his future high school was a once in a lifetime kind of deal. “You have got to understand it was a different time,” Roland said. “It was the 70’s. You wouldn’t see that in today’s world. The game was an exhibition game, so it didn’t really count. But it counted to Longview. It’s a little piece of history in this town because of Bill.”
September 25
After two years at Fullerton, he played for the University of Utah, where he averaged 15 points per game as a senior and was an All-WAC player. Simon passed away in 2016 after many years as a coach and youth mentor.
Simon played seven seasons (1967–1974) in the American Basketball Association for the New Jersey Americans/New York Nets and Kentucky Colonels. He appeared in the 1969 ABA All-Star Game, and he scored 6,414 career points.
https://www.vanguardlions.com/article/5932.php
Simon played seven seasons (1967–1974) in the American Basketball Association for the New Jersey Americans/New York Nets and Kentucky Colonels. He appeared in the 1969 ABA All-Star Game, and he scored 6,414 career points.
https://www.vanguardlions.com/article/5932.php
September 26
First Blazer Victory!
Led by rookie Geoff Petrie's 22 points, the Portland Trail Blazers secured their first victory today vs the San Francisco / Golden State Warriors in Roseburg, OR. The Blazers put up 115 shots in the 48 minutes, 10 less than the Warriors put up but neither team shot well leading to 102 rebounds for the two teams with Gary Gregor gathering 18 rebounds in 19 minutes. LeRoy Ellis scored 19 points and held Nate Thurmond to a 3-24 shooting night. The teams will meet once more in Albany, OR tomorrow before the Blazers moving north to face the Seattle SuperSonics in Chehalis, WA |
September 27
Bill Brudvig awaits tonights NBA matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors in #Albany OR at West Albany High School. The teams have split the previous two games in Longview WA and Roseburg OR.
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September 30
The Blazers released Joe Kennedy
October 3
October 4
October 7
The Blazers trimmed their roster to 12 with the sale of Pat Riley's contract to the Los Angeles Lakers. After missing the first few days of the training camp due to the death of his father, Leon Riley, on September 13. Riley played in 5 exhibition games and scored 39 points for a 7.9 average. He had a high of 12 vs the Lakers just 5 days ago while rumours swirled that Riley might be on his way south. With this trade, of the 11 players drafted in the expansion draft in May, only six players remain on the active roster.
The Blazers also announced that rookie Bill Stricker would be given a tryout to provide backup to the forward position. Stricker was cut by the Baltimore Bullets and the Utah Stars of the ABA. |
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