55 Fun Facts About Portland Trail Blazers

What name did the Trail Blazers' arena, the Rose Garden until 2013, take that year?

Moda Center came from a naming deal with Portland insurer Moda Health, and some fans started a petition to keep the Rose Garden name.

Which guard from the expansion 1970–71 Blazers later coached Portland to two NBA Finals?

Rick Adelman played Portland's first three seasons, then was promoted from assistant coach to head coach midway through 1988–89.

Which team did the Blazers beat in the 1977 NBA Finals to win the franchise's first title?

Philadelphia 76ers: Portland lost the first two games, then won four straight to take the series.

Which sports promoter led the drive that won Portland an NBA franchise in 1970?

Harry Glickman lined up three real-estate magnates to cover the $3.7 million expansion fee.

Which Blazers big man suffered a season-ending leg injury in March 2019?

Jusuf Nurkić had come to Portland along with a first-round pick in a 2017 trade for Mason Plumlee.

Which UCLA big man did the Blazers draft first overall in 1974?

Bill Walton was league MVP in 1978, then left Portland for San Diego as a free agent in 1979.

Which power forward did Portland land in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft to start for its 1977 champions?

Maurice Lucas cost Portland Geoff Petrie and Steve Hawes, whom it traded to Atlanta for the second pick.

Which future Hall of Fame center did Portland pick in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, then trade before the season?

Moses Malone was traded twice in six days that October and went on to win three MVP awards.

Which team eliminated the defending champion Blazers in 1978 after a foot injury sidelined their star center?

Seattle SuperSonics: Portland had started 1977–78 at 50–10, then went 8–14 as injuries mounted.

Which future Hall of Fame guard did the Blazers draft 14th overall in 1983?

Clyde Drexler was traded midway through 1994–95 and won the NBA title with his new team that June.

Which Kentucky big man did the Blazers pick second overall in 1984, one spot ahead of Michael Jordan?

Sam Bowie broke his leg five games into 1986–87 and played just 63 of a possible 328 games in his last four Portland seasons.

Which guard did the Blazers take out of an NAIA school with the last pick of the 1985 first round?

Terry Porter later coached the Phoenix Suns, who fired him 51 games into his only season there.

Which two future Hall of Famers from Europe did the Blazers draft in 1986?

Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović: Petrović mostly came off Portland's bench, then broke out after a 1991 trade to New Jersey.

Which two teams beat Portland in the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals?

Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls: Chicago clinched the 1992 title after Portland blew a 79–64 lead entering the fourth quarter of Game 6.

Which ten-time All-Star played for the Blazers from 2019 to 2021?

Carmelo Anthony joined Portland in November 2019 after nine months without a team, and stayed two seasons.

Which former Celtics guard did Portland acquire before posting the NBA's best record in 1990–91?

Danny Ainge came from Sacramento in exchange for Byron Irvin and two draft picks.

Which executive ran the Blazers as president and general manager from 1994 to 2003?

Bob Whitsitt stepped down in 2003, and Portland replaced him with two executives: president Steve Patterson and general manager John Nash.

Which team beat the Blazers in Game 7 of the 2000 West finals after Portland blew a big fourth-quarter lead?

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant's alley-oop to Shaquille O'Neal sealed the comeback, and they went on to win the title.

Which star did the Blazers acquire in October 1999 in a trade for six players?

Scottie Pippen, already a six-time champion, helped Portland reach the 2000 West finals.

Which nickname did the media attach to Portland's troubled teams of the early 2000s?

Marijuana citations, a locker-room fight and Bonzi Wells's remarks about fans all fed the label.

Which Blazers forward broke teammate Ruben Patterson's eye socket with a punch in a 2003 practice?

Zach Randolph was suspended two games and fined $100,000 by the team, after stepping into Patterson's argument with rookie Qyntel Woods.

Which Ohio State big man did the Blazers take first overall in 2007, one pick ahead of Kevin Durant?

Greg Oden had microfracture knee surgery before his rookie season, missed all of 2007–08, and was waived in 2012.

Which guard did the Blazers acquire on 2006 draft night for the rights to Randy Foye?

Brandon Roy was that season's Rookie of the Year, but knee problems led him to announce his retirement in 2011.

Which executive did the Blazers hire as general manager in July 2010, then fire the following May?

Rich Cho was hired by Charlotte weeks after Portland let him go.

Which forward did the Blazers get on 2006 draft night for the rights to Tyrus Thomas?

LaMarcus Aldridge had gone second overall, and after nine seasons in Portland he left as a free agent in 2015.

Portland's series-ending buzzer-beater in Game 6 of the 2014 first round beat which team?

Houston Rockets: Damian Lillard's three with 0.9 seconds left came just after Houston had taken the lead.

Which Lehigh guard did the Blazers draft 10th overall in 2013 to form a new backcourt?

CJ McCollum won Most Improved Player in 2016, the season after Portland lost four of its five starters.

Damian Lillard's 37-foot buzzer-beater ended which team's season in the 2019 first round?

Oklahoma City Thunder: they had beaten Portland in all four regular-season meetings that year.

In 2019, Portland beat which team 140–137 in a four-overtime playoff game?

Denver Nuggets: Portland later fell behind 3–2 in that series, then won the last two games.

Which Hall of Fame point guard was hired as Blazers head coach in 2021 to replace Terry Stotts?

He was placed on leave in October 2025 after an FBI gambling-related arrest.

To which team did the Blazers trade Damian Lillard in September 2023?

Milwaukee Bucks: Jrue Holiday came to Portland in the three-team deal and was flipped to Boston four days later.

Which G League Ignite guard did the Blazers draft third overall in 2023?

Scoot Henderson went third overall, and that September Portland traded Damian Lillard before Henderson's rookie season began.

Which Hurricanes owner bought the Blazers from Paul Allen's estate in 2025 for about $4.2bn?

The 'Rip City Rising' group's purchase was approved by the Board of Governors in March 2026.

Which broadcaster coined the Blazers' rallying cry 'Rip City' during the team's first season?

Bill Schonely blurted it when guard Jim Barnett hit a long shot during a Blazers rally.

The Blazers' 'pinwheel' logo is a graphic interpretation of what?

It was designed by the cousin of founder Harry Glickman and slanted in 1991.

What is the name of the Blazers' official mascot since 2002?

Blaze the Trail Cat got a sidekick in 2023: Douglas Fur, billed as a long-lost relative of the team's 1980s Bigfoot mascot.

Which coach's complaint about a Golden Gate Bridge skit got the Blazers to drop their Bigfoot mascot?

Don Nelson complained even though his team had just routed Portland 151–127.

The grayscale plaid on several Blazers 'City' uniforms is a homage to which former coach?

Jack Ramsay coached the 1977 champions, and Portland retired No. 77 in his honor though he never played for the team.

The Blazers' 2022–23 City uniform filled its chest sash with a pattern inspired by what?

Portland's airport carpet: the airport replaced the original carpet, then brought its design back for the new main terminal in 2024.

Which team eliminated the Blazers in the 2016 and 2017 playoffs, then swept them in the 2019 West finals?

Golden State Warriors: they swept Portland in 2019 without Kevin Durant, who missed the whole series with a calf strain.

Which two coaches won NBA Coach of the Year with the Blazers?

Mike Schuler won as a first-year coach in 1987 and Mike Dunleavy in 1999, and Portland fired each about two years later.

Which UCLA forward was the NBA's Rookie of the Year for Portland in 1971–72?

Sidney Wicks was sold to Boston in October 1976, and Portland won the NBA title that season.

Through 2025, the Blazers have drafted first overall four times, each time taking which position?

Center: Portland got the 1978 top pick in a trade with Indiana and used it on Mychal Thompson.

Whom did the Blazers take first overall in 1972, one pick ahead of future MVP Bob McAdoo?

LaRue Martin later went to work for UPS, starting out as a driver in the mid-1980s.

Which Portland arena, built in 1960 and seating under 13,000, was the Blazers' home until 1995?

It still stands next to the Moda Center and was renamed Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 2011.

Which young forward did the Blazers trade to Indiana in 2000 for Dale Davis?

Jermaine O'Neal had joined Portland straight out of high school, then became a six-time All-Star in Indiana.

Besides the Blazers, which two pro teams did Paul Allen own or co-own?

Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders: Allen bought the Seahawks after their owner had tried to move them to California.

Who coached the Trail Blazers in their first NBA season, 1970-71?

Rolland Todd was released during his second season, and Portland missed the playoffs in each of its first six years.

Which two other franchises joined the NBA alongside Portland as 1970 expansion teams?

Cleveland Cavaliers and Buffalo Braves: the Braves moved to San Diego in 1978 and became the Clippers.

At 35, Paul Allen held what distinction when he bought the Blazers in 1988?

Youngest owner in the Big Four sports: Allen then helped fund the Rose Garden, which opened in 1995.

From which team did the Blazers acquire Isaiah Rider in 1996, soon after his arrest for marijuana possession?

Minnesota Timberwolves: Portland sent James Robinson, Bill Curley and a first-round pick for him.

Which coach's first Blazers season, 2012–13, ended with a 13-game losing streak?

Terry Stotts then took Portland to the playoffs in each of the next eight seasons.

To which team did the Blazers trade Damian Lillard's longtime backcourt partner in February 2022?

New Orleans Pelicans: Portland also sent Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell, getting Josh Hart back in the deal.

Which forward did the Blazers acquire from the Washington Wizards in July 2024?

Deni Avdija cost Portland Malcolm Brogdon, the 14th pick and several future picks.

Which assistant became the Blazers' interim head coach after the head coach's arrest in October 2025?

Tiago Splitter then guided Portland to a 42–40 record and the 2026 playoffs.