Founded in 1970 as an NBA expansion team, the Portland Trail Blazers—commonly known as just the Blazers—have a storied history that spans nearly half a century. Since their inception, they’ve won 5 division titles, 3 conference championships, and took home an NBA Finals victory in 1977. With Hall of Famers such as Clyde Dexter, Arvydas Sabonis, and Scottie Pippen, the team went on to appear in 21 consecutive playoffs between 1983 and 2003, giving them the second-longest playoff run in NBA history behind the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blazers have amassed a major fan following, and from 1977 through 1995, they sold out more than 800 straight home games, the longest streak of any American pro sports team at the time. Today, with new stars like Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic, the Blazers continue to sell out tickets for home games at Portland’s Moda Center.
Though the Portland Trail Blazers didn’t see success in their early years, things took a rapid turn in 1977 when they not only earned their first winning season, but went on to win the NBA Championship in a 6-game battle over the 76ers. Towering center Bill Walton was named NBA Finals MVP, and the NBA regular season MVP the very next year. Following Walton’s trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, the team returned to the playoffs 10 more times between 1979 and 1989—only missing the ‘82 playoffs—but they failed to make it past the Conference Semifinals.
The Blazers’ next best era of success began with the 1989–90 season, when they won the Western Conference title, though ultimately lost in the finals to the Detroit Pistons. They returned to the playoffs every season for 13 more years, taking 3 division titles and another conference championship in 1992. Unfortunately, in 2003, the team hit a period of decline, and the Blazers failed to make the playoffs for 5 straight seasons. Led by NBA All-Star Brandon Roy, the Blazers returned again in 2009, ‘10, and ‘11, but never made it past the opening round.
The Portland Trail Blazers will begin their 2022-23 regular season campaign on the road at Sacremento on Wednesday, October 19 before returning to Moda Center for their home opener against Phoenix Suns on Friday, October 21. The 2022–23 Portland Trail Blazers season will be the 53rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association.
