Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center
Any fan who witnesses the Trail Blazers at Moda Center (formerly known as the Rose Garden) understands how Portland got the nickname "Rip City." The atmosphere is electrifying. The arena, opened in 1995, has undergone a series of renovations over the years to enhance the fan experience, including significant upgrades in 2014. From the memorabilia-lined hallways to the dozen retired jerseys presiding over the bowl, Moda Center is a place where the NBA's most knowledgeable fans relive -- and continue to experience -- basketball history.
Portland Trail Blazers 2022-23 Team Info
Conference: Western
Division: Northwest
Year Founded: 1970
Team Colors: Black, Red, White
Portland Trail Blazers History
The Trail Blazers joined the NBA in the 1970 expansion. Despite the presence of back-to-back rookies of the year Geoff Petrie and Sidney Wicks, they struggled, finishing last in their division five of their first six seasons.
Then, in a remarkable reversal, they went 49-33 in the 1976-77 season, led by big men Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas, guards Lionel Hollins and Dave Twardzik, and head coach Jack Ramsay. After defeating the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers in the first three rounds of the playoffs, they found themselves pitted against a powerhouse Philadelphia 76ers team led by Julius Erving, Caldwell Jones and George McGinnis in the NBA Finals. After losing the first two games of the series, they stormed back to win four straight to capture the franchise's only championship.
Title in hand, the Blazers would go on to make the playoffs 25 of the next 26 seasons. For 12 seasons starting in 1983, the catalyst was guard Clyde Drexler. In the 1989-90 season, with All-Star forward Buck Williams joining the team, the Blazers again made the NBA Finals, falling in five games to the Detroit Pistons. They posted a franchise-best 63-19 record the next season but succumbed to the Lakers in the Conference Finals. Another trip to the NBA Finals awaited in 1991-92, but the Blazers lost in six games to a Chicago Bulls team led by Michael Jordan.
The Blazers' forays in the playoffs continued through the 2002-03 season, with two of those trips, in 1998-99 and 1999-00, ending in losses in the conference finals.
The Trail Blazers had another good season in 2020-21, reaching the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference. They ultimately lost to a very good Nuggets team despite another standout performance from star Damian Lillard. Lillard remains the stalwart of the franchise, finishing third in scoring at 28.8 points per game and seventh in assists.
