 The Portland Trail Blazers have been bringing basketball to the Northwest since 1970. Thos first few seasons were difficult, but the team grew around Bill Walton. After Maurice Lucas was added to the team through the ABA dispersal draft, the Trail Blazers turned things around quickly. Portland finished the season 49-33, getting into the playoffs for the first team after posting its first winning record. Walton was the focus of the team. His incredible defense and offense (whether rebounding, blocking shots, scoring, or passing) took the surprise team to the NBA championship, beating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. Fans salivated over the possibility of a dynasty, but the oft injured Walton left the team in 1979, unhappy with the medical treatment he was receiving. Lucas soon left and the Portland Trail Blazers had to start over. This time, the team quickly picked up key players like Clyde Drexler, Jim Paxson, Mychael Thompson, and Wayne Cooper. The team became a constant threat in the 1980s, but reached the NBA Finals in 1992 with Drexler, Kevin Duckworth, Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams, and Terry Porter. The team that had weathered the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Detroit Pistons met the Chicago Bulls in the finals. Michael Jordan led the Bulls to victory in six games and that chapter with that roster ended. The team remained a playoff team, but first round losses were all that the postseason held for the Portland Trail Blazers until 1999. Fresh off the players strike, the Blazers went to the conference finals. Portland was back with players like Rasheed Wallace, Arvydas Sabonis, Scottie Pippen, and Damon Stoudamire. This time the Lakers and the Spurs blocked their path. The team, unable to overcome the eventual champions seemingly every year, broke down into a dark period called the Jail Blazers. Since those days in the early years of the first decade of the 21st century, the team has moved on and started with a new collection of talent.
|
