Portland Trail Blazers 2012 NBA Preview:
While the post-lockout era began with sad news for Trailblazers fans—the too-early retirement of one of their native sons, Brandon Roy—what is left on the court is enough to carry them on. Forward LaMarchcus Aldridge is one of the most exciting and intriguing in the league, and his breakout 2010-11 season left fans in the Rose City eagerly anticipating what he can do to follow it up. With the forever-young Marchcus Camby and a group of young players like guard Wes Matthews and forward Nicolas Batum, the Trailblazers were emerging, but it was the mid-season trade for forward Gerald Wallace from Charlotte is what made them stronger and a true playoff contender. Traded at the deadline, Wallace brought a ferocious play that might have been missing from the Blazers, evidenced by his leading the team in steals despite his limited time there. With a whole training camp and start of the season soon to be under their collective belts, The Portland Trailblazers will be one of the more intriguing teams to watch in the NBA.
Recommended Trailblazers Games
Trailblazers vs. Miami Heat (March 1) – Who doesn’t want to see Lebron & D-Wade take on the Trail Blazers?
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS FRANCHISE FACTS:
Founded: 1970
Location: Portland, Oregon
Stadium: Rose Garden Arena
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Northwest Division
Mascot: Blaze
Dancers: BlazerDancers
Notable Players: Clyde Drexler, Bill Walton
Portland Trail Blazers Championship Titles: 1
Portland Trail Blazers Conference Titles: 3
See Also:
Portland Trail Blazers Playoff tickets
Portland Trail Blazers Season Preview History
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS EXPERIENCE:
The Trail Blazers, who were originally known as just the Blazers, were acquired by Portland in 1970 following the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball League. Although the Blazers were hardly a contender early on, the team eventually grew to become one of the most dominating teams of the decade.
The franchise won its first championship title in 1977, which was also the first time the team recorded a winning season, finishing the year 49-33. Portland made it to the postseason and ended up facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals, who eventually lost to them in six games.
Following their first championship win, the Trail Blazers started out the 1978 season with a bang, going an astonishing 50-10 after the first 60 games of the season. A big contributor to this streak was Bill Walton, who finished his career with two championships to his name and was honored as the Most Valuable Player in 1977. However, Portland's fire began to fade, and the franchise ended the year 58-24 after Walton suffered an injury. The team ended up losing in the conference semifinals that season. Although Walton left the team shortly after the injury, he was valued for his contribution to the franchise and was eventually inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Trail Blazers also retired the jersey he wore while playing with the team - number 12.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the Trail Blazers began to heat up again and get back to their winning ways. The squad's best season came in 1990-91 when they finished 63-19. The team ended up reaching the finals twice more in 1990 and 1992, but lost to the Pistons and Bulls respectively, before entering another rebuilding period, focusing on bringing in younger, talented players that have kept the Trail Blazers one of the better teams in the Western Conference during most of the 2000s.
Portland Trail Blazers Ticket Information:
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