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@backtothebasket.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 6:48 PM

Free copies of No Look Magazine at the shop! These guys did a great job on this 🤝 #ripcity

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 3:41 PM

September 20, 1979 - Two days after NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien announced the compensation package to Portland for the San Diego Clippers signing of Bill Walton, there are reports that the players may not report to Portland.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory

The attorney for Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert, who were to join the Blazers in Minnesota for a preseason game vs the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow, has advised his clients to not report to Portland until further notice. He told the players after learning that a federal judge has voided the compensation package awarded to the Seattle Super Sonics by the New York Knicks for the signing of Marvin Webster. The NBPA has indicated the union may challenge the Walton compensation as well.

In addition, the Clippers have asked for an extension to the 48 hours they had regarding Randy Smith, the third player awarded to Portland. The Clippers are looking to move Smith for a draft pick that would be used to transfer to Portland.

As well, reports are that the Blazers first round draft choice Kelvin Ransey is asking for a contract worth $400K a year, but the Blazers are only offering $200K per year.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 3:35 PM

There are 30 days remaining before the Blazers open the 2026/27 season. This year, Draft Positions is the order of the countdown.

There have been three players selected by Portland with the 30th pick, with all three players playing for the Blazers.

#RipCity

Selected with the final pick of the second round in the 1972 NBA Draft, Ollie Johnson did not play organized basketball until he attended Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), and Temple Univ. after that. The 6’-6” forward nearly was the fifth rookie in NBA History to shoot .500 from the field, finishing at .497 after going 2-for-8 in his final game. After two seasons in Portland Johnson was selected by the expansion New Orleans Jazz, but was traded to the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, spending two plus seasons there. Johnson totaled 10 years in the NBA, averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 690 games. Johnson returned to CCP in the athletic department, becoming the Athletic Director from 1991-2011.

Drafted in the 1987 NBA Draft, Nikita Wilson finished his college career at LSU with 1,384 points and 699 rebounds, becoming the 11th Tiger player to finish with over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. The 6’-8” forward got a little lost in the shuffle, as he was more suited for the small forward instead of the power forward, which the Blazers planned to him. Wilson played 54 minutes over 15 games in his sole season in Portland, before playing in France for two seasons. He continued playing in the CBA until 1996.

The last pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Joel Freeland had been playing professionally for year before the Blazers selected the 6’-11” center. Freeland continued to play in Spain until joining the Blazers in 2012, playing 151 games over the next three seasons. Only the 10th player from the United Kingdom, Freeland averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12 minutes of action. After his release from the Blazers in 2015, Freeland returned to playing in European leagues and in Russia.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 12:40 AM

September 19, 1980 - Ron Brewer and Sidney Moncrief last shared a court in Arkansas on Feb. 25, 1978, when they combined to lead the Razorbacks past TCU and into the SW Conference Tournament.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory

The duo, along with Marvin Delph, led Arkansas into the schools first Final Four appearance. After losing to eventual champion Kentucky, the Razorbacks to a third place finish, topping Norte Dame.

Today, Moncrief and the Milwaukee Bucks proved to be the better team, defeating Brewer and the Blazers 115-107 in the Blazers first exhibition game of the season. Moncrief finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes, while Brewer scored 18 points.

The teams travel to Fayetteville for the next exhibition game in two days.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 19, 2026, 5:01 PM

September 19, 1974 - The Blazers open their fifth annual training camp with a new coach and a new number 1 pick.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory

Lenny Wilkens, who retired as a player after the 1973/74 season ended, enters the Portland annals as the fourth coach in team history. "We are going to be a very competitive team. We will be a contender soon. I can't say how soon, but soon."

Unlike 1972, when the Blazers opened camp with a new coach (Jack McCloskey) and the first pick in the NBA Draft (LaRue Martin), Bill Walton has lifted expectations of the team that finished 27-55 last season.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 19, 2026, 4:41 PM

September 19, 2018 - The Blazers announce a multi-year agreement with Performance Health, which will include a first ever jersey patch on the Blazers uniform.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 19, 2026, 4:38 PM

There are 31 days remaining before the Blazers open the 2026/27 season. This year, Draft Positions is the order of the countdown.

There have been 3 players selected by Portland with the 31st pick, with one player having his uniform hang from the rafters of the Rose Garden.

#RipCity

Hailing from Talbottom Georgia, Lloyd Neal was the first pick in the third round of the 1972 NBA Draft and quickly secured the starting center position despite standing 6’-7". Neal grabbed a team record 967 rebounds his rookie year, a number that still has not been topped in team history. Neal finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, after averaging 13.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. In the 1977/78, Neal suffered what would turn into a career-ending knee injury when he collided with Maurice Lucas in a game against the Knicks. After playing in four games to start the following season, he hung it up for good, and became the first Portland player to have his number retired on March 24, 1979.

After starting all 121 games of his college career at TCU, Reggie Smith was selected by the Blazers in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft. The 6’-10” center played 23 games in his rookie year with Portland, jumping to 43 games in his second season. Smith averaged 1.5 points 1.8 rebounds in 5 minutes of action during his time with the Blazers. After leaving Portland Smith played in Europe until suffering an injury that ended his career in 1996.

James White was selected by the Blazers in the 2006 NBA Draft but traded the same day to the Indiana Pacers for two future picks. White was released by the Pacers prior to the 2006/07 season, in what Pacers coach Rick Carlisle saying it was the most difficult cut he had been involved with in his coaching career. The 6’-7” forward signed with the San Antonio Spurs three days later, playing 6 games with the Spurs but a majority of the season with the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League. White played in Turkey in 2008/09 season, with a 4-game detour back in the NBA with the Rockets. White played in Russia and Italy before playing 57 games with the Knicks in 2013. He played in Europe until retiring in 2020 and started coaching. White currently is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

@ethosfantasynba.bsky.social Sep 19, 2026, 3:57 PM

Portland’s backcourt is crowded. 👀

Deni Avdija is coming off a breakout year, Donovan Clingan keeps climbing, while Dame, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday & Scoot all need touches.

Mike Passador breaks down the #FantasyBasketball outlook 👇
sportsethos.com/articles/nba...

#RipCity

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 18, 2026, 5:06 PM

There are 32 days remaining before the Blazers open the 2026/27 season. This year, Draft Positions is the order of the countdown.

There has been only one player selected by Portland with the 32nd pick, and he did not play a regular season game with the Blazers.

#RipCity

A 6’-9” forward from McNeese State, David Lawrence was the second player the Blazers selected in the 1980 Draft. Lawerence scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Blazers annual rookie game, earning a trip to Los Angeles for summer league action. In his first preseason game, Lawrence scored 8 points, and grabbed 4 rebounds in 14 minutes. Lawrence was the last cut prior to the regular season game, but soon headed to Europe to continue playing for the next nine years.

Lawrence finished his college career, scoring 1,938 points and grabbing 1,026, becoming the third Cowboy to top 1K points and 1K rebounds, with one player being his brother Edmund. Lawrence passed away in 2017, two years after his older brother.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Sep 18, 2026, 3:33 PM

September 18, 1979 - NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien announced the compensation package granted to the Blazers for the signing of Bill Walton by the San Diego Clippers in May.

#RipCity #ThisDateinBlazersHistory

The Clippers are to send to Portland forward Kermit Washington, center Kevin Kunnert, and the Clippers 1980 first round pick. O'Brien also included All-Star guard Randy Smith in the compensation, but gave the San Diego the option to keep Smith, and send a 1982 First Round pick and $350K to Portland in lieu of Smith.

Portland owner Larry Weinberg said, "We are delighted to acquire the contracts of Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert and possibly Randy Smith." He added disappointment that the Blazers didn't receive more future draft picks.

O'Brien cited the 1975 trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers, who sent four players and $1M to Milwaukee for the former NBA MVP, similar to Waltons' status. "If Walton in his first five years had proven as durable as Chamberlain, Russell, or Abdul-Jabbar, it would be virtually impossible to calculate his value or to compensate Portland for its loss."

@krismaer.bsky.social Sep 18, 2026, 12:23 AM

We were spoiled by the Weinbergs and Paul Allen. Mr. Dundon is not making many friends here at Rip City. At 2.3 billion he is on the low end of owners. #RipCity rules.

www.sbnation.com/nba/1111802/...

@backtothebasket.bsky.social Sep 17, 2026, 10:18 PM

We just posted about free Portland Fire 🔥 tickets for tonight’s game on our IG! Any group of 7 🎫 want em?

225 J Seat 7-13 #ripcity

@backtothebasket.bsky.social Sep 17, 2026, 7:20 PM

Beautiful scarf $20 - DM to claim. Venmo preferred ❤️ #ripcity

@dloitz.bsky.social Sep 17, 2026, 6:22 PM

MLB to Raleigh! #ripcity

@backtothebasket.bsky.social Sep 17, 2026, 6:16 PM

Find friends at Back to the Basket! 📍 #ripcity

@kerryeggers.bsky.social Sep 17, 2026, 4:02 PM

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