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@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 10, 2026, 12:06 AM

October 9, 2001 - The Memphis Grizzlies made their debut a victorious one, defeating the Blazers 99-95 in front of 14,250 fans at The Pyramid.

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"It's been a long time since I heard a crowd like that," said Memphis forward Lorenzen Wright. "Crowds in the NBA don't get like that until the playoffs."

Michael Dickerson led Memphis with 20 points, with Jason Williams adding 19 points and 11 assists. Wright added 13 points and 13 rebounds and front court mate Stromile Swift recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie Shane Battier finished with 11 points and 7 steals.

For Portland, Derek Anderson scored 20 points and Damon Stoudamire added 16. The game was the debut of rookie coach Maurice Cheeks, who wasn't too worried. "This is our first preseason game. Obviously, everything is not going to be the way we want it."

The Grizzlies moved from Vancouver, Canada during the summer after six years. Besides falling attendance, the move was needed after the lockout of 1998 and the weakening of the Canadian dollar to US currency.

@dloitz.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 9:37 PM

Hey Sports teams with fun mascots.... kids shirts should not start at 30 dollars! Do you want to build fan bases... have affordable kid options. Not paying 30 dollars for a shirt that will last a few months. #PORTLANDFIRE #RIPCITY

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 5:21 PM

October 9, 1983 - The Blazers and Seattle Super Sonics opened the brand new Tacoma Dome to NBA play, with the Blazers cruising to an easy preseason victory in front of 11,068 fans in the new stadium.

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With Portland starters Jim Paxson and Darnell Valentine sidelined, third-year guard Jeff Lamp started and led the Blazers with 27 points in 39 minutes. Second-year guard Fat Lever added 17 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals in 30 minutes. Mychal Thompson finished with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Al Wood led the Sonics with 23 points, connecting on 11-of-12 free throw attempts. The Sonics plan to play 4 games this coming season in the new Dome arena.

The game, which featured 87 free throw attempts, and 81 fouls, between the teams, was refereed by officials from the Continental Basketball Assoc. as NBA Officials have been locked out during the preseason games.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 5:20 PM

October 9, 1971 - For the third night in a row, the Blazers suffered a loss against the Houston Rockets in their former home. Portland finished the preseason with a 2-8 record.

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After playing in Grants Pass and Klamath Falls, the two teams headed for the sunny beaches of San Diego, the town the Rockets called home until the team was sold in June to a Houston Investment group.

Sidney Wicks again led the Blazers, scoring 34 points and 10 rebounds. He filled out the rest of the stat sheet with 3 blocks, 4 steals, and 5 assists in 42 minutes. Stan McKenzie added 17 points, with Dale Schlueter adding 12 points and 10 rebounds. Portland outscored the Rockets at the free throw line 26 to 16, but lost the game from the field, 98-76.

For the Rockets, Calvin Murphy scored 21 points and was credited with 5 assists, while All-Star forward Elvin Hayes finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, 8 blocks, 2 steals, and 3 assists.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 4:17 PM

There are 12 days remaining before the Blazers open the 2026/27 season. This year, Draft Positions is the order of the countdown. Only one player was ever selected by the Blazers with the 12th pick

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The Blazers selection in the 1979 NBA Draft developed into the player the Portland front office had expected. Not only did Jim Paxson became the first Blazers player to ever top the 10,000 career point total, but the Dayton native became the fifth Portland player to be a two-time NBA All-Star, and the third player to earn All-League status. Paxson twice topped the 20-point average, becoming the fourth Blazer to average over 20 points in two separate seasons and with two 40-plus games, Paxson was the third Blazer to top 40 points more than once.

After 627 games in nine years, Paxson was traded to the Celtics in 1988, but returned to Portland after retiring in 1990, working with the broadcast side as well as an assistant GM until being hired by Cleveland to be the VP of Basketball Operations.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 5:41 AM

October 8, 1976 - The Denver Nuggets David Thompson provided some excitement for the 7,718 Blazers fans in the Memorial Coliseum when he shattered the glass backboard with a dunk midway thru the fourth quarter.

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Thompson, the ABA ROY winner last year, suffered minor cuts upon his face and body from the flying glass. While not serious, he did not return to the game. “I’m okay (but) I just had bits of glass inside my uniform and some penetrated the skin." Thompson finished with a team-high 18 points in 22 minutes. It took 34 minutes for the Coliseum crew to replace the board before the game could resume.

Bill Walton led the Blazers with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocked shots, while Maurice Lucas added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Herm Gilliam provided 16 points off the bench.

Prior to the game, it was announced that the New Orleans Jazz had returned Sidney Wicks back to Portland. Traded on Sept. 2, a condition of the trade was for Wicks to agree to a new contract, as he is entering his option year. Once it was realized that the two sides were unable to come to an agreement, the Jazz chose to return Wicks to the Blazers.

Larry Weinberg, the Blazers President and co-owner, has already said the team is talking to other teams about Wicks. Rumors are the Boston Celtics, the Seattle Supersonics, and the Los Angeles Lakers are all interested in acquiring the four-time NBA All-Star, who has averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds in 398 games for Portland.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 4:51 AM

October 8, 2010 - The Blazers suffered through a preseason loss at Denver, as Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points in 24 minutes.

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Luke Babbitt led the injured Blazers with 18 points, with Dante Cunningham adding 15 more. Portland was playing without Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, and Joel Przybilla. In addition, Jeff Pendergraph suffered an ACL injury in a game against the Utah Jazz yesterday, and has been ruled out for the season.

Entering his eighth season with Denver, Anthony was roundly cheered by the home crowd, as the fans look forward to the three-time All-Star re-upping with the Nuggets. Denver has offered to extend Anthony's contract, but he has yet to sign.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 4:26 AM

October 8 1987 - The Blazers have offered free agent Ralph Sampson of the Houston Rockets a contract that would pay the 7'-4" center in excess of $2M per year, according to his agent Gene Perry.

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The offer sheet is for six years, said Portland President Harry Glickman, though the thought of compensation has not been brought up as yet.

Sampson was the No. 1 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft and the 1983/84 Rookie of the Year. He has averaged 20 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game in 4 years with the Rockets. The four-year All-Star center had only missed three games in his first three years, but injuries limited him to 43 games in the 1986/87 season.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 4:14 AM

October 8, 2015 - The Blazers breezed past the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors with Allen Crabbe scoring a team-high 25 points.

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Crabbe, who's previous best in a regular or preseason game had been 13 points, was 9-for-12 from the field in the win. Damian Lillard struggled from the field, shooting 3-for-18, did connect on 15-of 17 from the free throw line, finished with 22 points.

Steph Curry, who led all scorers with 30 points, was 12-of-15 from the free throw line for the Warriors.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 12:01 AM

October 8, 2019 - The Blazers start their 50th season by putting on a 70's theme for the preseason game against the Denver Nuggets.

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Playing in the Memorial Coliseum instead of the Rose Garden, the Blazers wore replica 1977 uniforms, and unveiled the 50th Anniversary floor that will be used during the 2019/20 season. In attendance were first year players Geoff Petrie, Jim Barnett, and Shaler Halimon, as well as first year coach Rolland Todd.

Bill Schonely greeted the fans before the game around the concourse. The Blazers legendary voice had a nice chat one of my interns and I.

@blazershistory.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 11:55 PM

There are 13 days remaining before the Blazers open the 2026/27 season. This year, Draft Positions is the order of the countdown. Two players were selected by the Blazers with the 16th pick but only one would wear the Blazers uniform, though the other nearly did.

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