This will be the 50th season of basketball in Portland, as the Trail Blazers were born in time for the 1970-71 campaign. As such, the team is taking steps to celebrate its history this year, and given its beloved uniforms, nothing can do a better job of that than a good old fashioned throwback jersey. And so, the Blazers unveiled their newest set of uniforms on Sunday, though they already hold a special place in team history. These are the uniforms worn by the team when they won their only championship during the 1976-77 season.
Ironically, these uniforms were not the first ones that the Blazers wore upon their conception as a franchise. They initially wore a more traditional jersey with their team name written horizontally, as is the case with most uniforms, rather than vertically, as is the case with these. They only made the switch in 1974, in time for the arrival of Bill Walton, who narrates the video above. He was the centerpiece of the championship team in 1977, so despite these uniforms not hitting their 50-year anniversary just yet, they are still the logical choice in honoring the team’s early, and best, years.
If nothing else, the fans certainly seem to approve of the choice.
The Blazers should have no trouble selling out of these jerseys when they go on sale.
As much as the fans seem to love these uniforms, they weren’t in circulation for very long. Portland switched to a design that resembles its current uniform far more closely right after the championship in 1977, with the only major change being the font of the word “Portland.” Changing uniforms after a championship is an extreme rarity in sports, and so many Blazers fans never got to properly enjoy them.
They will this season, as Blazers will wear these uniforms for five regular-season home games this season as well as the preseason opener on Oct. 8. Dates for when they will wear the uniforms have not yet been announced, but if the reaction to this announcement is any indication, these jerseys should receive a very warm welcome when they are worn in action.
