The Portland Trail Blazers had a tough start in the NBA by missing the playoffs in their first six seasons since joining the league in 1970 as an expansion team. But since winning the title in 1977, they have only missed the postseason 10 times.
A big part of this sustained success was the players they selected in the NBA Draft, as they boosted their NBA championship odds significantly. Thanks to these players, Portland was excluded from the list of NBA teams that have never won a championship. Three superstars stood out among the hundreds of franchise picks in their team history.
Bill Walton
In 1974, the Trail Blazers' fate was forever changed when they drafted Bill Walton as their first overall pick. Walton was the first legitimate big man with excellent passing ability, packaged with his elite scoring and rebounding skills. In his rookie year, the UCLA standout averaged a double-double of 12.8 points and 12.6 rebounds with 4.8 assists and 2.7 blocks.
“It was a magical time.”