Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired #30: Bob Gross
Bob Gross was Portland's defensive secret weapon in 1977 — the player who held Julius Erving in check and helped deliver the only championship in franchise history.
5 min
Category
Basketball Culture
The history, stories, rivalries, and cultural impact of basketball around the world.
136 articles
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired #13: Dave Twardzik
Dave Twardzik arrived in Portland as an unheralded ABA import and left as a champion. The story of the quiet playmaker who made the Blazers go.
5 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Phoenix Suns Retired Tom Chambers's Jersey Number 24
Tom Chambers was the first unrestricted free agent to change teams — and he chose Phoenix. Here's why the Suns retired his #24 jersey in 2021.
9 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Phoenix Suns Retired Walter Davis's Jersey Number 6
Walter "The Greyhound" Davis defined Suns basketball for over a decade. Here's why Phoenix immortalized #6 in the rafters of what is now the Footprint Center.
9 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Geoff Petrie's #45: The Franchise's First Star
Geoff Petrie co-won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1971, averaged 24.8 points per game at his peak, and became the standard for Trail Blazers excellence before injuries ended his career at 28. Why #45 is the first great number in Rip City history.
8 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Jack Ramsay's #77: The Architect of Portland's Only Championship
Jack Ramsay coached the Trail Blazers for ten seasons, won the 1977 NBA Championship, and built a team-first philosophy that became the foundation of Rip City basketball. Here's why a coach's number belongs in the rafters.
8 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Terry Porter's #30: Eleven Seasons of Quiet Greatness in Rip City
Terry Porter was Portland's floor general for eleven seasons — two All-Star appearances, two Finals runs, and 15+ points per game from a Division III guard who was never supposed to make it this far. Here's why #30 belongs in the rafters.
9 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Maurice Lucas' #20: The Enforcer Who Made the Championship Possible
Maurice Lucas averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in the 1977 NBA Finals, providing the physical dominance that allowed Bill Walton to be Bill Walton. His #20 honors the enforcer who turned Portland into champions.
9 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Clyde Drexler's #22: The Glide and the Soul of Rip City
Clyde Drexler spent twelve seasons as the face of Portland basketball — ten All-Star appearances, two NBA Finals runs, and a Hall of Fame career that defined what it meant to be a Trail Blazer. Here's why #22 belongs in the rafters.
10 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired Bill Walton's #32: The Greatest Season a Blazer Ever Played
Bill Walton's 1977 NBA Finals performance — 19.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 8 blocks per game — remains the most dominant individual championship series in Portland history. Here's why #32 belongs in the rafters forever.
11 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Suns Retired Alvan Adams's #33: Thirteen Seasons, One Franchise, One Defining Loyalty
Alvan Adams spent every one of his 13 NBA seasons as a Phoenix Sun. The 1976 Rookie of the Year and Finals participant gave the franchise something rare: a player who never left.
8 min
Basketball Culture
Why the Suns Retired Dick Van Arsdale's #5: The Original Sun and the Man Who Started It All
Dick Van Arsdale was the very first Phoenix Sun — selected in the 1968 expansion draft that brought the franchise to life. His #5 honors the player who gave the organization its identity.
8 min