The Portland Trail Blazers entered the NBA in 1970 as an expansion franchise with no history, no stars, and no guarantee of survival. Larry Weinberg was the man who bet on them anyway. As the team's principal owner from the franchise's earliest years, Weinberg shepherded a struggling organization through lean seasons, financial pressures, and the growing pains of a city still learning to love professional basketball.
Weinberg's most important decision came in 1974, when he hired Jack Ramsay as head coach. That hire changed everything. Ramsay built a system, identified the right players, and developed the culture that would culminate in the 1977 NBA championship — the only title in Trail Blazers history. Without Weinberg's patience and willingness to invest in the right people, there is no Ramsay, and without Ramsay, there is no championship.
Beyond the front-office decisions, Weinberg was known in Portland as an accessible, community-minded owner who took his role as a civic steward seriously. He was not an absentee businessman — he was present, engaged, and genuinely committed to seeing basketball succeed in the Pacific Northwest. His relationship with fans and the Portland community helped establish the intense loyalty that defines Rip City culture to this day.
Weinberg sold the franchise in 1988 after nearly two decades as owner, leaving behind a team that had won a championship, built a devoted following, and established one of the most passionate fan bases in professional basketball.
The Trail Blazers retired #1 to honor the man who made all of it possible. Larry Weinberg did not play a minute of professional basketball, but without him, there would have been no Portland Trail Blazers to cheer for. That is worth a number in the rafters.
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