TRAIL BLAZERS TO DEBUT HARDWOOD CLASSIC JERSEY, RECOGNIZE 1970s PLAYERS ON SATURDAY
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Trail Blazers will debut their Hardwood Classic jerseys against the Houston Rockets Saturday night. The jerseys are a replica of those worn by the 1976-77 NBA Championship, a red “road” jersey with vertical Blazers lettering and a stripe down one side.
The team will wear the Hardwood Classic jerseys on four occasions at the Rose Garden this season. At each game the jersey is worn, a different decade of Trail Blazers basketball will be recognized, beginning with the 1970s on Saturday.
Alumni of the ‘70s Trail Blazers will be on hand at the game Saturday; flashbacks, interviews and highlights from the decade will be played on the big screen; Hardwood Classics jerseys and new retro apparel will be available at the Fan Shop for the first time; 70s music, trivia and fashion will also entertain throughout the night.
The Trail Blazers wore the featured jersey for two seasons, 1975-76 and 1976-77 (their sixth and seventh year in the NBA), amassing an overall record of 86-78. Only 23 players donned the jersey style during its two-year reign, but their accomplishments assured its place in history
“We switched jerseys so often early in our history because we wanted to find the right fit,” team founder Harry Glickman said. “We wanted something both the players and the fans liked.”
Following the 1976-77 season, the Trail Blazers seemed to find ‘the right fit’. The current look has gone vastly unchanged for the past 30 years, with only minor changes to the font and trim.
Portland has worn six different uniforms during its 40-year history, with four of them coming during the first decade. The style worn from 1975-77 was the third.
Portland is one of six NBA teams participating in the NBA’s Hardwood Classics jersey program, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magice and Toronto Raptors.
A list of Portland’s Hardwood Classics/decade-themed nights:
Saturday, December 5th vs. Houston: 1970s night
Wednesday, January 27th vs. Utah: 1980s night
Tuesday, March 9th vs. Sacramento: 1990s night
Thursday, March 31st vs. New York: 2000s night
The team is also scheduled to wear the jersey on Wednesday, February 24 in Toronto.
