History of The Portland Trail Blazers - Fan Support and "Blazermania"

Fan Support and "Blazermania"

The relationship between the team and its fans, commonly known as "Blazermania", has been well-chronicled. The Trail Blazers have long been one of the NBA's top draws, with the exception of two periods in the team's history. The team drew poorly during its first four seasons of existence, failing to average more than 10,000 spectators per game. Attendance increased in 1974, when the team drafted Bill Walton.

The phenomenon known as Blazermania started during the 1976–1977 season, when the team posted its first winning record, made its first playoff appearance, and captured its only NBA title, defeating the heavily-favored Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals; the team has been wildly popular in Portland since that time. That season, the team started their sellout streak which continued until the team moved into the Rose Garden in 1995. The team continued to average over 19,000 spectators per game until the 2003–04 season.

Attendance declined significantly in the 2003–04 season, as the team continued to suffer image problems due to the "Jail Blazer" reputation it had gained, and was no longer competitive on the court. Writing for the New York Times, NBA columnist Chris Broussard remarked that Blazermania was "dead". A series of management miscues, including the Rose Garden arena bankruptcy, took a further toll on attendance, and the team posted two straight seasons with less than thirty wins, including the worst campaign of the 2005-06 NBA season with 21 wins and 61 losses. After drafting eventual Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy in 2006, attendance climbed a bit in the 2006–07 season, as the team was more competitive and posted a 32–50 record. Many expected that the selection of Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Draft would cause attendance to increase. Prior to his season-ending knee surgery, season ticket sales were markedly up. Even with Oden on crutches on the sideline, the team's 2007–08 home opener, a 93–90 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, was a sellout. The season culminated in 32 sold-out home games, of which the final 27 home games were consecutive sell-outs.