Portland Trail Blazers · Franchise era 2 of 7
After Walton: the Portland Trail Blazers story
Franchise era
1977–78—1985–86
After Walton
Portland Trail Blazers
The story in one sentence
Walton's injuries broke the defending champion, yet Portland began a long streak of postseason appearances.
01
A playoff fixture searches for another star
02
Mychal Thompson, Jim Paxson and Kiki VanDeWeghe gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the drexler finals teams.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1977–78
What came before
Jack Ramsay's passing team came together suddenly and won the 1977 championship in its first playoff appearance.
1978
Western Conference First Round: Portland Trail Blazers vs Seattle SuperSonics
1983
Western Conference Semifinals: Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers
1985
Western Conference Semifinals: Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Lakers
After 1985–86
What came next
A balanced, athletic roster reached the Finals in 1990 and 1992 and won 63 games at its peak.
The core