The 1970–71 Portland Trail Blazers season was the inaugural season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In their first regular season game on October 16, 1970, they beat the fellow expansion Cleveland Cavaliers 115–112, with 4,273 people in attendance. The Trail Blazers played a regular season home game at McArthur Court in Eugene, Oregon on February 19, 1971, against the Cincinnati Royals. Portland was defeated by Cincinnati, 102–109. Portland finished last in the Pacific Division with a record of .350. Of the three expansion teams, their record was the best; with seven more wins than the Buffalo Braves and fourteen more than the Cavaliers. The leading scorer for the Blazers was Geoff Petrie; he averaged 24.8 points per game and shared Rookie of the Year honors with Boston Celtics star Dave Cowens.

Offseason

NBA draft

Expansion draft

Roster

Pre-season

The Trail Blazers convened their preseason camp on September 14, 1970. Sixteen players reported to camp, which was held in the gymnasium at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Pat Riley was unable to attend the camp due to the death in his father. Players reported to drills at 10 am and 4 pm. The first players to be cut from camp were third round draft pick Bill Cain and Tim Robinson, who had played for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1961 to 1965.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Transactions

Media

On September 13, 1970, the Trail Blazers announced that KPTV would broadcast 12 road games (all in color) during their inaugural season. Jimmy Jones was Portland's play-by-play announcer on television.

Awards and honors