Bill Schonley Retires From Trail Blazers After 52 Years With Team

PORTLAND, OR — It's hard to overstate how much Bill Schonley has meant to not just The Portland Trail Blazers but to the region. It may be impossible.

He was the founding play by play person for the team, hired in 1970 – their first season – by team founder, Harry Glickman.

Except for some "time off" during the 1982-83 season when he had heart surgery and took the time to recover, Schonley worked the play by play role for 30 year straight years. During that the, he called more than 2,500 games.

Perhaps his single greatest contribution was coining the phrase "Rip City" to denote a basket.

Now, after 52 years with the team – the last 22 as an ambassador the Blazders – Schonley has decided to take a break. He's 92 years old.

"Bill has been a fixture of the Trail Blazers organization since its inception and will continue to be forever engrained in this city," the team's president of business operations, Dewayne Hankins, said.

"We thank Bill immensely for his 50+ years of hard work and everything he has given our organization, the city of Portland and the entire NBA community."

He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 20212, he received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his work as an outstanding broadcaster.

The team wil honor Schonley on Sunday April 10 when they host the Utah Jazz. It's the last regular season game of the year.