PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Current and former players were among the many who attended the Portland Trail Blazers public memorial for legendary announcer Bill Schonely who died early this year.
Fans filled the Veterans Memorial Coliseum to honor the man known as The Schonz.
Longtime Portland sports journalist Kerry Eggers, and author of Wherever You May Be: The Bill Schonely Story, announced Schonely’s death on Saturday, Jan. 21.
At 93, the broadcaster had been a part of the Trail Blazers community for more than 50 years.
Schonely, born and raised in Pennsylvania, was an on-air sports presenter for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Armed Forces Radio before relocating to the Pacific Northwest in 1970.
He was officially hired by Trail Blazers co-founder Harry Glickman that same year, for the team’s first season. Schonely was the sixth employee to join the team and quickly became known as the original voice of the Blazers.
From 1970 to 1998, Schonely was the team’s play-by-play presenter for more than 2,500 games — including those that led to the Blazers’ first and only NBA championship win in 1977.
In this time, the announcer coined the “Rip City” phrase that is still etched onto the team’s uniforms and shouted by Blazers fans to this day.
The “Mayor of Rip City” was let go from the team following the 1997-98 season, much to the dismay of the public. Later in 2003, he became a Trail Blazers Ambassador to expand the organization’s community outreach.
Schonely officially retired from the organization in April 2022, when his tenure with the Blazers was honored at the season-ending game against the Utah Jazz.
“I was with the organization when the baby was born, if you will,” Schonely said at his last Blazers event.
“Back in 1970 I never dreamed I would last this long, coming up to 93. I’ve seen them all. Been through them all, each and every year. I love to broadcast the games. Now it’s time for me to turn it over to other people.”