why is portland called rip city

Portland is called “Rip City” because of a spontaneous call by Trail Blazers radio announcer Bill Schonely during a game in the team’s first NBA season in 1971.

Quick Scoop: Why “Rip City”?

In February 1971, the Portland Trail Blazers were a brand‑new franchise playing the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers. Guard Jim Barnett launched a long, risky shot from well beyond the normal range of that era (before the three‑point line existed), and it went cleanly through the net. In the excitement, play‑by‑play announcer Bill Schonely blurted out on live radio, “Rip City!” even though he’d never said the phrase before and didn’t have a specific meaning in mind.

The call instantly resonated with fans, and “Rip City” became attached first to the Blazers and then to Portland itself. Over time, it’s grown from a random exclamation into a rallying cry and city identity marker, used on jerseys, in chants like “We are… Rip City!”, and as shorthand for Portland’s passionate, loyal basketball culture.

Key points in list form

• Coined by announcer Bill Schonely during a Blazers–Lakers game on February 18, 1971.

• Sparked by Jim Barnett hitting a deep, unlikely shot that “ripped” through the net.

• Not planned, not a marketing slogan, and had no formal meaning at the time—just a spontaneous shout.

• Later embraced by fans and the team as a symbol of Portland’s spirit, resilience, and community pride.

In forums and fan discussions today, “Rip City” usually comes up as a point of pride and identity for Blazers fans rather than a technical term; people love that it started as a totally random, emotional moment and turned into a defining nickname for the city.

SEO mini‑note / meta description:
Why is Portland called Rip City? The nickname comes from a spontaneous 1971 radio call by Blazers announcer Bill Schonely after a deep Jim Barnett shot, later adopted as a citywide rallying cry.

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