Portland Trail Blazers' retired jerseys: Bill Walton and other Rip City legends

The Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and have had some notable legends play for them throughout the years. Ten Blazers players have had their jersey numbers retired, but there are 14 retired names in total after accounting for owners, head coaches, broadcasters, and Bill Russell, whose jersey is retired league-wide. Several names contributed to the Blazers' lone championship in their historic 1977 NBA Finals run.

Retired Portland Trail Blazers jerseys

No. 1: Larry Weinberg

No. 6: Bill Russell

No. 13: Dave Twardzik

No. 14: Lionel Hollins

No. 15: Larry Steele

No. 20: Maurice Lucas

No. 22: Clyde Drexler

No. 30: Bob Gross

No. 30: Terry Porter

No. 32: Bill Walton

No. 36: Lloyd Neal

No. 45: Geoff Petrie

No. 77: Jack Ramsay

No. 1 is still available for players to wear, as Larry Weinberg owned the Blazers from 1970-1988. Former head coach Jack Ramsay had No. 77 retired in his honor, which was the year he led the Blazers to the title. Legendary broadcaster Bill Schonely, who coined the phrase "Rip City," doesn't have a jersey number, but he does have his "microphone" retired.

Is the "letter O" up next?

There are a few retired players who may have their jersey retired for the Blazers before Damian Lillard. Brandon Roy's No. 7 and LaMarcus Aldridge's No. 12 could be next on the list. Aldridge seems like a safer bet than Roy, in large part due to longevity. Dating further back, Jerome Kersey's No. 25 is another potential candidate.

Lillard could have already had his No. 0 jersey up in the rafters at Moda Center years ago. He's arguably the best Blazers player ever, leading the franchise in scoring with 19,376 points.

The one knock on Lillard's time in Portland is that he didn't win a championship like others on the list. But the Blazers never really put him in a reasonable position to expect a championship out of Lillard, given the talent they surrounded him with on the roster. If anything, Lillard showcased his loyalty by staying with the Blazers for 11 seasons when many superstars would have requested out long before he did.

Lillard is now 34 years old and has a few years of high-level play left. His game should transition well as he ages, as shooting is always a premium in the NBA. Who knows, maybe he can return to the Trail Blazers down the road as they continue to rebuild their roster. His contract expires after the 2026-27 season.

Per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/Oregon Live, Lillard has previously gone on record as saying, "I see there being a time where I play for the Trail Blazers." It would be great to see him wear the No. 0 Blazers jersey again before it goes up in the rafters.