Former Blazers Coach Jack Ramsay Dies At 89
(AP Photo/File)
Former Portland Trail Blazers head coach and coach of the franchise’s only NBA Championship passed away at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer on Monday morning in Naples, FL.
ESPN.com was the first outlet to report that the legendary coach had passed (via Blazersedge):
He was 89. Family members say he died peacefully in his sleep.
Ramsay, also an ESPN analyst, coached 20 years in the NBA, during which he emphasized fitness, selflessness, ball movement and skill — qualities that carried his Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title.
According to the ESPN.com report, Ramsay’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday.
Current Blazers coach Terry Stotts has referenced the influence of the style of Ramsay’s team as something the Blazers want to model themselves after.
As tribute to Ramsay earlier this year, Stotts honored Ramsay by wearing a 1970’s style Blazer like Ramsay would wear on the sidelines.
Erik Gundersen
Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.