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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MARCH 31: The NBA logo is painted on a Wilson brand basketball during the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers at Little Caesars Arena on March 31, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. Note to User: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photo, User is agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Antaya / Getty Images)
The basketball world is mourning the loss of a legendary sports broadcaster this week.
Bill Schonlee, who became the original voice of the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1970s, died this week, according to a report by Kerry Eggers. He was 93 years old.
“Legendary broadcaster Bill Schonlee has passed away. He was 93. A great friend, a great man. RIP City, Schonz,” Eggers said,
Shonley famously coined the phrase “Rip City”. in a 2022 interview Anne Peterson of The Associated PressShonlee reveals how The Call came together.
“I was going to call it ‘Rip the Twin’ or something, but I came up with ‘Rip City!’ And look what happened,” she said. “It took a while for that phrase to catch on. I had no idea that all this was going to happen. But it did, and it’s polite to me wherever you go, but it’s ‘Rip City’.
Shonely was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and earned the Curt Gowdy Award from the NBA’s Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Our thoughts are with the Shonali family.
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