With an NBA team, its G-League affiliate, two Division 1 universities, and coming later this year, a professional women’s team—say it loud, say it proud, Portland is a basketball town!
“Rip City Runs Deep” may be the Portland Trailblazers corny catchphrase for the season, but when it comes to basketball culture, we really do run deep. So whether you’re just beginning to watch hoops, new to the city and our teams, want to ball on a budget, or are ready to make the jump from a casual baller to a true basketball sicko—Portland has it all. Our local teams and arenas come with their own unique charm to offer any sports fan. This past month, I went to the home games of four different Portland teams, breaking down each stadium environment based on cost (ticket/food/drinks), quality of basketball, fandom, snack quality, and the inexplicable things you can only get from watching big time live sports, the x-factor.
Most Electric Basketball in Town Crown
Portland State University Vikings at Viking Pavilion (SW Downtown/Park Blocks)
Portland State Vikings vs. Sacramento State Hornets; January 10 (PSU won 96-69)
Cost: 🏀🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
While tickets are always free for students, for fans, $12 gets you in the door while $55 gets you courtside! PSU also offers discounted group rates. Viking Pavilion features the cheapest snack item—possibly at any 21st century basketball game—with a $1 small popcorn. But the $7 beers, $4 sodas, and $6 hot dogs shined. Getting the traditional stadium smorgasbord for under $20 puts the clutch in clutch time.
Quality of Ball: 🏀🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
Usually a 30 point blowout wouldn’t warrant such a high Quality of Ball rating, but this game was simply electric. The Viks are 14-6, and in first place in the Big Sky Conference, the team has the potential for a historic season and a March Madness tournament appearance. Senior guard Jaylin Henderson is a star. His alley-oop dunk and transition poster dunk are literally among the two best dunks I’ve seen in person. Just disgusting, disrespectful work that had every fan on their feet screaming for a beautiful, uninterrupted minute before Sacramento State Coach Mike Bibby (yes, that former Sacramento Kings point guard Mike Bibby) called a timeout to calm things down. The Viks also had a 25 point-20 rebound effort from Quebecois center Tre-Vaughn Minott, and a triple-double from forward Terri Miller Jr. This all overshadowed the other team featuring Shaq’s son and a 29-point effort from former high school YouTube star Mikey Williams. Mostly because Mike Bibby’s squad is 8-13 and in the middle-tier of the Big Sky Conference.
Fandom: 🏀🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
Viking Pavilion may be the smallest arena of the bunch, but it’s also the newest. With comfortable seats and a small but mighty student section, it’s the right size looking mostly full without many gaps of empty seats. The student band, seemingly with an average age of 67, sported green flame bowling shirts and played Elvis songs. The cheerleaders looked like they were about to break their toes kicking the bleachers so hard on free throws. Alumni taunted a 21-year-old YouTuber and a 47-year-old former NBA journeyman while the team’s dunks brought the house down. At one point, an old man caught a free T-shirt thrown by a cheerleader, he immediately took the shirt off his back, and the entire student section erupted in cheers for the shirtless grandpa as he flexed and danced before putting on his new Vikings threads. This is the beauty of our beloved commuter university, the joy of college basketball.
Snack/Food Quality: 🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
The Viking Pavilion does not feature any frills. Just a straightforward, reasonably priced snack bar that can be found at any stadium in America. Want a hot dog, nachos, or popcorn? They have you covered. Anything else? Eat somewhere else before the game. If it’s a Saturday game, the PSU Farmers’ Market is literally outside the pavilion’s front door.
X-Factor:
This PSU team is flat-out fun to watch. Fast-paced offense, incredible highlight plays, and fun personalities. As my friend pointed out, “more guys are rocking mismatched shoes on this team than not.” But more than anything, we were locked in on the Portland State head basketball coach. Jase Coburn is a true basketball sicko. Coburn came in hot like a nurse about to work the night shift at a hospital, with two C4 energy drinks and three bottles of water (the water was never touched). Sporting a classy suit-tie combo, there was no chair for Coburn to sit in if he wanted to. Instead he paced the sidelines for the full 40 minutes. While up 30 in the second half, he left his starters in to put heavy ball pressure on the opposing point guard. The Vikings still shouldn’t give up anything easy—Coburn wants to win at all costs, and I’d run through a wall like the Kool-Aid man for him.
@psuviks IN YOUR FACE DISGRACE ‼️ #GoViks #DefendTheShip #posterdunk #posterized #dunk @Jaylinhenderson ♬ original sound - Portland State Athletics
The Portland State University Vikings Men’s Basketball schedule can be found here.
Baller on a Budget Award
University of Portland Pilots at Chiles Center (St. Johns)
University of Portland Pilots vs. Oregon State Beavers; January 10 (UP won 82-76)
Cost: 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
While tickets to premier matchups against their West Coast Conference (WCC) in-state rivals Oregon State ran for $13-25 depending on the seats, UP has a killer “503 Game” promo for several upcoming home games (not including Gonzaga), offering $5 tickets, $3 hot dogs, and free parking (there’s also bike parking and Chiles Center is right off the 44 bus line). That really can’t be beat for some mid-major hoops.
Quality of Ball: 🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
The hometown Pilots handled the Beavs in what many are now calling an in-state rivalry in Oregon. The truth is both these programs are having relatively underwhelming years, with overall losing records, sitting in the middle-bottom of the WCC. As is the case with many mid-major college basketball teams today, both lost a lot of their top-end talent to the transfer portal this off-season: Oregon State lost all-conference forward Michael Rataj to Baylor, and defensive guard Damarco Minor to Pittsburgh, while the Pilots lost WCC Freshman of the Year Austin Rapp to Wisconsin. Now, the Pilots are led by the scrappy undersized Australian freshman guard Joel Foxwell and versatile junior forward Cameron Williams. Both gave Beavs standout guard Josiah Lake II a hard time in a grind-it-out, physical—if not super aesthetically pleasing—basketball game. However, when St. Mary’s and Gonzaga come to town (January 24 and February 4), both are highly ranked perennial powerhouses in college basketball that feature some top end talent. Gonzaga is currently ranked in the Top 10 nationally, vying for a top seed and long run in this year’s March Madness tournament on the backs of a borderline unstoppable forward duo in Graham Ike and Braden Huff. Maybe the Pilots can pull off an improbable upset. Either way, you can see future NBA players light up the dome.
Fandom: 🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
So while this was a Portland Pilots home game, truth be told, Oregon State fans outnumbered Pilots' fans and students about two-to-one. This is to be expected for a PAC-12 school and true flagship university for our great state (sorry Ducks). The Pilots' student band was small but mighty, playing horn section versions of “Hot To Go!” and “Industry Baby,” while the sax player screamed and banged the bleachers while the Beavs shot free throws. The game got pretty heated and you wouldn’t want a rivalry any other way. A few fans said a few things they may regret. One impassioned Beaver fan screamed, “TRAVEL” non-stop for at least two minutes straight, falling on the uncaring ears of the referees. Sitting in the Oregon State section, I got to watch the co-hosts of Oregon State Men’s Basketball podcast, The Payton Years, have a collective aneurysm as the Beavers faded late. Their yells of “Beaver Bias” (the unofficial catchphrase of the show, essentially the theory of a mass referee conspiracy against the Oregon State Beavers) felt unusually deflated, knowing their heart wasn’t in it this time. All they could do was watch on in disappointment when the Pilots brought out a drum to celebrate with the home fans after a win in the style of the new San Antonio Spurs tradition.
Snack Quality: 🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
The single best food item I tasted at any of these games was the kalua pork mac and cheese special at the Chiles Center. The pork, tender and juicy. The mac and cheese, perfectly creamy. The bacon and chives, a nice little crunch to top it off. One may be tempted to go for the “walking taco,” but should avoid this at all costs—it’s just Doritos with the tiniest little dollop of nacho cheese imaginable. Get the special!
X-Factor:
Last year’s Battle of the Willamette Valley at the Chiles Center came during our annual “snowpocalypse.” Because the Chiles Center has sort of oddly high-vaulted ceilings, the gym was freezing cold, further highlighting the sparse winter storm attendance. For the lucky few who braved the icy roads—Deandre Ayton did not attend—it ended up being a pretty great game in which the Pilots held on to upset an actually very good Oregon State team 84-72. One of those in attendance was Mayor Keith Wilson. Wilson did not visibly pick sides by wearing UP or OSU related gear—a true politician’s mind.
The University of Portland Pilots Men’s Basketball schedule can be found here.
Family Friendly Fun Award
Rip City Remix at Chiles Center (St. Johns)
Rip City Remix vs. Stockton Kings; December 16 (Stockton Kings won 129-100)
Cost: 🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
While adult tickets start at $15 (depending on the day of the game), the real focus here is the youth—kids get in for $5-10. The $7 hot dogs, $5 sodas, $9 beers, and $12 special street tacos are all solid deals, and much more affordable than an NBA game, but slightly more expensive than the college games.
Quality of Ball: 🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
Okay, I will readily admit the Rip City Remix are a better basketball team than either of the college teams listed above. Much better even. It’s really not comparable between adult professionals and college prospects. But here’s the thing, these games have no stakes. The G-League playoffs don’t matter. The teams don’t really have stand-alone fanbases or rivalries, and seemingly not even the gym staff care about the results of the game. The reason for the team is to be a place to park young, borderline NBA players, or to give young stars live basketball minutes with the professional staff in the building able to give real time feedback. Though the results of the game don’t matter, it is cool seeing the young Chinese phenom Yang Hansen play 30 minutes and struggle against a team featuring the NCAA all-time scoring record holder Antoine Davis, retired NBA journeyman Jameer Nelson’s son, and a bald guy who looks like the star of an LA Fitness pickup game. A perfect opportunity to “remember some guys,” and maybe see the Blazer’s next 15-minute role player shine.
Fandom: 🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
The “fans” in question aren’t really fans of the Remix. They’re Blazer sickos, they’re random people from the neighborhood, they’re parents taking their kids to their first basketball game without having to put the giant headphones on their ears, and they are adult sons taking their dads out for their birthdays. It’s a calmer environment where no degenerate gambler angry fan will yell “fuck you, I didn’t hit my parlay.” Also they have a spinning wheel prize game that costs $5, fans can win T-shirts, jerseys, or an actual basketball!
Snack Quality: 🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
The hotdog and soda were just what I wanted: good snap to the dog, loaded with condiments, classic bottled Coke. Pro tip: They had pickled jalapeños, salsa, and taco fixings available for the street taco special, but you could add them in addition to the typical hot dog accoutrement. It elevated things a nice little bit.
X-Factor:
At the game I went to, Portland’s dad, Damian Lillard posted up on the sidelines to watch his metaphorical sons play a game that mostly resembled NBA basketball. In addition, other current Blazer rotation players (or at least guys who sit on the Blazers bench) got in the game for big minutes with Yang Hansen, Rayan Rupert, and Javonte Cooke. Borderline NBA stars still shone bright in the 20 percent full arena on a rainy December evening.
The Rip City Remix schedule can be found here.
Play-In Players Award
Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center (Rose Quarter)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Orlando Magic; December 23 (Orlando Magic won 110-106)
Cost: 🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 (2 if the Lakers are in town)
NBA ticket prices fluctuate like ride shares since most people buy tickets on secondary markets these days. Los Angeles, New York, and Boston games cost a lot, while Washington and New Orleans not so much. An hour before tip off against the Orlando Magic, $15 got you in the door up in the rafters, while the lower levels ran for up to $340. A regular size hot dog goes for $9, beers $10.25-16, and it’s $8 for a bottle of soda. Pro tip: You can get a 12oz Rainer in the 300 section for $5!
Quality of Ball: 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 out 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
Depending on who’s playing that night, the best basketball players in the world could be playing in that gym. The Blazers are currently 23-27 (good for 10th place in the Western Conference). After three miserable seasons of watching a team lose on purpose, this team is actually fun. This season of pretty good is due in part to the astronomical rise of point-forward Deni Avdija’s all-star campaign, even though some NBA all-star voting system skeptics have said there’s been election interference (pointing to his high “fan vote” from international fans despite relatively lower jersey sales). Sure, he may be one of the most “unethical hoopers,” and really good at angling his body and arms to bait defenders into fouls. But to that I say—haters can die mad or try to be in a better defensive position—even though I would 100 percent be one of the haters dying mad if he played for the Houston Rockets.
January started out with so much hope, but things really slowed a few weeks back when Deni walked off the court at the end of a loss to the New York Knicks—hobbling like my dad after a hard week at the lumber yard—and our collective hearts sank. Fear turned to “oh shit, here we go again,” when in the first game without Deni, the Blazers lost to the hated Golden State Warriors by 30 on national television. In a season where Dame will be out for its entirety, and Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, and Matisse Thybulle (to name a few) have missed significant time, the injuries feel like a cruel game of whack-a-mole. Last week Deni came back from his back injury, only for it to seize up again two games later—unfortunately he’s not beating the back-of-a-48-year-old-construction-worker-at-the-ripe-age-of-25 allegations yet. Maybe if the Blazers have access to a more elevated painkiller cocktail than the mixtures of cortisol shots, Percocet, coffee, and actual cocktails my family with back problems use, they can continue to tread water. But hopefully all Deni needs is some yoga to return to full strength soon.
Fandom: 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
A game at Moda Center really can’t be beat. Whether 20,000 fans are jumping and screaming because Shaedon Sharpe threw down a windmill dunk or Yang Hansen set a screen, the energy is contagious. A couple years ago I went to a game with a few friends when the Blazers were really struggling. Tickets were $4 and the Sacramento Kings clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 16 years by beating the Blazers. Blazer fans actually cheered for the Kings, chanting “Light the beam” while the home team was borderline laughed off the floor. A true low point after years of the Blazers as playoff mainstays. Now that sort of groveling to opposing fandoms is done, Blazer games have actual stakes. As for the non-basketball entertainment at Moda Center, DJ OG One is a consummate pro and the halftime shows are generally at least pretty funny, like when someone in upper management’s spouse seemingly had their Zumba class perform. And as for the location, the Moda Center is hard to beat. It's easy to get to by public transportation or bike from anywhere in the city. I do not want to hear any complaints about “parking” literally ever, stop drinking and driving—take the MAX!
Snack Quality: 🏀🏀🏀🏀.5 out of 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
In addition to classic stadium fare, Moda Center also has several local chains including, Killer Burger, Cha Cha Cha, and Bae’s Chicken. Burgers with weird stuff on it, decent burritos and bowls, and spicy fried chicken—and they don’t seem to be egregiously gouging us with arena prices. I got a chopped Italian sandwich with chips ($16) from Chop that was actually excellent. The sheer amount of quality options really sets the Moda Center a cut above the more discount food options. Hot dogs from the unlicensed vendors outside the stadium are $10 (I know, kind of crazy), with their glorious mixture of grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, and bacon. They have the potential to be the ideal hot dog for a city that has yet to coin an official “hot dog style.” However, full disclosure, one time I did drunkenly buy one on my walk home and the hot dog was literally ice cold. So buyer beware.
X-Factor:
In mid-December, Desmond Bane and the Orlando Magic came to town. Bane was coming off his truly inexplicable arc of becoming the latest NBA League-wide villain. During the game he argued with the referees, fans booed. He caught a pass, scored a tough bucket, and flexed at the Blazers bench, fans booed. Then later Sidy Cissoko, a high energy guy in a long line of beloved Blazer role players, took a charge on Bane and he threw a little tantrum at the refs. Fans cheered as if the Blazers had just made the finals, even as the team ultimately fell short of winning. I won’t say the Blazers are fully “back,” and I won’t say this team is ready to compete for a championship. Hell, they’re probably not even ready to win a playoff series yet. But in a season of many tiny turmoils, where the head coach getting arrested by the FBI feels like the distant past, things seem to be headed generally in the right direction. For opposing teams (and referees) to have rightfully returned to their role as villains in the eyes of fans means the game matters again.
The Portland Trail Blazers schedule can be found here.
