Bill Schonely
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Bill Schonely was the first play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He began in the team's inaugural season in 1970. Schonely coined phrases that became synonymous with the Blazermania phenomenon in Oregon, including ‘Rip City’, ‘Bingo Bango Bongo’ and ‘You’ve got to make your free throws.’ Schonely called the play-by-play on 2,522 Blazers radio and television broadcasts, from Portland’s very first preseason outing (September 24, 1970) to their final match up in the 1998 NBA Playoffs (April 30, 1998).
Schonely can currently be found in television advertisements for Standard TV and Appliance, as well as public appearances throughout the Portland metro area.