Original Blazer Stan McKenzie Passes Away

Original Portland Trail Blazer Stan McKenzie has died at the age of 77, the team confirmed in a statement on Monday.

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 26, 2021) – The Trail Blazers organization mourns the passing of former Trail Blazer Stan McKenzie. McKenzie died July 21 at the age of 77. McKenzie was selected by Portland in the 1970 NBA expansion draft and spent two-plus seasons with the franchise. A member of Portland’s original 1970-71 team, McKenzie holds the distinction of being the only player to appear in all 164 games for the Trail Blazers during the team’s first two seasons. After seven seasons in the NBA, with Baltimore, Phoenix, Portland, and Houston, he went on to a successful career in human resources and personnel services and devoted his time to church leadership. We extend our heartfelt condolences to McKenzie’s family and all who loved him.

McKenzie averaged just shy of 14 points per game in his two full seasons in Portland, his best success in a seven-year NBA career. He was traded to the Houston Rockets in October 1973 for Greg Smith after appearing in seven games that season. The Miami native was an 11th round pick out of NYU by the Baltimore Bullets in 1966. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1984.

Prior to his death, McKenzie served as a Supervisor with the Tenth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where his wife, Vashti, served as the first female bishop in the church’s history.