The renowned voice of the Portland Trail Blazers, Bill Schonely, passed away at the age of 93, know his cause of death and net worth
Portland journalist and Schonely biographer Kerry Eggers made the announcement on Twitter.
The team reported that he passed away in Portland, surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife of 31 years, Dottie.
Bill Schonely Trail Blazers broadcaster cause of death, net worth in 2023, age and wife
It was not disclosed what ultimately caused death. The circumstances surrounding Bill Schonely’s passing are currently unknown.
Bill Schonely was born on June 1, 1929, to Walter and Juanita Schonely. He recently passed away, he lived to be 93 years old. His first marriage has produced four children. As his second marriage, he wed Dottie in 1992.
The @trailblazers crowd gives Bill Schonely one final "Rip City All Right!" chant during the legendary broadcaster's retirement ceremony. pic.twitter.com/tQErGq2TZw
— NBA (@NBA) April 11, 2022
In April of 1970, Schonely was contacted by Harry Glickman, a co-founder of the Portland Buckaroos. Also at the time, Schonely was the sixth worker at the firm. According to Glickman, “the interview barely lasted a few minutes; he opened his mouth and I knew I had the correct guy” during a 2008 interview.
Bill Schonely was the soul of the team
According to Oregon reporter Kerry Eggers, fans see Bill Schonely as “the one permanent link with Oregon’s sole major-league team.” When the Trail Blazers first began play in 1970, Schonely was the voice on the radio calling the games. After a lengthy career in broadcasting in the area, he was hired as the sixth employee in the company’s history.
Over the next 28 years, he was a radio and TV commentator, and in the ’90s, he even called games for the club on television. Also while Schonely did officially retire from his game-calling duties in 1998, he remained active in the broadcast industry through sideline reporting and other initiatives. A franchise ambassador since 2003, he left his post in April of this year.
According to The Oregonian, in his career, Schonely called more than 2,500 games. And missed only 28, the majority of which occurred when he was recovering from a heart attack.
Bill Schonely coined the catchphrase Rip City
Schonely is recognised as the originator of the term “Rip City,” which has been adopted by the franchise and the city at large throughout the years. The Oregonian reports that the nickname “Rip City, all right!” was coined by Schonely after Jim Barnett made a basket during the team’s inaugural 1971 season.
It was in 2002 that Schonely was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. And the following year, he had a banner hoisted in the Trail Blazers’ arena to honour him. Additionally, in 2012, he was honoured with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award.
What was Bill Schonely’s wealth?
According to allfamousbirthday.com, Bill Schonely was worth an estimated $5 million.
To know more about Bill Schonely, do follow The SportsGrail on a regular and frequent basis.
ALSO READ: DJ Jerry Blavat cause of death, age, wife, height, daughter, net worth 2023