Blazers to don Dr. Jack Ramsay patch

The Portland Trail Blazers will honor the memory of former coach Dr. Jack Ramsay with a patch on their jerseys, beginning Wednesday night.

The patch, which pays tribute to the signature plaid outfits Ramsay was famous for when he coached the team from 1976 to 1986, has the number "77" on it for the year he led the Trail Blazers to their only NBA title.

The Hall of Fame coach, who went on to have a 17-year broadcasting career as an analyst for ESPN radio, died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 89.

"It's a very unique patch that pays perfect tribute to who Dr. Jack is," Portland general manager Neil Olshey said in a statement. "It embodies his time in Portland, his vibrant personality, and ultimately all that he meant to the Trail Blazers and the NBA."

The patch, which the Blazers will wear throughout the postseason, is the first of many tributes the team says it will have to honor Ramsay, who was with Portland for 10 of his 21 years as an NBA head coach.

Ramsay was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Blazers play the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday night and own a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.