Page 8 Portland Observar M ay 8. 1980 Pacific Power How quickly they forget to By his own admission (D J’s), he is remember in last year's p la y o ff not a shooter. In the middle o f last series that Dennis Johnson, Sonic season’s title run, he said, “ I just try guard, was given all this praise as to play good " D ” and rebound, the deliverer, the man that made the because I know the scoring on this big plays, enabling Seattle to over­ team will take care o f itself.” For come the rough house Washington doing this Johnson was rewarded Bullcis. Well, just one year later and with a big $400,000 a year contract. after losing 4-1 to the Los Angeles Observers now believe this was Lakers all this has changed. the beginning o f the end for D.J. Remember last year Lenny and the Sonics. Trying to justify the Wilkens was being hailed as the big raise D .J.’ s shooting fell from a NBA coach o f the year, though he tepid 43 percent to a lowely 40 per­ d id n ’ t win it, most follow ers o f cent. It should be noted that at the NBA basketball considered Lenny same time Johnson’s shooting per­ as the rightful Coach o f the Year. centage was fa llin g , his scoring Well, after after only one year, and average was rising. This causes a 4-1 series loss to the Lakers this, problems. , too, has changed. Art Shiel, Seattle D.J. has always been the master Post Intelligencer, reports the o f inside scoring, but many believe fo llo w in g : "S o what do vou do that his raise in salary led the young about Dennis Johnson?” That’s the man to believe he had to do it all, big question that pecks at Sonic score outside as well. coaches Lenny W ilkens and I.es It is not the simple matter o f a few Habegger as they begin a summer bad shots, Shiel writes, because longer than expected. On the surface, some may ask, every player in the league joins D.J. "W hy do anything?’ Is he not the in that in e v ita b ility . Johnson’ s greenery is sym ptom atic o f the most talented guard in the NBA? No, not it Hoffer’s defination of Sonic’ s most significant problem: true talent is proper. I f talent is the erasion ot Sonic discipline as more than the a b ility to solo espoused by Wilkens. Wilkens, remember him o f last through three delenders for a layin, year? Well, forget that and listen to or score a three-point field goal. some o f the knocks he’s now taking This season D.J. reportedly turned a good deal o f his talent to the latter alter losing. Last year there was dynasty talk, items. Success was limited. now there’s rumors on ------------^ U U i l o V f I O quarrels C J II the floor, etc. Wilkens is now called prominent player (D .J.) reverts to a weak leader, he lacks a strong selfishness, the impact is greatei leader’s hand. More than one Sonic than a simple bad shot. Almost im- player confided this past season that perceptably it snowballs. The open the Seattle team was one o f the forward or center who doesn’t get loosest in the NBA, both on and o ff the ball is distracted for a moment the court. The lattitude given the and gets caught in transition. It players was enormous. The practice happens a second and third time and sessions were described by some as fru s tra tio n grows. There is no inettective to r the teaching o f fo u rth tim e, because he doesn’ t rookies and the im p ro vin g o f want to make the effort to get open second-line players. because he doesn’t feel he w ill see Remember last year when the the ball. The guard has no choice Sonics were supposed to have the but to pump the 20 footer. Three league’ s strongest bench. Well, what losses later, Shiel reports, Wilkens a difference a year makes. Here’s sat on his three guards to get the ball how John Engstrom, another Seat­ inside, which they did almost too tle writer sees it. "N early every good well. Also inside was Kareen Abdul- club in the NBA has at least one Jabbar. End o f some season. reserve about whom it is said, "he Those o f you who were glued to w ould start on most other ball the T.V. show in Los Angeles bet­ c lu b s ." Engstrom doesn’ t th in k ween the Eastern Conference Seattle has that boosting power. Cham pions, P hiladelphia vs the And if what help would have been Wes ern Conference Champions, the presence o f Calvin Natt, a player Lakers, missed one whole o f a super widely admired around the league Jr. featherweight title fight between who could have been Seattle’s in the Leo Randolph, ex Olym pic Gold dratt? Which also caused the Sonic M edalist and cham pion Ricardo chief scout to resign when Seattle Cordona. Randolph won in a 15th opted fo r Vinnie Johnson, when round TKO to become the th ird Natt was their premier choice from 1976 Gold Medalist to win a pro the beginning. title. Sugar Ray Leonard and Leon Now back to D .J. and more Spinks preceded Randolph. knocks. Remember on D.J. these A nother O lym pian fig h tin g his knocks came only after he walked second pro fight was Davey A rm ­ through the door o f Fort Knox. strong. Davey was an easy winner One w rite r -------✓ says, "W ” h * « e w « n j V one Z 1 IV ~ over ’ ~* — Edmnndo Arrellano. Mychal Thompson: Ready to play ball u r k t f r Jr, !r By ¿///I'.vvpv UHysses T Tucker, For Mychal Thompson, the 6’9 forw ard-center o f the P ortland I railblazers, i t ’ s been a very d if­ ficult time for him to watch his team lose, struggle, and scrape to make the N.B. A. play-offs. This past summer he drove for a layup while working out with the Bahamian N ational Basketball I cam. He broke his left leg and has been out o f action since then. Thompson was expected to be back by the play-offs, but the specialist in Switzerland told him that he’ d be wise to sit out the entire year. E arlier in the season, several publications around the nation reported that Thompson may have possibly broke his leg playing foot­ ball on the beach with friends. He denied the reports. The Blazer management supported his claims. In any event, the only action the m ulti-talented athlete has had is with the swimming team, the weight room, and with the many exercises he performs to get back in shape. Mychal has developed a strong up­ per body in the process. Although Mychal misses playing basketball, he has learned a great deal about himself, life, and the sport he loves so much. “ By me not playing basketball this year, I ’ ve had time to think about things that I would have norm ally neglected,” said Thompson. ••I’ “ m I ’ m realizing that there _________________ are more things in life than basketball. Being away from the game has helped me to think about what I want to do with myself after basketball. I ’ m starting to look into some business ventures, and making some invest­ ments that w ill pay o ff in the future.” In 1978 Thom pson, from the University o f Minnesota, was the number one d ra ft choice in the United States. Like the majority of athletes in the National Basketball A ssociation, Thompson played basketball four seasons, but did not complete his degree requirements in four years. “ One day, I ’d like to go back and fin is h ," he said seriously. " I majored in business last time, but this time I would probably get into something along the lines o f what you do (rad io-tele vision com ­ m unications).” Thompson is one year away from a college degree. Last season, Thompson averaged 14.7 points a game, hauled in 604 rebounds fo r a 8.3 average, was second in offensive rebounds with 198, shot a strong .490 from the field and led the club in blocked shots with 134. These figures and his overall play earned him honors on the N.B.A. All-Rookie team. The Blazers should have an ex­ cellent fro n tlin e next year w ith Thompson’ s return, the addition o f Calvin N att, and Kerm it "C h a ir- " Citizen o f the Week Nearly every night of the week finds Edna Robertson at com­ munity meetings facilitating citizen participation in the decision making process. A native of Birmingham, Ms. Robertson came to Oregon in 1957. She joined the Model Cities Agency staff in 1970 as a citizen planning coordinator and soon became Coordinator of Citizen Participation. Her role was to organize and coordinate citizen groups, com m unity meetings, and forum s, neigh­ borhood associations, advisory committees, public relations and information and referral. The Model Cities Citizen Participation and its neighborhood organization became the model for the City s Office of Neighborhood Organizations and the Neigh­ borhood Associations. When Model Cities was terminated Ms. Robertson was tran­ sitioned to the City of Portland as Coordinator of the Northeast District. She works for nine neighborhood associations. Aside from her employment, which allows her the public con­ tact she enjoys, Ms. Robertson is and has been involved in a number of community organizations including the Community Coalition for School Integration, the Black United Front, the NAACP. She served on the boards of PMSC, the Albina Action Center, the Multnomah County Northeast Quadrant, the Albina Health Center, the Multnomah School Advisory Committee, and he North YMCA board. She organized the Black Concerned Parents. She is a board member of the National Health Con­ sumers Conference and a member of the National Citizens Par­ ticipation Conference. She has three children: Synetta Morris, a bank employee; Terry Lynn Robertson, a Wilson senior who will attend OSU next year; Felicia Robertson, a fifth grader at Maplewood. BROUGHT TO YOU BY Pacific Power MYCHAL THOMPSON man of the Boards” Washington. "C an you believe that I ’ ve never played with either Calvin or Ker­ m it?” Mychal asked. " I ’m really looking forward to teaming up with them next, as well as the rest o f the team. We should be very strong on the boards. When you control the boards, you control the game. I love to rebound. I like that over scoring points.” Thom pson’ s advice to the younger athlete, even though he did not graduate, is to have an education to back you up just in case you fa il to make the professional ranks. Don’ t wait until you get hurt like me to put your life in perspective. Do it sooner.” „ N O W TRY WEIGHT WATCHERS more wcceuful then th< Wo,