Portland Observer, January 7, 1902 Page 9
Welcome to the NBA
TENNIS TRIVIA
by Ullyuea Tucker, Jr.
National Basketball Association
critics and scouts labeled former
Oregon State University basketball
star Steve Johnson as slow, a mod
ern day axe man since he fouled out
so much in college, and not aggres
sive.
Six clubs selected players before
the Kansas C ity Kings made the
6-IOVi 233-pounder their first-
round pick in the 1981 college draft,
Johnson missed the King’s rookie
camp because o f contract hassles
and came to work camp a few
pounds overweight.
According to Cotton Fitzsim
mons. head coach o f the Kings,
Johnson, a Sporting News All-Am
erican last season and a two-time
N C A A field goal percentage leader
has really been a blessing to his or
ganization this season.
A fter the Kings dropped a 127-
116 game to the Portland T ra il
blazers in which Johnson scored an
NBA career high of 33 points and
grabbed 18 rebounds before fouling
out, Fitzsimmons made the follow
ing comment about his big center’s
progress as a pro.
’’Steve is really learning the game.
He must stop making the stupid
fouls and the simple mistakes. He
played a good game but Steve can
block shots better, rebound better,
think better, and block shots better.
He is a good person also.
"W e drafted him as our center of
the future and we will be patient
with him. He's going to be a great
player with time and people are
going to have an awfully tough time
checking him inside. I like him be
cause he is smart and he listens
well,” he said.
Johnson, who sported a 17.5
point career scoring average at Ore
gon State under the direction of
Ralph M iller agreed with what his
coach had to say about him.
“ Yeah, I'm really learning the
game of basketball all over again,”
he said. “ I ’ve been working very
hard and I ’m happy with my pro
gress. Tonight was by far my best
game as a professional and I look
forward to some more of them. ”
What has been your biggest ad
justment from college to the
NBA?
‘ ‘In the beginning, 1 had a tough
time because the coach had me play
ing with my face to the basket. I
wasn’t used to it and I had little con
fidence in my game out there. Once
he put me back down low where I
felt com fortable, I got my confi
dence back and I started to play bet
ter basketball. Can’t nobody stop
my hook once I get it going— it's
tough,” he smiled. “ I like it more
down around the basket.”
When questioned about the warm
reception that the Portland crowd
gave him, Johnson laughed and
wondered why they stopped cheer
ing for him after scoring Kansas
City’s first six points.
"Oregon has been good to me,”
he said. “ I still consider it my home
and I always will. With all the cities
I see around the country, it’s d iffi
cult to get up for every game but it
wasn’ t hard here. I felt like I was
home. I could tell that some people
wanted to cheer me on bu, I was
playing against their team.”
Johnson received that special ac
knowledgement from the Portland
crowd, but not before he fouled out
during the overtime and laying face
down on the floor out of frustra
STEVE JOHNSON
tion. He picked himself up o ff the
floor and walked slowly toward the
used to playing that many minutes Ford) have forced me to play. I ’m
bench to a standing ovation.
(37) but the injuries (C liff Robin gonna have to get used to it— life is
" I was tired,” he said. “ I ’m not
son, Hawkeye W hitney, and Phil tough in this league, believe me.”
1
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17 U. C L. A
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57-81-8
Alexander’s Landscaping
Portland Tab
Lee Aces
Moore St./Blues
Moore St./Whites
Jackson Five
Sates representative
Sales Representative
Expert consultation on your transportation
needs on both new and used cars.
RON TONKIN
C H EVR O LET-H O N D A CO
122 N.E. 122nd Ave.
LU
J/M
FISHER
10115 S.E. STARK •
• 226-2260
MALL 205
"THE COMPLETE DEALERSHIP"
1976 Ford Torino Wagon
AT, PS, Air, Roof Rack, Cruise Control, A M /F M /Tape plus
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Saturday Basketball League
The Salvation Army Basketball
League has completed its second
week of competition. The next
games will be played at P.C.C Jan
uary 9th, between 11 am and 3:30
pm. The current standings are as
follows:
WENDELL BROWN
ALAN MOLDEN
Eight o f the smallest players in
bald of the Boston Celtics, and the
the National Basketball Association
littlest player in the NBA: 5 '8 *
are featured in the January issue of
Charley Criss of the Atlanta Hawks.
Ebony.
Eight little men (six feet and un
der) will tell you that height is not
the only thing that makes a good
basketball player. Survival, in the i ]|
N BA, for these men has depended
on their speed, quickness, endur
ance, and brains.
No matter how smart or quick he
is the short player still has a rough
way to go. In the last NBA draft of
college players less than ten small
men were chosen. Most o f those
draft picks were dropped before the
season began.
Some of the small men who have
attained success include Rickey
Green of the Utah Jazz, Nate Archi
CWF0MUTTS
PCIVORMAMCet
-
Rank
2
4
•
6
8
^YOU!
Ebony features 'small men'
gam «« through Jan. 1
T e n n is is b e lie v e d to
h ave o r ig in a te d in F ra n c e
b e tw e e n 1 1 0 0 an d 1 2 0 0
P la y e rs h it th e b a ll o v e r
th e n e t w ith th e ir h a n d s
W ERE
HERETO
HELP
1
Final College Top 2 0
> 1 -
T r a c y A u s tin i t th e
y o u n g e s t p ro a t h le te e v er
to e a rn m o r e th a n g l m i l
lio n . S h e d id i t as a te e n
ager a f t e r o n ly 21 m o n th s
o n th e p r o to u r
1975 VW Bug
2-0
2-0
l-l
1-1
0-2
0-2
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□ LOW DAILY RATES - FROM ‘19”
□ WEEKEND RATES - ‘ IB00
I 1 MAJOR CREDIT CARDS OR CASH
Rentals
(Call for Cash
Qualifications)
223-4531
600 SW Pine
Between 6th & Broadway
4 spd extra sharp #3192A.....................................................only
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1979 Chevrolet Monza Coupe
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W e’re getting
closer to you
than ever
This brand new farmers
Insurance office is an exam
ple of what can happen
when folks are really con
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I've opened up in a con
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If you already know me,
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If not, come in for a sample
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1727 N.E. 13th
284-9999
4cyl, AT, A M /F M , sunroof #31930...........................................
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FISHER
10115S.E.STARK ♦
•226-2260
I