* ¿ - * +-• «Â- r*- f 4- •— . J» May 30, 1990 The Portland Observer Page 7 .X U ? ^ T he L ocker R o o m L io n el H ollins: C on versation W ith T h e T rain F by • *' r.v U llysses T ucker , J r . - »• •/ * inson , hardaway unan . mous choices for n b a a l u r o o ^ * eam »M - by Ullysses Tucker, Jr. Lionel “ T rain ” Hollins, Assistant Coach o f the Phoenix Suns, is a very happy man these days. He would be more happy if the Suns can advance to the N BA Finals in a couple of weeks, but for now he has to wait and fight it out against his old team. H ollins has good reasons to be happy. H e’s doing what he wants to do, living where he w ants to live, and working for a quality organization. Outside of another NBA Cham pionship ring, what more can a man ask for? H ollins, who played on the T rail Blazers 1977 Cham pion­ ship team, is thankful for having the o p ­ portunity to share his experiences as a professional with young players like Kevin Johnson, Mark W est, Tim Perry, Andrew Lang, Greg G rant, and Dan Majerle. These young players blend well with Tom Chambers, Eddie Johnson. Jeff Homacek, and Kurk Rambis. Hollins has plenty o f experience to share. In addition to playing with Portland, “ The T rain” also m ade stops in Philadel­ phia, San Diego, Detroit, and finally in Houston. A fter Tuesday nights game, The Locker Room caught up with the A ri­ zona State University product to see how his adjustm ent to coaching from playing has been. Has it been difficult? H ollins: “ W ell, it really hasn’t been. I think the toughest part is you can ’t go out there and play. As a coach, you don’t have any control of the game in terms o f physical action because my role is m ostly m ental and you d on’t have that physical release. Sometimes, I’m really tired after a game and I haven’t played. Even when 1 played, I never got tired and its a different feel­ ing when you don’t play. I think that playing to coaching is what you trans­ fer from your head, verbally, to other people in a quick period o f time so that they can understand and deal with the situation.” Locker Room : How has Kevin Johnson benefited from your experi­ ences as a professional and knowledge of the game? Hollins: “ Kevin is a very mature person. W ith a guy like him, you do n ’t ju st give him bits and pieces of advice because his game is solid. There are a few things that I can tell him through my experiences, but not much. Things like here’s where you can get a steal or here’s where you can help out on de- fe n se -H e ’s learning as a young player and I can ’t take a lot o f credit for his development because he is very teach­ able. Kevin has all the natural ability, instinct, and mental ability to play this game. He has a great future in the NBA.” Locker Room : W hat did Portland mean to your professional basketball career? Hollins: “ It was an exciting time and the beginning of my dream to play in the NBA. I had the opportunity to play on a great team and win the cham pion­ ship. I m et a lot o f people that have been good to me here and I still have friends here. It was a lot of fun in Portland. I have some fond memories. Locker Room : W hen you consider the jerseys the Trail Blazers have re­ tired over the years (M aurice Lucas, Bill W alton, Lloyd Neal, and Larry Steel), do you think that yours should be hung from the rafters considering your contributions? H ollins: “ W ell, I stay away from that controversy. My answ er to that is its the Blazers prerogative to put who­ ever they w ant up there. If they would honor me with that. I’d be happy. If not, its not going to take any minutes off my life. I ’m still going to go on in this situation and I do n ’t really worry about it. People ask me about it until people in Portland start asking me about i t Locker Room : W ould you like to be an NBA Head Coach one day? H ollins: “ T hat’s an aspiration, but I’m in no hurry. If it never happens, I w on’t be unhappy because I’m happy with what I’m doing and where I’m living. Locker Room : W hat is it like to work under Head Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons? He seems so intense. Hollins: “ Cotton is a great person to work for. The entire organization is great. We have a good time and we take care o f business. W e know how to react to situations. I also have the opportu­ nity to teach. Locker Room : “ In basketball, you have to learn to make judgm ents and decisions on the run, that’s what makes it fun and exciting. It’s not like baseball where in certain situations you can throw a curveball or bunt in another situation. Basketball is a little more difficult. It’s is less likely that a person can pick up everything he needs to know in basket­ ball. As you play, you learn forever.” Locker Room : Thanks and good luck in the future. Hollins: Thank you. Jl.’fcTs P eggy S u m n er O w ner (503) 289-0205 WANT TO BUY YOUR OWN HOME? (It'll take ¡ost a few minutes to see if you can afford a HUD home.) Stop here and compute your Adjusted Income. That's your total gross monthly income, less federal withhold _ mg taxes Wnte your answer here and move on. ) ■ Write the smaller amount of either space 3 or space 5 here. As a general rule, that's the maximum amount you con afford for a monthly house payment (including property taxes). YOU DID IT! tfthe number in space 6 is more than $ 5 5 0 , then chances ore good that HUD has an affordable home for you. Your next move is to call your real estate agent. Low monthly payment* and 3% down! Multiply your Adpsted Income (from space 2) by 0.38, then subtract $150 and wnte the answer here Then move on to the next space. Add up oil your monthly debts (car, loan, credit purchase, credit cord, child support ond alimony payments you owe every month) ond then odd $150. Fill in the total here ond go to space 5. Most of our HUD homes are approved for FHA Mortgoge Insurance, which mokes them more afford able than ever. Plus, HUD's bid process is easy For listings of HUD homes available now, look for our big real estate classified od in every Sunday Oregonian. IHI) ir D E P A R TM E N T OF HO USIN G A N D U R B A N DE VE LO P M E N T « 1989 by HUD, Portland Ofhce You're almost home Multiply your Adjusted Income (from space 2) by 0.53, subtract the amount on space 4, ond write the result here. Now move along. 1 : Zi. f . ' ».* f:.-,’ ?/?<•/- IB . . • -sa* F DAVID ROBINSON T IM W4 Center David Robinson of San Antonio, the unani­ mous choice as the Minute Maid O range Soda NBA Rookie of the Year, and point guard I im Hardaway of Golden State, the floor leader for the league’s high­ est scoring offense this season, both were unanim ous choices for the 1990 NBA All-Rookie l earn as selected by the league's 27 head coaches. Robinson and Hardaway received the maximum 52 points on 26 First Team votes from the coaches, who were asked to vote for First and Second teams, regard­ less of position, and w ho w ere not perm itted to vote for members of their own team. I wo points were aw arded for a First Team vote and one for a Second Team vote. joining Robinson and Hardaway on the First 1 earn were Ylade Divac of the LA Lakers (40 points), Miam­ i’s Sherman Douglas (39) and Minnesota's Pooh Richardson (33). Selected to the All-Rookie Second Team were C har­ lotte’s J.R. Reid (28 points), San Antonio's Sean Elliott (26), Chicago’s Stacey King (23), Utah's T heodore “Blue" Edwards (20'/2) and Miami’s Glen Rice (20). Robinson ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring with 24.3 ppg, second in rebounding with 12.0 rpg and third in blocked shots with 3.89 bpg. He helped lead the Spurs to a franchise-record 56-26 mark. Hardawav, who averaged 14.7 ppg. ranked ninth in the league in assists w ith 8.7 apg and 1 Oth in steals with J, o r .Awav f XX' ■ | 1 1 VLADE DIVAC 2.09 spg. He helped the W arriors average a league­ leading 116.3 ppg, m arking only the second time in history that the league's highest-scoring offense has been directed by a rookie point guard. Following are the complete voting results for the 1990 NBA All-Rookie First and Second Teams: First Team Player, Team f*ts- David Robinson, San Antonio ............................ 52 Tim Hardaway, Golden S la te .............................. 52 Vlade Divac, LA L a k e rs........................................ 40 Sherm an Douglas, Miami .................................... 39 Pooh Richardson, Minnesota .............................. 33 Second Team Player, Team Pts- J.R. Reid, Charlotte .............................................. 28 Sean Elliott, San Antonio .................................... 26 Stacey King. C h ic a g o ............................................ 23 T heodore Edwards, U t a h ...................................... 2 0 '/z Glen Rice, M iam i.................................................... 20 O ther rookies receiving votes: Cliff Robinson (18 points), Nick Anderson (15'/2), Dana Barros (12), Sam Mitchell (7), Shawn Kemp (5), B.J. Arm strong (4), Sarunas Marciulionis and T odd Lichti (3), and Mi­ chael Smith, Alexander Volkov, Mookie Blaylock and Michael Ansley one apiece. it became obvious to us that this (agreement) was our best option.” “This is something our entire organization is very excited about,” said Pistons CEO Tom Wilson. “I think the Lions’ willingness to consider this type of p artn er­ ship speaks volumes for their progressive attitude. This unique m arriage allows both o f us to maximize our combined resources so the Lions can take advan­ tage of m arketing and promotional opportunities throughout the season. “The NBA and its teams are known for their inno­ vative m arketing and prom otional ideas, and that helped the league set an attendance record this past season. T he Lions’ desire to form a partnership with us is another illustration that the NBA serves as a suc­ cessful model for other pro sports leagues." Scott, Jackson Head List of Early Entry Candidates M O VE SIX SPACES FORWARD. START r T he Detroit Pistons have entered into a season-long m arketing and promotional relationship for 1990-91 with the NFL’s Detroit Lions in what is believed to be the first partnership of its kind between two independ­ ent pro sports franchises. T he Pistons’ broadcast division, Glass-Palace Pro­ ductions, has also secured the preseason broadcasting rights for the Lions, and will be responsible for all as­ pects of television production for those four games. "NFL teams havejust in the past five years ventured into the arena of sports m arketing,” said Lions Exec­ utive Vice-President and CEO Chuck Schmidt. “T he philosophy in the past was, ‘T he game sells itself.’ T he Pistons came to us with a very competitive broadcast package and a track record that is one of the best in pro sports. T he furth er we got along into the negotiations, Open to Public 9-6 - Delivery/Service (f you've worked for two years for ihe same employer (or in the same occupation) and you have o good credit record, move ahead 1 spoce. ..WêÂ'-r * V. 4* » - 5;'z • •■•A' • ' t •a ' - •* ’ .? / • a 5 ’V ’ " '" » a ' f •- . t • a- • ' A V P X < r LIONS LOOK TO PISTONS FOR MARKETING, BROADCAST EXPERTISE Beauty & Barber Supplies 231 N. Lombard Suite 200 Portland, OR 97217 a PLEASE NO TE : Irxirvtouol orcvmytoncto •o'» at do landert r»qu,rwiwnh Io- quoM^ng o proipec*»« buyer lot o home mo-lgoqy The term Jo here ■ mtended only to p-ow le yov w * o geneml ^ e o o th o » o lend.- may yrew yovr hnonyrol condrlron at tl apparel to O home pauhata to* tvrahe» mtomaoeon on toon < reqanremema. tola to yoor reol eatoae agent or latoi tender W, tiF*-1 &•> : Junior forward Dennis Scott of Georgia Tech, who led the ACC in scoring this past season, and sopho­ more guard Chris Jackson o f Louisiana State, a two- time SEC Player of the Year, head a list of 13 early en­ try candidates for the 1990 NBA Draft. Also applying for early entry were Kelvin Ardister of Pensacola Junior College; H erb Barthol of Cleve­ land State; Cabe Estaba of South Alabama; David Shon Henderson of Idaho; Sean Higgins o f Michigan; Marcus Liberty of Illinois; Ken Miller o f Loyola o f Il­ linois; Je rro d M ustaf of Maryland; Jesse Spinner of Cram bling State; Per Stum er o f Loyola M arymount and Kenneth Williams of Elizabeth City (NC) State College. Carl H errera, a ju n io r at the University o f Houston, claims to have sent from his home in Venezuela a letter to the NBA office renouncing his rem aining eligibility which was postm arked prior to the filing deadline. Al­ though the letter had not arrived as of Sunday, May 20, if the letter arrives with the proper postm ark he will be eligible for the draft. Underclassmen wishing to forgo their remaining college eligibility to apply lor the 1990 NBA Draft had to submit a letter to the league office postm arked no later than m idnight Sunday, May 13. Following is a complete list of the players who have applied for early entry into the 1990 NBA Dralt, which will be held Ju n e 27 at the Jacob Javits Conven­ tion C enter in New York: Player kelvin .Vollster Herb Kauhoi (..ihe Estaba David Shon Henderson Stan Higgins ( Iiris fat kson Marcus Liberty ken M iller |errod M ustaf Dennis Scott |essc Spinner Per Slim ier Ken Williams School/Team Year Pensacola JC Cleveland State South Alabama Idaho Mie higan Louisiana Slate Illinois 1 .ovola-lllinois Maryland (■eorgia lech ( tram bling State C isoia-Mary m ount Elizabeth City (NC) St. Jr Jr Jr Jr- Jr So. Jr Jr- So. Jr Jr- Jr So. iETr.V i X- ‘ H l 6-6 6-11 6-7 6-2 6-9 6-1 6-8 6-8 6-10 6-8 6-10 6-7 6-9 League Differences What arc the real differences between the National and American leagues .’ O f course there arc some very basic differences, the biggest being the American League allows a designated hitter. But there also are some other, subtle differences. The dcsignaled hitler is a real "star saver" for Amcrican-Lcaguc teams. Because designated hitters bat for pitchers, Amcrican-Lcaguc teams get more innings out o f their pitchers and, consequently, don’t have to carry as many pitchers on their rosters Hitting burns out pitchers faster in games and in years. If there had been designated hitters when Mickey Mantle was playing, he probably could have played a couple more seasons. Having a designated hitler certainly makes for belter offensive play, and the fans like that. They want to sec a lot o f runs scored. I played all but two o f my years in the National League. The last two I played for the Amcrican-Lcaguc Milwaukee Brewers as a designated hitter. Making the transition from playing the whole game to being just a designated hitler was not easy. I was used Io getting into the whole rhythm o f the game, shifting from defense Io offense and so on. Sud­ denly, all I had to do between trips to the plate was think about that last time I was up with bases loaded and popped up! But I founu me real difference in league play to be the strike zone. The umpires in the American League call the strike /.one higher and a bit bigger than they do in the National League. Because there is much more o f a target to throw to, Amcrican-Lcaguc pitchers work the ball around the plate more than they do in the National League. Believe it or not. a big reason for the differences in the strike zone is that National-League umpires wear their chest protectors on the inside o f their jackets while the Amcrican-Lcaguc umpires wear their chest protee- tors on Ihe outside o f their jackets. Wearing their chest protectors on the outside prevents Amcrican-Lcaguc umpires from squatting down as low as the National-League umpires. Other than that, the umpiring from league Io league is basically the same The Portland Observer: Reflecting Community Pride ó.U.