Page 6 The Portland Observer June 6, 1990
T he L ocker R o o m
portlond
"... he ¿¡anything but a classic small
forw ard—not a deadly shooter. He’sno
D octor J., no Alex English, no Bernard
King. But like Dennis Rodman o f the
Detroit Pistons, he's essential to a team
composed o f unconventional parts..."
Jim Patton/NBA Writer
Williamette Week
After spending his early years be
hind Kiki Vandeweghe, ex-communi-
cated to the New York Knieks, Jerome
Kersey has emerged as one of the best
small forwards in the National Basket
ball Association. Portland fans did not
take too kindly their favorite son (or
white player) being traded away and
Kersey took the heat. Critics said that
he was inconsistent as an outside shooter
and needed to be traded for a player
who can fill it up night-in and night.
You can cut that rap, now.
JEROME KERSEY
When told that he was considered
the weak link in the Trail Blazers start
ing line up, Kersey, like Perry M ason-
went to work building a case for his
client, himself. ‘‘I was never a weak
link,” he said confidently. “ I went
through the season averaging almost
sixteen points per game and 8.7 boards.
I’m not even the main go to guy in the
offense, so, those are great numbers, I
, think. It’s (the playoffs) just an oppor
tunity now. I’m getting time to get the
ball, getting more shots, and putting up
the numbers. All I have to do is keep
doing that, hit the boards, and I’ll be
alright.”
To date, Kersey has been averaging
21.3 points during the NBA playoffs
and grabbing 81.7 rebounds, second
only to Buck Williams (9.3). Kersey’s
scoring average is tops on the team
going into the NBA Final against the
defending champions, the Detroit Pis
tons. Kersey expects a very physical
se rie s-” l ’m not glad to just be here, I
want to win,” said Kersey.
Center Bill Lambeer of the Pistons,
known throughout the league as the
dirtiest player in the NBA, believes that
the Trail Blazers will be very competi
tive and physical.
“ They are a difficult team to play
because they’re a big-time rebounding
team and have explosive players (refer
ring to Kersey, Drexlerand Porter). We
have our hands full,” he told USA
Today’s David DuPree.
Drafted in the second round (46th)
in 1984, Kersey is fast gaining the re
spect of sportwriters, coaches, and play
ers around the league. His teammates
respect him too. Terry Porter, resident
point guard, said that he has watched
Kersey blossom over the past couple of
years and he is not surprised at his
contributions.
“ Jerome has been playing great,”
said Porter. “ He has been one of the
key guys for us throughout the playoffs
and he is playing extremely well. He’s
going to continue playing that way and
make us much better. I’m sure of that. ’ ’
Porter dismisses the notion that
Kersey, as suggested by some, is the
weak link in the Blazers starting line
up. Porter says that it’s a team game.
“ It’s really hard to give one guy a
weak link on a team sport,” he said.
“ He’s really fought through all that
adversity as far as the situation with
him and Kiki. He’s really come on and
his game is great.”
Kersey provides an element that
Vandeweghe could not give to the Blazer
team, heart. Vandeweghe had no heart.
Kersey is not afraid to do what is neces
sary for his team to win. He rebounds,
plays in your face defense, and blocks
shots. H e’stough. He’s tough on small
forwards who can not or will not bang
with him on the boards. Ask Sean
Elliott, Sam Perkins, or any other over
paid small forward who received no
mercy from Kersey. If Kersey’s value
to the team is based on what his peers
made last season, Brinks had better be
ready to give Kersey a ride to the bank.
If it is based on his peers wages and play
this season, the Blazer front office had
better call a couple of armoured cars.
No, Jeron.e Kersey might not be a
classic small forward or a Doctor J,
Alex English, or Bernard King because
he does not bring home the All-Star sta
tistics. In time, these above mentioned
players may be remembered for not
being a Jerome Kersey.
U llysses T ucker , J r .
Joe Dumars, Jr.: Quiet Storm
Jerome “ Have M ercy” Kersey: Tough!
by Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
by
1990 NBA FINALS
trnilblm erz
CO NG R ATULA TIO N S
BLA ZER S!!!
GOOD
LUCK
IN THE
NBA FINALS!!
FROM THE
PORTLAND
OBSERVER
C E N T E N N IA L LOGO
BASKETBALL
CENTENNIAL
Currently averaging 17.4 points in
the
NBA playoffs (second behind Isiah
In the 1985 College Draft, 17 teams
Thomas)
and is capable of taking a
picked before the Detroit Pistons se
game
over
with his outside shooting at
lected Joe Dumars, Jr. out of McNeese
anytime.
In
the Eastern Conference
State. He was a secret of some sort or a
Finals
against
Chicago, he garnered a
steal as one NBA General Manager put
huge
load
of
credit
for holding “ Air”
it, an outright steal.
Micnael Jordan in ch eck -to the extent
that anyone can hold anyone in check.
by Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
Now, Dumars has to deal with Clyde
“ The Glide” Drexler. He is up for the
challenge and use to playing opponents
much taller. “ Clyde is an excellent
player,” he said. “ I had to look at some
films because we (Pistons) don’t sec
them but twice a year.” Dumars, at six-
foot-three, is four inches shorter than
Drexler.
JOE DUMARS
From a quiet country boy from
Louisiana to one of the best guards in
the NBA, Dumars has earned the re
spect of his peers and the Detroit Pis
tons management. At one point two
years ago during the mid-season, it was
rumored that Dumars was on the trad
ing blocks. He exploded down the
stretch and helped Detroit to the NBA
Finals before ultimately losing to the
Los Angeles Lakers.
Last season, Dumars had his coming
out party against the Los Angeles Lak
ers as the Pistons won the World Cham
pionship in a sweep. Dumars was named
the MVP for the 1989 NBA Playoffs
and rewarded a new six-year $8 million
contract. Signing a new contract did
not change Dumars style of play or his
quiet ways. He came back strong as
ever this season. A m em berofthe 1990
NBA All-Star team and All Defensive
team for the second straight year, Dumars
is geared and ready to defend Detroit’s
NBA Title against Portland.
“ When you get to the Finals, it doesn’t
matter who you play,” he said. “ You
have to respect them (Portland) a great
deal, because we know what it takes to
get this far.”
Dumars calls winning the NBATitle
the greatest thing he ever experienced
as an athlete and now he has to get use
to the recognition from his play. Dumars
said that he has to get use to being a
celebrity and the attention. He prefers
to be anonymous, but his basketball
abilities and quiet demeanor draws fans
and writers like a m agnet
“ Winning the NBA Finals last year
really changed my life. A lot,’ ’ he said.
“ People approach me differently now.
Even though I try to treat people the
same, they’re different. And a lot more
people approach me now than they did
before. But I try not to change. All this
only reaffirmed my life values, the way
I’ve been raised, and what I was taught
to believe. I can say it pays to work
hard and do the right thing because you
reap the benefits.”
One last thing readers should know
about Joe Dumars, Jr.: He wants a
second NBA Championship ring to wear
on his hand. You see, Dumars gave the
first one to his hero and good friend, Joe
Dumars, Sr.
(Excerpts from NBA News, New York
City)
Short Shakes: According to a survey of
NBA players, Michael “ Air” Jordan is
the man you want with the basketball in
his hand when the game is on the line
and Joe Dumars is the guy you want
checking him. Talk about peer respect
for two great athletes.
Pictured above is the official logo for the 100th anni
versary celebration of the game of basketball, a year
long event scheduled for 1991-92. The logo was un
veiled during the 1990 induction ceremonies at the Bas
ketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA and it will be worn
as a patch on the uniforms of all NBA players during the
1991 -92 season. In addition to the NBA and the Basket
ball Hall of Fame, other organizations pledging support
for the centennial program are U S A. Basketball (U S.
Olympic basketball), the NCAA, and the NFSHSA (Na
tional Federation of State High School Associations).
NBA Update
Magic Johnson, who received the third Edge NBA
Most Valuable Player award ofhis career last Tuesday,
is now tied with Larry Bird and Moses Malone for the
fourth-highest total of MVP awards in league history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six Edge NBA MVP
awards, one more than Bill Russell, and Wilt Cham
berlain won four. Johnson, however is the only guard
to ever win MVP honors more than once (BobCousy,
Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan are the only
other guards to be so honored).
Johnson also became just the second player in the
last I 7 years and the eighth player in league history to
win both the Edge NBA MVP and NBA All-Star Game
MV P trophy (his first) in the same season.
Johnson, in winning both MVP awards, joins Bob
Pettit (1956, 1959), Cousy (1957), Chamberlain
(I960), Russell (1963), Robertson (1964), Willis Reed
(1970), Dave Cowens (1973) and Jordan (1988) as the
only plavers to win both in the same year.
And, with Lakers Coach Pat Riley winning Digital
NBA Coach of the Year honors for 1990, this marks
the sixth time in history that the league's MVP and
( oat h of the V ear have come from the same team. The
other winning combinations were Russell and Red
Auerbach of Boston in 1965; Chamberlain and Dolph
Schaycs of Philadelphia in 1966; Wes Unseld and
Gene Shue of Baltimore in 1969; Reed and Red Hok-
man of New York in 1970; and Cowens and Tom
Heinsohn of Boston in 1973.
Only twice — Russell and Auerbach in 1965 and
Reed and Holzman in 1970 — did the league’s MVP
and ( .oath of the Year come from the team that went
on to win the NBA Championship.
MEN’S ★ WOMEN’S * CHILDREN’S
(These a n d M an y, M an y M o re!)
“ SPRING
BLOWOUT”
ALSO: QUALITY SHOES FOR RUNNING, AEROBICS, HIKING,
CHILDREN'S WEAR. SOCCER AND OTHERS!
BUY BELOW COST
AND SAVE!!!
(BELOW COST ... OOOO ONLY ON STYLES SELECTED FOR ELIMINATION)
How It Works:
1 Select any 2 D IFFE R EN T models of sportshoes stacked on our floor, and
2 Pay suggested retail price of one and ge, the lower-priced one for FREE
3 OR, buy any shoe displayed on our wall at our normal discount price, and
4 Buy any second paid off the floor at only o n«-half of its suggested retail price
5 Mix or match, share with a friend but on 2 for 1 shoes ALL SALES ARE F IN A L I
OPEN 7 DAYS
281-5819
HOURS MON FRI 1&7
SATURDAYS
SUNDAYS 12 5
'.A A M A S H Mr A U f i W f I '
N.E. 30th S ALBERTA . PORTLAND, OR
1*. f
/
’ .f
M
'M l
Reflecting Community Pride
Words from The Coach
Coach Art Shell of the Los Angeles Raiders congratulates Laddie Howard on an outstanding
freshman year as a Thurgood Marshall scholar, during Howard’s recent visit to Los
Angeles. Howard attends South Carolina State College, Orangeburg, S.C., and is one of 36
recipients of a four-year, $16,000 Thurgood Marshall scholarship. Founded by Miller
Brewing Company in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund is the only fund of its
kind to support public black colleges. Miller has contributed more than $1.6 million to the
ftind. Coach Shell, a graduate of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, is one of many
distinguished alumni of America's public black colleges. He spent 15 seasons as a Raiders
player, then joined the team’s coaching staff after retiring from the playing field in 1983.
Summer Tennis Camp
What: Tennis Camp
Where: Irving Park
When: June 25th to Aug. 10th
Time: 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
Days: Monday thru Thursday
Beginners: 1 2 :3 0 -1:15 pm
Adv. Beg. & Intermediates: 1:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Ages: 7 yrs. to 16 yrs.Cost: No Charge!
T-Shirts $10.00
The City of Portland’s Parks Bureau, Portland Public Schools, United State:
Tennis Association, Tennis Unlimited, and the Augustana Lutheran Church wit
jointly sponsor an eight week tennis camp this summer at Irving Park on N.E. 7tl
and Fremont St. Donald Johnson will serve as the site Director for this camp
Adult and youth Camp Assistants will also serve as staff members.
Others who are interested in helping with this camp are welcomed to appl)
as camp volunteers. Tennis experience is not required for Camp Volunteers
Some can help with registration, supervise parties at Burger King and hel)
check-out equipment. The staff will have a “ Tennis Kick-Off Carnival or
June 16th at Irving Park from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In the event of rain the
Carnival will be rescheduled for June 23rd same time, same site. If you art
interested in helping or participating in this camp then call Donald Johnson a
281-4102 or write P.O. Box 19745, Portland, Oregon 97219.