Page 6 The Portland Observer June 13, 1990
T he L ocker R o o m
Title: Bill Laimbeer: Bad Boy Supreme
by
U llysses T ucker , J r
There is More to Life Than Basketball
by Ulysses Tucker, Jr.
by Ulysses Tucker, Jr.
beer. Think about how death has a way
of forcing people to put their life in per­
spective or make others realize how much
they take for granted. Joe Dumars did
not need death for him to catch a grip on
he says, “ Is to keep playing and not
allow the officials to alter your style or
intimidate you.”
“ You can only get away with what they
let you d o ” , he said. “ Laimbeer is no
BILL LAIMBEER
Contrary to public opinion, Bill Laim­
beer thinks that he’s not a bad guy. The
Detroit Piston center suggested that fans,
critics, and media types spend more
time addressing his on court contribu­
tions (points and rebounds) as opposed
to the ‘ ‘bad boy’ ’ tactics (elbows, hard
fouls, and flopping)
Laimbeer is well hated around the Na­
tional Basketball Association among
players-some officials too. Michael
“ A ir” Jordan, on a recent Arsenio Hall
show, called Laimbeer the “ dirtiest
player in the league.” He laughs it off.
Laimbeer has left many of the locals,
the Portland Trail Blazers, shaking their
heads in anguish and frustration during
the current NBA finals.He has aver­
aged an impressive 12.4 rebounds and
16.0 points against the Blazers.
When questioned about how he is per­
ceived by the public and players around
the league, Laimbeer said that all he
cares about is winning basketball games.
According to him, he is the guy every­
one loves to hate.
“ I don’t care what they say and think
about me,” he said after winning game
three in the Memorial Coliseum.’Tf I
did I’d probably be a little crazy by
now.I can’t spend my life worrying and
wondering what people think about me.”
Mark Bryant, back up power forward
for the Blazers, feels that all players get
away with certain tactics.” The key” .
worst than the next guy. He’s big. He;s
strong and he plays hard. We should be
used to that by now. Laimbeer might
throw a couple of ones (elbows) here
and there, but everybody throws a couple
here and there if they can get away with
it. I don’t think his play is out of the
norm.” Laimbeer agreed with Bryant.
A third round draft pick (1979) out of
Notre Dame, Laimbeer played in Itlay
and with the Cleveland Cavs (81-82)
before joining the Pistons in 1983.
Laimbeer and Kenny Carr were shipped
JOE DUMARS
to Detroit for Phil Hubbard, Paul Moke-
ski, a first round draft choice (1982), Joe Dumars played his best game of the
NBA finals last Sunday against the Port­
and a second round pick (1982).
land
Trail Blazers as the Detroit Pistons
Last season, Laimbeer paid the price
rolled
to a 121-106 victory.
for being a “ bad boy” when he was
Last
week,
the Locker Room reported
suspended by the league for fighting
that
Joe
Dumars
wanted another cham­
Brad Daugherty of the Cleveland Cavs
for one game. The suspension snapped pionship ring because he gave the one
his Iron Man streak at 685 games, fourth from last year’s NBA Title to his dad, his
longest in NBA history. “ The World hero and best friend. Dumars’ dad died
Championship ring” , he says, “ more shortly before Sundays’ game and Dumars
than made up for the one game;he spent did not find out until afterwards. After
not banging under the boards” . During sitting and reflecting in a dark security
his nine year career .Laimbeer has missed office at the Memorial Coliseum, Dumars
only two games, the other being a coaches left immediately for the Benson Hotel in
downtown Portland, where he and his
decision.
Laimbeer feels that being defending family decided that he should continue
world Champions made a big differ­ playing basketball. His father wanted it
ence in the Pistons 121-106 victory that way. With the support of his wife
over the Blazers Sunday afternoon. He Debbie and his friend Isiah Thomas, Joe
said that it was a must win situation for Dumars came back strong against the
his team. Laimbeer scored 11 points, Blazers (26 points) in a thrilling 112-109
grabbed 12 rebounds, threw 13 elbows, victory. The Portland fans gave Dumars
and bowed to the crowd enroute to the a warm ovation when introduced before
bench after fouling ouL The crowd booed the game, but they booed everyone else.
Should the Pistons wrap up the series
and heckled him.
“ It was a win, so, we won’t lose (the tonight, Dumars will fly immediately to
title) here in Portland. We had to get a Natchitoches, LA., the place where his
game and we feel that we can win every father built him a backyard court with a
game we play, whether it’s at home or door and a bicycle rim. The funeral is
on the road. It doesn’t matter where we scheduled for Saturday.
play, w e’re not underdogs-we think that Forget basketball for a moment, it does
not mean anything right now. It’s just a
we’re the best team.”
On that note, Laimbeer excused him­ game. Forget James Brown, Dick S lock-
self to comb his hair. Still wrapped in a ton, Woody winning the Lite Beer Bike
towel after showering, he reached into race, and how much you hate the finger
his designated space and grabbed a pointing Dennis Rodman or Bill Laim­
black fidora hat, the type made famous
by the Blues Brothers-” It’s time for the
T.V. cam eras..
È
M
•»,
The Portland Observer:
Reflecting Community Pride
-------
"Communications is a field that
requires flexibility--you should
have skills to work in sales, ad­
vertising, t.v., radio, newspaper,
and marketing. It’s like one-stop
shopping. A degree would help,
too..."
-Ulysses Tucker, Jr., T.V. Pro-
ducer/Freelance Writer
life. He already had a grip on life. Maybe
the death of his dad will help his team­
mates check out their attitudes, values,
or the way they treat people. On a team
perceived by the public as a very rude,
arrogant, and cocky bunch o f players,
Dumars is the ray of hope at the end of
the tunnel. He is gentle, soft spoken, and
humble. His father taught him to work
hard and appreciate one’s blessings.
Dumars does and knows that the ride
through the NBA is a short one, so is the
ride through life for that matter.
Forget that CBS will not cancel that
game because Dumars has to attend a
funeral and be there for his family. For­
get all the revenue that CBS will gener­
ate whether Dumars plays or not and the
melodrama they will create by him
continuing to play. Do not listen to Dick
and Hubie when they suggest that he,
Dumars is trying to win it for his father.
It’s deeper than that, CBS!
Sometimes, human needs should super­
cede net-profit. This is one of those
situations. Warmest regards to Joe Dumars
from Mark Bryant and Terry Porter of
the Blazers.They felt your pain earlier in
the year when each lost their mother.
Warmest regards from the Portland
Observer and the Locker Room also.
Ten years ago, Bryon Irvin was watch­
ing the “ big boys” win championships
and titles throughou t the Chicago metro­
politan area. The “ big boys” included
“ homeboys” Mark Aguirre and Isiah
Thomas of the Pistons and Terry Cum­
mings of the San Antonio Spurs.
In college at Missouri, where he was an
llll L lü E
L l L L h J l
BYRON IRVIN
All-American, Irvin dreamed about play­
ing with the same “ big boys”
again.Outside of the consistent playing
time in the Chicago summer leagues,
Irvin is still wailing for his turn or for
some playing time. Coaches say that he
is going to be a player in this league, but
whether it’s with Portland or not, is
another story .He works hard in practice
and heads home immediately after games
to hit the “ Stair Master.” Irvin is in
excellent condition. He wants to be ready
when his number is called. Irvin has not
received many calls lately. He has missed
30 games because of “ coach’s deci­
sion” , the modem day term for sitting
on the bench. Respected by his team
mates as a solid defensive player, Irvin
said the he would love to play Isiah
straight up.
“ I ’m just waiting fora chance,” he said.
“ Despite the situation, I still have an
excellent attitude. I just want to contrib­
ute to the team’s success. I’ve been watch­
ing Isiah and Mark all my life. I know
that I can play Isiah straight up.”
Irvin was called on to check Michael
“ Air” Jordan earlier this year and did a
good job for a Rookie. Chicago was his
first NBA start. Being at home made it
even sweeter. Time has been tight since,
but Irvin says that he has plenty of time.
“ I’m young” , he said.’T plan to be
around a long time, be it with Portland or
someplace else. I know that I have the
ability to play in this league. It’s just a
matter of time.”
Playing time that is . . .
******
SHORT SHAKES
Spencer Haywood, Dale Brown, Dick
Vitale, Mike Fratello, and former Trail
Blazers were among the fans attending
game three at the Memorial Coliseum.
SPORTS SHORTS
That First Summer of Baseball
MEN’S ★ WOMEN’S ★ CHILDREN’S
(T h ese 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
2
3
4
5
Select any 2 D IF F E R E N T models of sportshoes stacked on our floor, and
Pay suggested retail price of one and get the lower-priced one for FREE
OR, buy any shoe displayed on our wall al our normal discount price, and
Buy any second paid oft the floor at only orw-half of its suggested retail price
Mix or match, share with a triend. but on 2-lor 1 shoes ALL SALES ARE FINAL1
N.E. 30th & ALBERTA . PORTLAND, OR
The weather has gotten warm, and day light lasts well into the evening
hours. Summertime is here and that means it's time for baseball. A ll
around America, bats, balls and gloves w ill be in constant use until fall
turns to winter.
It's hard tor me to remember exactly when or how this all began for
me. That first summer ot baseball happened about 50 years ago.
We didn t have too much o f a baseball team back then. When I was
growing up in M obile. A la., in the 1930s and '40s. everything wasn't as
organized as it is now In laet. very little was organized at all
Il you had a baseball, other kids in the neighborhood were drawn to it
just like the adults were drawn to visit whoever owned the first television
set. Usually there would be just that one ball, and every kid would come
around to beat on it.
Everything was shared. It wasn't like we had a lot o f equipment. If you
had a glove, you had to share it. If you played tirst base, you had to give
your glove to the tirst baseman on the other team when he came out to
field.
Now there are sculptured baseball diamonds everywhere for children
to play their games Back then, we had to find an empty field and then
step ott what we guessed was the proper distance between tirst, second
and third bases and from home plate to the pitcher's “ mound." No. we
never had a pitcher's mound. We just stood where we thought it should
be and used our imagination when we wound up to throw the ball.
When did it daw n on me that 1 might be good at this game? Actually, it
wasn't until I left home to play baseball lor money. Before that I was only
playing about once a week, and you never know how good you are until
you play it on a daily basis. That was when I started feeling like I had a
little potential.
We d idn't have a high school baseball team. We had a softball team
and a football team, but baseball was not part o f the curriculum.
Today there is no excuse lor a kid not to play baseball if he has any
talent tor the game. Everything is so much more convenient tor young
athletes today.
But. hey. we didn't do so badly turning out athletes in Mobile. After I
came along, there were W illie McCovey, B illy W illiam s. Tommy Aggie.
Cleon Jones. Frank Bolling. Amos Otis and my brother Tommy Aaron.
So maybe fancy equipment isn 't everything, hl
Hank Aaron is the top home-run hitter of all time uith 755 homers. A member of
baseball's Hall of Fame. Hank is senior vke president of the Mlanta Braves.
( 1990 PM Editorial Services
Tennis can be a game of funny
bounces. If you know what to
expect on grass, clay and hard
surface courts, however, you can
turn those funny bounces into
winners.
* * *
Grass courts are the fastest,
with unpredictable bounces. Tom
Gullikson, touring pro at Palm
Coast, Florida, advises you play
an aggressive serve-and-volley
game on grass. Use a shorter
backswing to hit the ball quickly
off the bounce. The less the ball
bounces, the better chance you
have of winning the point.
* * *
Clay courts are the slowest,
with higher bounces, says Gul­
likson, who works with top play­
ers at the Palm Coast Players
Club, one of only four all-surface
resorts in the country. Be pa­
tient and consistent here, using
full-swing top-spin ground-
strokes and drop shots as weap­
ons. You have more time to pre­
pare your shot since the court is
slower and the ball bounces
higher.
Children And Sports
Preventing Injuries
Statistics show that each year
thousands of children are victims
of sports-related injuries.
But, according to Dr. David J.
Collon, the director of athletic
medicine at Henry Ford Hospital
in Detroit, Michigan—and the team
physician for three of Detroit’s
professional sports teams, many of
these injuries can be avoided by
following a few simple guidelines.
Dr. Collon offers advice to par­
ents whose children participate in
sports in a new brochure available
through Little Caesars Pizza, the
world’s largest carry-out pizza chain,
and long-time advocate and spon­
sor of amateur sports.
Collon says that making sure
children are in good physical condi­
tion before allowing them to com­
pete in sports is the first precau­
tion a parent should take against
injury.
He adds that children should
have a complete physical examina­
tion before joining a sports team. ;
This will reveal any unknown physi- !
cal abnormalities that could be I
dangerous during strenuous activi- J
ties.
I
Other sports safety tips offered '.
by Dr. Collon include:
PHYSICAL CONDITIONING— :
The greatest deterrent to sports
injuries is to be properly prepared :-
to begin sports play.
•Light jogging, cycling, swim­
ming and calisthenics are good
warm-up activities.
•It is important to warm-up
before stretching.
•Each sport has specific skills
and drills necessary to play well.
•Weight training is permissible
with some caution.
EQUIPMENT—When properly
used, sports equipment can serve
as a primary safe-guard against
physical injury.
•Children should never wear
Little Caesars Pizza offers par­
ents information to help prevent
children s sports-related injuries.
their sibling's hand-me-down shoes,
especially when playing sports.
•Each sport has protective gear
that must be worn to prevent
injuries.
•Dress for the weather, as well
as for the sport.
TEAM COACHING—It is im­
portant to seek qualified coaches
who not only have the enthusiasm,
but the knowledge needed, to teach
the proper techniques for safe sports
Play.
DIET—
•Children should maintain a
balanced diet from the four food
groups.
•Children must stay hydrated
and should drink plenty of fluids
before, during and after sports
activities.
•Caffeine and large amounts of
sugar should be avoided prior to
and during participation in sports
activities.
To receive a copy of Little Cae­
sars sports injury brochure, send a
self-addressed, stamped envelope
to ( hildren and Sports—Prevent­
ing Injuries", Little Caesar Enter­
prises, 2211 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan 48201-3400.
Go Blazers!
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