M ay 15, 1 9 9 1 -T h e Portland Observer--Page 7
THE LOCKER ROOM
NBC Picks Roy
Jay’s Limo
Open up the yellow pages and you
ill find no less than 2 pages of limou-
ne companies that have been around
•r a great number of years. However,
BC SPORTS in New York, picked
ie newest kid on the block to handle
ansportation for their network execu-
ves and TV announcers during the
artland Trailblazer playoffs.
Portland businessman, Roy Jay said
iat his com pany’s corporate limou-
ne has been contracted by NBC for as
mg as the Blazers are in the playoffs,
o date they have already accommo-
lted such notables as Dick Enberg,
BC Sports Executives, Phoenix Sun’s
;ad coach, Cotton Fitzsimmons and
thers.
Jay, was not even aware of the
BC transportation needs, but had been
ighly recommended by several hotels
ho are members of his Oregon Busi-
jss Network. “ It was a matter of the
tree P ’s...Price, Personality and Pro-
:ssionalism” , he said.
Jay’s Oregon Business Network
tembers are covering the cost of the
srporate limousine to transport Josuha
mith, keynote speaker at the upcom-
ig Oregon Association of Minority
ntrepreneurs conference on May 16
5 well at handling Shirley Chisholm
>r the Blacks In Government conven-
on on May 22.
A D V E R T IS E
in
th e
Kareem: Early Doubts About
Magic
* Magic Johnson s assault on Oscar Robertson’s all-time assist record
has further enhanced his reputation as one of the greatest players ever,
but the one man who was the teammate of both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
admits that he had doubts about Johnson as a rooke in 1979-80. “He
was unique-he’s 6-9 and does all that stuff. I had doubts at first, but I
talked to (former coach) Jack McKinney during that summer before his
rookie season, and Jack kept saying, “Magic has such unique talent,
you're going to love it. We'll be able to run all the time, and nobody is
going to be able to concentrate on you. Because Magic’s going to have
the ball in the paint, teams are going to change how they play us...it
enabled us to win world championships between 1979-80-1986."
Blazers Advance to Western
Conference Finals
If you arc a graduating
student, it's time to shine.
You can be what you want
to be. Don't forget the ones
who have carried you thus
far. Let them know that you
appreciate them in what
ever capacity they have
fulfilled for you. Remember
to be good to each other!
Portland Prepares For NBA West Finals
Kevin Duckworth
Clyde Drexler
Mark Bryant
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR.
Memorial Coliseum last year alter game
five. It’s tough (I’m told by NBA play
ers) to see someone else party on your
home court. The Lakers, bumped out
early last season by the Phoenix Suns
and losers of the Pacific Division for
the first time in nine seasons, also have
something to prove to hoop fans all of
the world. It should be classic Laker-
Blazer basketball and the winner of the
Western Conference finals should win
it all. Blazers in seven.
* Speaking of summer vacations,
Karl Malone will have plenty of time to
think about his pass attempt to team
mate Thurl Bailey that resulted in a
Clyde Drexler steal during the final
half-minute of play. “ That pass” ,
Malone. “ I was going to shoot i t , but
then I saw Thurl go across at the last
minute...Maybe I shoudln’t have thrown
that pass. I can accept that.” Bailey
said, “ Karl saw me cutting across. He
had been shooting the jump shot pretty
well. I probably shouldn’t (cut cross)
done it...” Lou Rawls once made a
song entitled, “ If I could have should
have,” it’s the type of song that makes
summer vacations longer and hotter.
Malone and Bailey will run that same
play throughout their minds all sum
mer, but the end result will be the same.
It’s the type of play demons are bom
on.
* According to one NBA official,
Salt Lake has the worst fans in the
league when it comes to insults and
foul language. You would think that
Chicago, New York, Detroit, or some
place like Philadelphia but the Mor-
man state? “ The crowd here is rougher
on me than anywhere in the league,”
said Kevin Duckworth, who scored 30
points and grabbed 11 boards. “ Other
places, there might be four or five people
on me. I tell you, people here talk to me
like a dog. They’re bad enough things,
that I’m just shocked!”
The most polite crowd in the league?
Wrong! Portland. Portland is the only
city in the NBA where the crowd claps
for the opposing team during player
introductions. Nice, huh?
* Six NBA teams have been in the
NBA Playoffs each of the past seven
years, since the field was expanded to
16 teams. They are Boston, Detroit, the
LA Lakers, Milwaukee, Portland and
Utah. Other than the four expansion
teams, only one franchise has failed to
qualify at least once in that time-the LA
Clippers. The team with the home court-
advantage won 12 of 15 series in last
year’s NBA playoffs.
* Portland’s Mark Bryant on his
very physical play on the inside against
Karl Malone. In some instances, Bryant
looks like he’s ready to become a member
of the World Wrestling Federation. Mark
enjoys contact and he likes to mix it up.
“ you might as well bang a little,” he
said, “ The times that I’m out there, I
may as well play hard and hopefully
that will keep me in there longer.
Hustling and playing hard is what it’s
all about.”
The Portland Trail Blazers, as tal
ented a collection o f players as they
arc, need a little more “ killer instinct”
if they are to be taken seriously as a
contender for the NBA Title. All sea
son long, the Blazers have blown big
leads after having teams on the ropes,
displayed bad judgement in their shot
selection, and there have been occa
sions where mental lapses have resulted
in losses. Luckily for the Blazers, the
Utah Jazz was not a team blessed with
moving beyond the semi-finals in the
Western Conference in recent memory
(correct me if I’m wrong). Thus, they
still have to learn how to progress to the
next level. The Blazers, though crushed
by the illusion of home court advantage
by Detroit last season, have been to the
“ mountaintop” and their eyes have
seen the glory associated with a cham
pionship ring. So have the Los Angeles
Lakers. Five limes in the last decade or
so and if the Blazers continue to show
flashes of wanting an early summer
vacation, "M agic" Johnson and Com
pany will be more than happy to send
them home to North Carolina, Hous
ton, Virginia, and other geographical
locations for refection and introspec
tion. At this level, the Blazers can ill-
afford to exercise bad judgement or
take shots at crunch time. Thus, the
Conference Finals, is the last huddle in
a season long attempt to purge them
selves of champagne being uncorked in
The Blazers Are Planning A Party!
POW ER PLAY
I
Ramon Ramos
Photo by Veronica Green
'he Portland Trail Blazers advance to the Western Conference finals
'uesday night by beating the Utah Jazz 103 to 96. The Blazers will meet
he Los Angeles Lakers in a best of seven series to determine the
Vestern Conference champions.
Karl Malove one of the top power forwards in the NBA goes up for the
Slam.
Photo by Veronica Green
PDX Buys Shuttle
Buses For
Parking System
MEN’S, WOMEN’S, CHILDREN’S
2 FOR
$ Q /|9 3
O H
These & many more
added weekly.
CALL FOR DETAILS
AVIA775WP
WOMEN’S TENNIS
WHITE/
PINK
QconviRM
Cons® ERX 250 Hi
BeR
281-5819
Portland International Airport
(PDX) will be soon changing its park
ing system shuttle bus fleet with the
purchase of 11 Blue Bird buses.
The Port of Portland Commission,
operators of the airport, approved the
purchase of the 23-passcngcr, heavy-
duty buses at its May meeting. The
buses will replace the oldest 17 - and 13
- passenger buses in PDX’s fleet.
The buses will be purchased for
$131,000 per bus from Western Bus
Sales, of Clackamas, Oregon. Delivery
of the Blue Bird-manufactured buses is
expected by December 1. The new buses
will combine with four buses from the
current fleet to expand the shuttle sys
tem’s total from the current 13 buses to
15.
With delivery of the Blue Bird
buses, the PDX shuttle buses will be
accessible lor use by the disabled.
OPEN 7 DAYS
N.E. 30th A ALBERTA • PORTLAND, OR
• • A *
♦ * • *
a * A * ♦ ♦ * ♦ * ♦ *
* A t * .* A 4
The Portland Trail Blazers annual
summcrevcntatCivic Stadium isgoing
to be extra special this year. They’re
turning the event into a fundraiser for
former teammate Ramon Ramos who
was critically injured in an auto acci
dent in December of 1989.
Ramos currently lives with his
family in Puerto Rico. “ Even though
Ramon’s progress has been tremen
dous he still has many medical and
therapeutic costs to cover, ’’says Blazer
team co-captain Terry Porter, “ and that’s
why we are having this party for his
benefit.”
As might be expected when you
have a pro basketball team throwing a
party, you’re going to have some bas
ketball involved somewhere. The Bank
of America Blazer Slam *N Jam ’91
promises some great on-court action
with the “ RamonRamos All-StarClas-
sic ” . B lazer head coach Rick Adelman
and senior vice-president Geoff Petrie
are working hard to secure commit
ments from some of the league’s great
est players. Those players will join the
entire Blazer team in a regulation game.
Tickets for Bank of America Blazer
Slam *N Jam ’91 are on sale at Ticket-
Master Northwest outlets throughout
Oregon and southwest Washington.
Event date is Saturday, July 20th. All
profits will be donated for the benefit of
Ramon Ramos. The Blazers have guar
anteed a minimum contribution of
$100,000.
in addition to the Pro All-Star game,
tendees can plan on catching some of
Oregon’s best nationally known music
groups. A three-point shoot out will be
held prior to the game featuring some
of the best long distance shooters from
around the league.
J
Lifeguard Course
Portland Parks and Recreation
presents a National Pool and Water-
park Lifeguard Course, May 17 through
May 19 at Grant Swim Pool, 2300 N.E.
33rd. After successful completion of
the course, participants will receive a
lifeguard certificate accepted by the
State of Oregon. Successful candidates
will also be considered for Portland
Parks summer lifeguard positions. The
starting lifeguard salary for the sum
mer of 1991 will be $5.40 per hour.
Cost of the course is $50. To register or
for more information call 823-3669.
Dr. Chuck Kunert's
CONCORDIA BASKETBALL CAMPS
High School Team Camp
June 23-28, 1961
Individual Girls’ Camp
June 30-July 3, 1991
Teaching fundamentals and team
play in a Christian environment.
Resident and Commuter
Reasonable Fees
Dr. Chuck Kunert
Concordia College
2811 N.E. Holman
Portland, OR 97211
Call 288-9371 e xt. 7137
or 282-4495 or w rite:
n r ir fir