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May 29,
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THE LOCKER ROOM
Magic simply won’t go away
by Aaron Fentress
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Last season a friend said to
m e,"M agic'sbeena w art on thebutt
of the NBA for too long. Somebody
needs to rem ove him," Before last
season ended it seemed that Magic
Johnson and the Lakers had been
rem oved as the top team in the
W estern Conference of the NBA.
But as he's done so m any times
before, Magic has found a way to re­
appear.
In the Eastern Conference the
torch has been passed several times.
In the early eighties the Philadelphia
76ers ruled the east led by The
Doctor. In the mid-eighties, Larry
Bird and the Boston Celtics took
over. In 1987 the Detroit Pistons, led
by Isiah Thomas, became the Eastern
Conference pow er w inning back-
to-back cham pionships in 1988 and
1989. Now, Michael Jordan and the
Chicago Bulls have knocked off the
Pistons from the Eastern Conference
throw n. But in the west, Magic still
reigns suprem e.
From 1980 through 1989 the
L a k e rs ja u n te d to th e NBA
cham pionship series eight times.
The two tim es the Lakers d idn't
m ak eitto th ech am p io n sh ip , it was
H ouston who dethroned them. The
second tim e H ouston knocked off
the Lakers, in 1986, it echoed all
across the league that the Laker
dom inance in the west was over.
H ouston was supposed to become
the new western dynasty led by their
twin towers, Akeem Olajuwon and
Ralph Sampson. But the towers
c ru m b le d , w h ile th e L ak ers
rebounded from their short set-back
and
w on
b a c k -to -b a c k
cham pionships in 1987 and 1988.
All this is recent NBA history
that any NBA fan can rem ember
and understand. But w hat NBA
fans can't understand, especially
w estern fans, is w hy, and how,
Magic has found his way back again.
Especially now.
W hen the Lakers bo wed out of
last years playoffs in the second
round, losing to the Phoenix Suns 4-
1, it seemed like the Lakers were
really th ro u g h , for real, gone,
d is m is s e d , th e e n d .
S p o rts
Illustrated, ran an article declaring
that one dynasty was giving way to
the next dynasty. Yet the so called
dynasty of Sun is currently setting,
and sitting at home. While the
Lakers play on.
W hen
th e
P o rtla n d
T ra ilb la z e rs
m ade
th e ir
b r e a k th ro u g h
to th e NBA
cham pionship, beating the Suns a
long the way but losing to the Pistons
in the final, it looked like the Blazers
were now the superior team in the
west. This sentiment grew stronger
and stronger as the Blazers proved
their 1990 playoff surge was no fluke
by attaining the NBA's best record
in 1991 and securing hom e-court
advantage through out the playoffs.
Surely the Blazers were going to the
cham pionship. They had added
Danny Ainge and W alter Davis to
the team. This was to be the Blazers
year. But look w ho's back. Magic.
W hile the Blazers did add
Ainge and Davis, the Lakers added
Sam P erkins and T erry Teagle.
Ainge has proven valuable for the
Blazer while Davis sits the bench.
Teagle is hot and cold for the Lakers,
while Perkins has moved into the
staring power-forward spot and has
given the Lakers a fourth post-up
threat. Something that is killing the
Blazers in the playoffs.
Bu t none of this was supposed
to m atter. Perkins, Teagle, who
cared ? The Lakers were old.
Ah, the cries of the desperate.
W hile P ortland fans w anted to
believe the Lakers were old they
forgot the facts. The Lakers oldest
starter was and is, Magic Johnson.
Old maybe, MVP two years in a
row, definitely. The fact that Blazer
fansand the Portland media seemed
to jum p on the band wagon carrying
a sign saying "The wicked Lakers
are old," they were at the same time
conceding that the Blazers were not
better than the Lakers, but younger.
The Celtics dethroning of the
Sixers, the P istons b eatin g the
Celtics, the Bulls knocking off the
Pistons. None of these passings of
the torch had anything to do with
age. One team sim ply caught up to
another. The Blazers, nor any other
team in the west for that matter,
have caught up to Magic and the
Lakers.
For Laker fans, such as I, it's a
time to gloat a little, but most of all
to appreciate the genius of Magic
Johnson. The fact that he never dies,
even when he's supposedly to old to
be breathing. The fact that no m atter
wha t ne w kid comes on to the block,
there's no doubt who's territory the
NBA is. He m ay not win another
cham pionship after this year, he
may not even win it this year. But
for him to lead his team back again
after being declared d ead is a
rem inder to all w hat Magic stands
for. Winning.
For Blazer fans this season is
no doubt most discouraging. After
all the m oney spent on Blazer cable
by adoring Blazer fans, the team still
din’t win. But look on the bright
side; the announcers pronounced
Rick Adelman's nam e right, people
in on the east coast now know there
is another Portland other then the
one in Main and Magic will have to
retire som etim e.
Until then, a
cham pionship will be a tough trick
to turn.
W riters note: If by any chance
the Blazers come back and win the
scries, please dis-regard thisarticle.
Local Community Tennis Camp is ready for business!
The third Annual Sum m er Tennis
Cam p at Irving Park is set and ready to
go. This year’s cam p the PAL/USTA
Sum m er Tennis Cam p will start on
June 17th and run through A ugust 9th.
The camp is for kids ages 7 to 16 and is
for beginners, intermediate and advance
players. Camp dates and limes are:
M onday thru Thursday - 1:00 p.m. to
3:30 p.m. Registration forms will be
delivered to local Elementary and Middle
Schools on June 3rd. Kids may also
register at Irving Park on June 15th
during Park Clean-up and Tennis C ar­
nival. This carnival is intended to pro­
vide kids and parents with a sampling
o f the cam p’s format and activities.
‘ Registration will continue throughout
the sum m er for late applicants.
Irving Park Community Tennis A sso­
ciation
The next meeting o f the newly
formed IPCTA will be held on June
5th, 6:30 p.m. at the A ugustana Lu­
theran Church at 2710 N.E. 14th. The
IPCTA is an United States Tennis
/
A ssociation - National Chartered
M ember formed to prom ote tennis and
tennis related activities in the N orth/
N ortheast Portland com m unities. All
m eetings are open to the general pub­
lic. W e encourage you to attend.
Portland-Seattle Tennis Challenge
Renewed
On June 15 th at Irving Park and the
Portland Tennis Center some o f the
Pacific Northwest best tennis players
will gather to renew an old rivalry.
Players from the Emerald City Tennis
A ssociation of Seattle will play m em ­
bers of the Irving Park Hitters and Ebony
& Ivory Tennis Teams. W eather per­
mitting play will com m ence at 2:00
p.m. at Irving Park and continue until
3:30 p.m. Matches w ill resum e at the
Portland Tennis Center at 4:00 p.m.
and conclude at 8:00 p.m. This event is
also open to the public to participate. If
you are interested in playing contact
Don Johnson at 281-4102; cost $15.00
per person. Levels o f com petition will
include “ A,B, and C ” with singles,
doubles, and mixed doubles catego­
ries.
Irving Park Clean-up & Tennis
Carnival
On Saturday, June 15th two spe­
cial events to help kick-off the Sum m er
Recreational Programs and Tennis Camp
will take place at Irving Park. Starting
at 10:00 a.m. representatives from lo­
cal neighborhood associations will join
forces with the Irving Park Community
Tennis Association, the Coalition of
Black Men, Portland Park Bureau to
perform a general walk-through and
clean-up of Irving Park. The areas to be
cleaned will be limited to the Irving
Park Tennis Courts, the W ading Pool,
Sand Box, Swings & Recreation O f­
fice. The clean-up is slated to last one
hour. Food and refreshm ents will be
provided by the IPCTA, Augustana
Lutheran C hurch’s youth program, and
the coalition of Black Men. The Tennis
Carnival will start at 11:00 a.m. and
end at 1:30 p.m. Please attend.
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Portland Opera
Presents Rodgers And
Hammerstein’s
Unforgettable Carousel
MOVE-OUT
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Portland Observer -Page 5
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YIWÉftiMâXtX? *
In what has become its season-
ending tradition, Portland Opera closes
out its 26lh season with Rodgers and
Hammcrstcin’s American musical clas-
sic-Carouscl.
Carousel catches us up in the heart­
rending relationship between Julie Jor­
dan and Billy Bcigelow and spins us
toward a conclusion that sings with the
conquering em otions o f hope and for­
giveness. From curtain to curtain, from
the plaintive “ If I Loved Y ou” to the
inspirational “ Y ou’ll Never W alk
A lone,” Carousel whirls with dance
and song certain to enshrine it in the
memories of yet another generation.
With six perform ances sure to
delight the entire family, including a
special F ather’s Day Matinee: June 15,
16 (matinee), 19,20,21,22. All perform­
ances at 7:30PM ,except the 2:00 M ati­
nee. At the Civic Auditorium , Port­
land.
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Spreading The Magic To Fans Everywhere
BY ULLYSSES TUCKER, JR.
There are thousands o f Magic
Johnson fans throughout the nation,
many o f whom will never receive the
opportunity to meet him or see his no
look passes, million dollar smile, or
how he leads the Los Angeles Lakers to
NBA Cham pionships. Simply, put into
perspective, Johnson has been to the
eighties what Julius “ Dr J.” Erving
and Kareem A bdul-Jabbar was to the
seventies. Michael Jordan, Patrick
Ewing, David Robinson, Kevin Johnson,
and Jerome Kersey will rule the current
decade.
Fans love Johnsons’ showmanship,
sty le, and grace on the basketball court.
He has a way of touching them with his
magic wand. O ne such fan, Rochelle
Kirkland - G antt, lives in W ashington,
D.C. She loves the basketball court that
Magic plays on and everything about
him, even the Kentucky Fried Chicken
Hot Wings commercial. Two years ago,
Kirkland - Gantt, com plained to her
finance (Hank W ages) about the high
prices to attend W ashington Bullet
basketball games and even worse, she
never got the chance to m eet her hero
Magic Johnson. All she wanted to do
was shake his hand and get an auto­
graph, like millions of others. In her
mind, paying top dollar to sec NBA
superstars and not being able to meet
them was an outrage. It bothered her a
great deal.
Several weeks later, Kirkland-Gantt
shared the same frustration with her
cousin in Portland, Oregon, an NBA
sportswriter without her knowledge.
Laughing at her com plaints and rein­
forcing to her that NBA players are
constantly hounded by fans, Kirkland -
G antt’s cousin invited her out to O re­
gon and promised a meeting with Magic
Johnson. Two days later, she had a
ticket in hand and approval from her
job at the Environm ental Protection
Agency to take a few vacation days.
Imagine, Magic Johnson (her hero),
was ju st a cousin or telephone call
away. Everything was set. A flight to
PDX, tickets to Trail Blazer game against
the Supersonics and Los Angeles Lak­
ers. Psyched to the ultimate degree,
em barked on a coast to coast journey
only to learn that Johnson would not
make the Portland road trip because of
a hamstring injury. To say the least,
Kirkland - G antt was upset and wished
that she would have stayed in the na­
tions capital.
A trip in vain? Thanks to her cousin,
Kirkland - G antt was still able to meet
and take photographs with all of the
Lakers, Blazers, and Supersonics. She
also received an autographed basket­
ball from the Lakers and Blazers. D e­
spite it all, nothing could ease the sting
o f not meeting Magic Johnson after
such a long Hight. Later during that
season (1988-89), Magic agreed to
appear on a television show produced
by Kirkland - G antts’ cousin at KATU-
TV 2. He worked at the station full time
and free lanced as a sports writer. When
told the story by Kirkland - G antt’s
cousin. Magic could only smile and
adm ire the impact he has on people.
After the interview, Magic autographed
a basketball and agreed to videotape a
personal message to be sent along with
the basketball and a copy of the televi­
sion show (Sunday Northwest) he would
be featured on.
Kirkland - Gantt couldn’t get time
off work last season to make the trip out
to Portland and planning her wedding
this summer (July 13) prevented a trip
during these current NBA play-offs.
Still, she lives the dream through her
cousin, the sportswriter. Already this
year, she has sent Magic Johnson a Los
Photo By Veronica Green
Lochelle Kirkland-Gantt chats with former Los Angeles Laker head coach
Pat Riley, soon to be coach of the New York Knicks durging her visit to
Portland in 1989.
Angeles Laker basketball cap with
“ Magic” imprinted on the side in rhine­
stones and a nice letter. He later mailed
her an autographed action shot taken
by noted photographer Veronica Green.
Her cousin recently sent one of Johnson’s
tennis shoes he used during the first two
games against (autographed) the Blaz­
ers. All season, she has harassed her
cousin about the Magic surrounding
their team this year. All Season long
she criticized the Blazers about not
having discipline in their offense, no
half-court gam e, and being a bunch of
crybabies. Il was only appropriate that
it came down to cousin versus cousin.
Laker fan versus Blazer. Family versus
family. It doesn’t m atter to her cousin
that it looks (as of this writing) that he
is going to have to w ear a Los Angeles
Laker tee-shirt back to W ashington,
D.C. this sum m er despite hating the
Lakers and it doesn;t really m atter to
her when she meets Magic Johnson.
She knows that the dream is not far
away and neither is the NBA Cham pi­
onship. She predicted back when Sam
Perkins and Terry Teagle signed with
the Lakers this summer. It doesn’t matter
to her cousin that he is going to lose a
dinner bet and have to listen to all the
chatter about the Los Angeles Lakers.
W hat matters m ost to her cousin is that
he loves her and cares for her very
much. H e’s just happy to bring joy to
her life. By the way, her cousin is
Ullysses Tucker, Jr.
Crunch Time: No team has ever
com e back from a 3-0 or 3-1 deficit to
win an NBA Final. Five teams have
come back after being down 3-2:
Syracuse in 1955, Boston in 1962, Boston
in 1969, W ashington in 1978 and the
Lakers in 1988...W hat are the m ost
important games to win in the best o f 7
NBA Finals?
Other than the seventh (obviously),
stats show it’s games 1 or 3. Team s that
have won games 1 or 3 have gone on to
win 31 o f 44 NBA Titles, a .705 per­
centage.
City Council Acts To Expand South Park Blocks
Urban Renewal Area ping and working environm ent as welt
Portland City Council authorized
expansion of the South Park Blocks
Urban Renewal Area by 27 acres,
making possible the broadening of low-
income housing goals under the Down­
town Housing Preservation Program
(DHPP).
The expansion area contains more
than 1,000 single-room occupancy
(SRO) units, which typically serve as
low-income housing. Many are in de­
teriorating condition. D H PP’s focus
since it was established in 1988 has
been to preserve low-income housing
and makeup for past losses.
“ Expansion of the South Parks
Blocks Urban Renewal Area opens up
a treasure trove o f housing in need 11
improvement that can and should be
made available to needy Portland citi­
zens. The DHPP has a proven track
record with renovations such as the
Henry Building and Golden W est and
all the partners in the program arc
poised to begin improvements in the
expansion area,” said PD C’s Director
of Housing Randall Mullen.
The Council’s action, the first
am endm ent to be made to the South
Parks Blocks Urban renewal Plan, opens
the way for DHPP efforts to save and
rehabilitate low-income housing units
in the expansion area.
T oday’s action also will allow
im provem cntofthcarca’sliving.shop-
as redevelopment of underutilized land,
said officials of the Portland D evelop­
ment Com m ission, the city ’s urban
renewal, housing and econom ic dev el­
opm ent agency.
PD C will begin working on sim i­
lar am endm ents to all other present
central city urban renewal plans to al­
low for housing activities modeled after
DHPP. The agency will consider in­
cluding such activities in any future
urban renewal plans as well.
A total o f 482 low -incom e housing
units have been developed by D H PP to
date in the Downtown Waterfront Urban
Renewal district and there are plans to
develop 800 more units over the next
three years.
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