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AUG. 27, 1997
(Tlje Portland (O hsriw r----------------------------------------------
Grant brings Blazers youth; Robinson bid farewell
teams that made the NBA Finals in
he Portland Trail Blazers,
1990 and 1992.
hoping another set of young,
athletic legs will carry them past the Robinson, who had spent his en
tire eight-year NBA career in Port
first round of the playoffs, signed
land, averaged 15.1 points and 4.0
free agent forward Brian Grant to a
rebounds last season - his lowest
seven-year, $63 million contract on
numbers in five years. Robinson
Saturday.
The Blazers also re-signed cen
was seeking $5 million to $6 mil
ter Chris Dudley to a one-year deal.
lion a year, but poor performances
To clear salary-cap room, the
during the playoffs the past few
Blazers renounced their rights to
years dropped his stock.
veteran forward Clifford Robinson
Portland has been knocked out of
and guards Runieal R obinson,
the playoffs in the first round each
Mitchell Butlerand Marcus Brown.
of the past five years. Grant said the
Grant, who played only 24 games
Blazers should be contenders in the
last season because of a shoulder
Western Conference despite their
injury, turned down a seven-year,
lack of experience.
$48 million deal from the Kings.
“I don’t even want to say how
G rant’s contract, which makes
good they could be," Grant said.
him the highest paid player on the
"T hey’re a hungry team and I’m
definitely proud to be a part of that.”
team, also includes an opt-out clause
after the third year, agent Mark
Grant, 25, joins a team that now
Bartelstein said.
has only two players over the age of
30 - Sabonis and Dudley, both 32.
The 6- foot-9 Grant was the eighth
overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft.
N ew B lazers co ach M ike
His best season was 1995-96 as he
Dunleavy, who had previously met
averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 re
Grant only once - at the NBA rookie
bounds while the Kings made the
A ll-S ta r G am e in 1995 when
playoffs for the first tune since the
Dunleavy coached the Bucks - said
franchise moved from Kansas City
he and Whitsitt felt Grant was the
to Sacramento in 1985-86.
best free agent available.
Grant said he had received a
"He really makes things happen
more lucrative offer from another
on the basketball court," Dunleavy
team, but chose Portland because
said.
owner Paul Allen and president Bob
“H e’ll be an integral par, of the
Whitsitt showed a strong com m it
Blazers’ foundation o f young and
ment to winning.
athletic players for many years to
Grant also likes the potential of
come.”
the Blazers’ younger players.
Grant could start at small for
’ When you have people like
ward for the Blazers, or at power
Rasheed Wallace, Kenny Ander
forw ard beside W allace, who
son, Arvydas Sabonis, J.R. Rider
emerged as a star in his second pro
and young people like Jermaine
season last year.
O ’Neal you can grow along with
“That kid’s gonna be an All-Star.
for the next seven or 10 years, you
I definitely want to play alongside
really can’t pass up an opportunity
him wherever I can,” Grant said.
like that,” Grant said.
Grant averaged 10.5 points, 5.9
Dudley averaged 3.9 points and
rebounds, 1.2 assists and just over
7.3 rebounds last season and then
one blocked shot per game last sea
decided to opt out of the final three
son. During his three years in Sacra
years of his contract. There had
mento, he averaged 13.4 points and
been speculation in recent days that
7 .1 rebounds.
the Trail Blazers would re-sign
He averaged 14.7 points and 9.2
Dudley, then trade him to an East
boards in four years at Xavier. H e’s
ern Conference team.
sixth on the Musketeers’ career scor
In renouncing Clifford Robinson,
ing list (1 ,1 79)and third in rebound
the Blazers lost their last link to the
ing (1,080).
T
Brian Grant, the Blazers' most recent addition, in his old Sacramento Kings uniform.
(Photo by Michael Halle)
f i.in
liff Robinson, who spent
eight years with the Port
land Trail Blazers before being re
nounced Saturday, did not waste
any time finding a new team, sign
ing a one-year, $1 million deal
Monday with the Phoenix Suns.
The 30-year-old Robinson aver
aged 15.1 points per game for the
Trail Blazers after leading the club
in scoring in each o f the two previ
ous seasons. He was renounced with
three others when the Blazers signed
free-agent forward Brian Grant.
C
NBA’s chief calls
it quits at 44
hicago Bulls center Robert
P arish , w ho w on three
cham pionships with the Boston
Celtics and appeared in more NBA
games than any other player, has
decided to retire after winning an
other title with the Chicago Bulls
last season.
C
COME SEE THE BEEPER MAN AT
Kids N’ Tennis Place
Music Galore
& Galore Paging
P acer A ctivation S pecial
W e Buy Used Pager»
& Cell Phone»
ids N ’ Tennis of Portland,
Oregon took second place
JÓ i 1
in the Team Tennis Competition at
1
this year's AAU National Junior
Olympics. This week long event
ran from Aug. 4th - 9th and was
held at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte. The KN’T
players w ere rep resen tin g the
USTA s Pacific Northwest Section
and competed in the 18 & Under
Non-Ranked Division.
Thirteen teams were divided into
two pools with K N 'T going unde
feated in their pool and finishing
with a 5-0 record.
KN’T beat teams from New Jer
sey, Florida, Indiana, North Caro
lina, and Texas, to qualify for the
Gold Medal Match against defend
ing champion Hawaii Pacific.
Hawaii winner of FLIGHT #1
(CONGRATULATIONS S it, VER M E D A L IST
with a 5 - 1 record only lost was to
Pictured from left to right: Coach Ed Song, Asst. Coach John Paik. Antony Derkach, Joe Dang, Jana
PAYDTA o f New Jersey.
Jusupovic, Keara Duke-Johnson, Lisa Bessman, Bill Phanthongphay, Coach Don Johnson; knelling and
Hawaii used its experience to
holding USTA Junior Team Tennis Banner, Marxus Phanthongphay and Koren Paik.
beat KN’T 4 - 1, with “Kids” losing
tw o tie -b re a k ers in the G irls
have a medal. Maybe next time.”
time that KN’T has represented the
The only returning player from
Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Jana
Coach John Paik was also a team
Pacific Northwest Section at this Na
that team was Keara Duke-Johnson.
Jusupovic was one of three players
member at Iowa. “To get so close
tional Event. In 1995 the team trav
She clearly remembered watch
to finish the competition unde
as a player and not to win a medal
eled
to
Des
Moines,
Iowa
and
Drake
ing
the
Medalist
receive
their
awards
feated.
was a unpleasant experience. Al
University to compete in the 14 &
from the Tournament Director. “Our
Jana was described by KN’T
though I was too old to compete
mission was incomplete, we knew
Under Competition.
Coach Johnson, as "the team ’s sta
this time. I’m glad that I choose to
Kids N ’ Tennis finished in fourth
that we could compete with these
bilizer, we got to the point where
help coach this team, this is awe
teams.
place and vowed to do better if they
we knew that she would win all of
some."
got another opportunity.
I f not for a few mistakes, we could
her matches " This was the second
K
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