Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
The Page 8 Portland Observer Black History Month Kersey continued February 25, 2015 Portland Trail Blazers guard Steve Blake (left) is joined by his teammates for 25 seconds of silence in memory of former Trail Blazers Jerome Jersey, before an NBA basketball game Sunday against the Memphis Griz- zlies in Portland. Blake, who wore the jersey number 25, asked the NBA and the Trail Blazers to change his jersey number to 5 in honor of Kersey. Kersey's jersey number was 25. (AP photo) from page 7 during his 11-year tenure in Port- land, and guard Steve Blake switched his jersey number from 25 to 5 to honor him. The entire team will wear special patches on their jerseys for the rest of the season. For the national anthem, the Blaz- ers showed a clip of Kersey perform- ing a duet of the song before a game in 1989 on the video scoreboard. The crowd at the Moda Center responded with a standing ovation. Outside the Moda Center, there was a growing memorial to Kersey surrounding a "Rip City" sculpture. Inside, the players wore T-shirts with emblazoned with "JK25" dur- ing warmups . A long-time resident of Portland after his 17-year NBA career, Kersey was employed by the Trail Blazers as Director of Alumni Relations as part of the team’s Social Responsi- bility Department. Known for his broad smile and warm manner, Kersey appeared the day before his death with fellow former Blazer greats Terry Porter and Brian Grant at Madison High School in northeast Portland in cel- ebration of African American His- tory Month. “We lost an incredible person and one of the most beloved players to ever wear a Trail Blazers uni- form,” said Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen. “My thoughts and condo- lences are with the Kersey family. He will be missed by all of us. It’s a terrible loss.” “We’re shocked to lose such a great member of our Trail Blazers family,” said Trail Blazers President and CEO Chris McGowan. “It is indeed a sad day for our organiza- tion, the city of Portland and the NBA. Jerome will be remembered not only for his incredible contribu- tions on the court, but his tremen- dous impact in our community.” Kersey was part of the great early 90s Portland nucleus that led the Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He ranks fifth on the team’s all-time scoring list (10,067) and third in rebounds (5,078). He continued his career with Golden State, L.A. Lakers, Seattle, San An- tonio and Milwaukee, and he won an NBA Championship with the Spurs in 1999. He lived with wife Teri in Lake Oswego. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Jerome Kersey to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Port- land Metropolitan Area; Caddies 4 Cure; and the Children’s Cancer Association. Cards, letters and ex- pressions of condolences should be mailed to The Jerome Kersey Family, c/o Portland Trail Blazers, One Center Court, Suite 200, Port- land, OR 97227. Competition Heats Up! continued from page 4 system into the mainstream. We are bringing youth of color back into the heart of the city at Portland Center Stage and are mixing it up to build a stronger and more vibrant community where all people are given an opportunity to thrive,” Jones said. Young African American males – the group least likely to seek out theater experiences – were espe- cially encouraged to try out for the competition. Sixty students from more than 20 local schools auditioned at a pre- liminary round in January. On Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m., 19 students will perform in the regional finals at Portland Center Stage’s main stage at the Gerding Theatre at the Armory, 128 N.W. 11th Ave. The show is free but reservations are required. Tickets are available at pcs.org.