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.