Talking All-Star Game to Portland (nope), Geoff Petrie and Jerry West, Gary Payton and Lester Conner, The Kamikaze Kids … and more

Mark Schwarz (left) interviews Damian Lillard after his playoff series-clinching 3-point shot against Oklahoma City in 2019 (courtesy Mark Schwarz)

Items on my mind during the chilly final days of February …

Thought for the day provided by Frank “The Flake” Peters, at 78 still a juvenile at heart:

“I want to die young — as late as possible.”

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For years, I’ve been writing that the NBA once promised Portland an All-Star Game. Nobody else — except for me and long-time crony Dwight Jaynes — seemed to have any recollection of such a thing. My memory was that the Trail Blazers were scheduled to host at Memorial Coliseum sometime in the late ‘80s, but I wasn’t sure. Nobody within the organization had a clue, but then, none of them were around back then.

So it was a wonderful revelation this week when a reader, Jim O’Donnell, posted on Twitter a copy of a story written by The Oregonian’s Bob Robinson written while covering the 1977 All-Star Game in Milwaukee.

“Blazers Land 1983 NBA All-Star Game,” read Robinson’s story, with quotes from Blazers executive vice president Harry Glickman after an NBA Board of Governors vote.

Robinson wrote that the All-Star Game was to be held in Atlanta (1978), Boston (1979), Detroit (1980), Buffalo (1981) and Cleveland (I982) in the years leading up to Portland.

But Portland never happened. The ’78 game was in Atlanta, but Boston got skipped. Detroit moved up a year to play host to the ’79 game. The Buffalo Braves franchise moved to San Diego in 1978, so the Washington Bullets hosted the ’80 game in Landover, Md., Cleveland moved up a year to host the ’81 game, and the New Jersey Nets hosted in ’82 at East Rutherford, N.J. The Lakers wound up as the host at The Forum in ’83.

So what happened to Portland? Word was that the NBA rescinded its invitation because it wanted to rotate the game between four or five of the major markets (ostensibly New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, etc.) moving forward. This is how O’Donnell remembers it, too. I called Robinson, now 88, but he has only vague recollection of the facts.

What we know for sure is, the ’84 game was held in Denver. It went to Indianapolis in ’85. Those are hardly major markets. And the game has been distributed to nearly every franchise in the league without regard to market size since then, with a few exceptions.

The NBA has never come back to Portland to make good on its promise. The Blazers — who seem to have little pull with the league office — have bid for the game several times through the years with no success. Salt Lake City gets it for a second time in 2023 and Indianapolis for a second time in ’24.

Portland, Sacramento, Memphis and Oklahoma City are the only current NBA cities to have never hosted an All-Star Game. Portland entered the league in 1970, Sacramento in 1985, Memphis in 2001, Oklahoma City in 2008. It’s pretty clear whose turn it is. And yes, Adam Silver, there is plenty of hotel space available now in Rip City.

But at least we know what year it was that the game was promised to Portland.

“Fantastic,” wrote Jaynes when I forwarded him Robinson’s article. “Was beginning to wonder if I dreamed it.”

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One of Geoff Petrie’s boyhood heroes was Jerry West. In a recent conversation with Petrie, he told me of a long-time relationship with the “Logo” that goes way back to his years attending a summer basketball camp as a youth in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

“When I was 14, I was a counselor at the camp,” says Petrie, now 73, who grew up in Springfield, Pa. “They would bring in lecturers each year. One year, Jerry was one of them. I got to go in the shuttle to the airport to pick him up and then rode back with him when he was finished.”

At the time, West was a third-year guard for the Los Angeles Lakers who had averaged 27.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists during the 1961-62 season, already a first-team All-NBA selection.

Petrie played his college ball at Princeton, but Butch van Breda Kolff left after Geoff’s freshman year to coach the Lakers for two seasons (1967-69). During those two years, the Lakers would practice at Princeton when in the New York area, and Petrie would attend.

“They had Jerry, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt (Chamberlain) the second year,” Petrie recalls. “It was fun to watch them. You’re kind of in awe.”

Petrie was the first draft pick in Blazers history in 1970 and the franchise’s first star, averaging 21.8 points over six seasons before knee problems forced him into early retirement at age 28. West was with the Lakers for the first three of those seasons until his retirement in 1973. The two would often guard each other when the Lakers and Blazers went at it, “and I got to know him a little bit,” Geoff says.

After Petrie became Portland’s general manager in 1990, he became better acquainted with West, who served in that position with the Lakers from 1982-2000.

“We weren’t bosom buddies, but we spent a fair number of hours on the phone, and we got along great,” Petrie says. “Once you get Jerry started, he can really get rolling. He was high-strung in a lot of ways, but a fierce competitor with great pride in what he was doing.”

Petrie resigned from the Blazers in 1994 and was hired in the same capacity with Sacramento soon thereafter, beginning a 20-year run in overseeing the Kings’ personnel. With Rick Adelman coaching and Petrie calling the shots, the Kings were one of the best teams in The NBA from 2000-2005, winning at least 50 games each season and reaching the Western Conference finals before losing in seven games to the Lakers in 2002.

“That first year (2000-01), we got off a great start, and after maybe 20 games Jerry called me,” says Petrie, who was NBA Executive of the Year in 1998-99 and 2000-01. “He said, ‘I just want to tell ya, you guys really have something going up there.’ That meant a lot, coming from Jerry West.”

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Lester Conner (courtesy OSU sports communications)

You probably heard that Gary Payton has begun a coaching career at Lincoln University, a private school of about 500 students in his hometown of Oakland.

You may not have heard that the chief assistant for the “Glove” is another Oakland native and a fellow Oregon Stater — Lester “The Molester” Conner.

Payton, 53, is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer who was the national college player of the year for the Beavers in 1989-90 and went on to a spectacular 17-year NBA career.

Conner, 62, has plenty of credentials of his own. He was Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1981-82 in leading the Beavers to the Elite Eight, and played 12 seasons for seven NBA clubs — Golden State, Houston, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Indiana, the Clippers and the Lakers. Conner then served 17 seasons (from 1998-2015) as an assistant coach with six clubs — Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Indiana, Atlanta and Denver. His last NBA job was as a scout for the Lakers. He had been retired and living in Las Vegas when he received a call from Payton, who accepted the job at a 101-year-old school that just started a basketball program this past season.

“Gary and I had a lot of things in common, so there is some synergy there,” Conner told me. “I thought it would be a good challenge for both of us.”

The “Oaklanders” played an independent schedule with walk-ons as they dipped their toes into collegiate competition during an inaugural season cut short due to complications with COVID. The school hasn’t decided on a league affiliation or what level it will participate in the future, but Conner figures they are best suited for Division II.

There are some familiar last names on the roster. Guard Jairren Lillard — who wears No. 0 — is young brother of the Blazers’ Damian Lillard. Julian Payton is Gary’s son. Isaiah Attles is grandson of Hall of Famer Al Attles.

Conner — who finished requirements for his college degree online last year — says it has been fun to be back in coaching.

“It’s different, coaching college kids as opposed to the pros, but I like to teach,” he says. “Everybody is looking for new experiences in life. This is mine.”

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If you watch ESPN, you’ll recognize the name of Mark Schwarz, who retired last month after a successful 32-year career at the network.

What you might not know is that Schwarz, 63, has lived in Portland’s Southwest Hills since 2017 — and he has no plans to move.

“Still making it work in Portland,” says Schwarz, who was ESPN’s longest-tenured reporter when he called it a career.

I’ve known Mark since our days covering the NBA together in the 1990s. Always a friendly face in the press room, Schwarz was an excellent reporter who asked important questions and always tried to get the story not just first, but right.

And now he’s done, looking to spend more time with his wife and their two grandchildren.

“Having no work on my schedule is going to be marvelous,” he says. “I can do whatever the hell I want.”

Schwarz says he is often asked his favorite interview subject.

“I can’t pick just one,” he says, “but Damian Lillard is on a short list. As few times as I’ve interviewed him, I just have great admiration for him.”

A segment about Schwarz on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” show will air at 6 a.m. PST Saturday. I’m going to DVR it.

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The World Track & Field Championships will be contested in July at Eugene’s Hayward Field. In conjunction with the meet, the staging committee (Oregon22 Athletics) is creating a “heritage trail” to celebrate athletes with connections to the state of Oregon who have achieved prominence in the sport.

As part of that, plaques honoring 22 athletes — 14 men, eight women — who are global track & field medalists will be erected in their hometowns.

Among those athletes: Dick Fosbury (Olympic high jump champion, 1968, Medford), Ashton Eaton (Olympic decathlon champion, 2012 and ’16, Bend), Mac Wilkins (Olympic discus champion, 1976, Beaverton), Shalane Flanagan (Olympic silver medalist in women’s 10,000, 2008, Portland), Maria Mutola (Olympic women’s 800 champion, 2000, Springfield) and Joni Huntley (Olympic bronze medalists in women’s high jump, 1984, McMinnville).

Oregon22 Athletics plans to have the plaques erected by April 8 — 100 days from the start of the World Championships.

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Portland’s Ca$h Hanzlik, one of the nation’s top young tennis players, has signed a letter of intent to play at Arizona State next season (courtesy Ca$h Hanzlik)

Portland native Ca$h Hanzlik — yes, the dollar sign is on the birth certificate — has signed a letter of intent to play tennis for Arizona State next year.

Hanzlik, 19, attended Chapman Elementary and West Sylvan Middle School before going the home-schooling route in high school. Ranked among the nation’s top five singles players as a junior, he spent two years living in Orlando and training at the USTA National Center.

Hanzlik played his freshman season at Tyler (Texas) JC, helping the Apaches to the NJCAA national championship last spring. He played No. 2 and lost in the second flight finals to Takeshi Taco of Cowley (Arkansas City, Kansas) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Listed as the nation’s No. 2 recruit with an ITF junior ranking of 81st, Hanzlik — now 6-1 and 180 pounds — narrowed his choices to UCLA, Southern Cal and Louisiana State before going with ASU. The Sun Devils’ No. 1 player, freshman Murphy Cassone, was a suitemate of Hanzlik during his time in Orlando.

“Murphy is my best friend,” Hanzlik says. “The players recruited me. It’s a program that is on the rise. It’s by far the best situation for me. I’m excited.”

Hanzlik, who retains “at least” three seasons of eligibility, will train in Portland for the next month, then head to Florida to train through the spring and summer before enrolling at ASU next fall. He has a full schedule of tournaments on the amateur circuit planned this summer.

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Former Oregon guard Rob Closs has organized a group of “Kamikaze Kids” to attend the Ducks’ Thursday night showdown with 12th-ranked UCLA at Matt Knight Arena (courtesy Rob Closs)

Former Oregon basketball standout Rob Closs has organized a reunion of a group of “Kamikaze Kids” who played for the late Dick Harter in the 1970s.

Dick Harter was the demanding coach of Oregon’s “Kamikaze Kids” who terrorized Pac-8 opponents during the 1970s (courtesy Rob Closs)

The group of ex-Ducks — kids no longer — will convene Thursday in Eugene to watch Oregon’s date with 12th-ranked UCLA at Matt Knight Arena. Among those schedule to attend are Closs, Ronnie Lee, Doug “Cowboy” Little, Mike “Bulldog” Drummond, John Murray, Gerald Willett, Paul “Hoops” Halupa, Burt Fredrickson and team managers Rick Cornish and Jeff Kritzer.

UCLA’s Bill Walton goes up to contest a driving shot by Oregon’s Ronnie Lee in a game at McArthur Court (courtesy Rob Closs)

Last one to take a charge is expected to cover the pre-game meal at The Wild Duck Cafe.

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This is the 165th post on my website that began in May 2020. The very first post was my reaction to an interview with former Trail Blazers Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells with co-hosts Chad Doing and Travis Demers on Rip City Radio (620 AM).

During the interview, Wallace and Wells made light of the “Jail Blazers” era in Portland and belittled my attempt to write the story of those years of Blazer history “without talking to us.”

In that neither was willing to participate in interviews for the book, but more than two dozen of their former teammates — along with all four of the head coaches of that era — were kind enough to offer their observations, the words of Sheed and Bonzi rang hollow.

As for the docuseries on that era of Blazer basketball promised by the two W’s during that interview nearly two years ago … good thing I wasn’t holding my breath.

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My latest book is now for sale, Jerome Kersey: Overcoming The Odds. You can buy regular, autographed, and inscribed copies of the book in my new and improved online bookstore here.

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