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[energetic music playing]
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[intriguing music builds slowly]
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{\an8}[Canzano] Portland has one major
professional sports franchise…
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the Trail Blazers.
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[crowd cheering]
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[Canzano] People care here.
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Whoo! Blazers!
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They care so deeply about the team.
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They won the championship in 1977.
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[announcer speaking indistinctly]
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[announcer] It's over!
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[Canzano] It was
immediately transformative,
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but it's been more than 20 years,
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{\an8}and there hasn't been that
Camelot feeling that they had in 1977.
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{\an8}[all] We're number one!
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[Canzano] And here came Rasheed Wallace,
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Damon Stoudamire,
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and Bonzi Wells.
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It was this collection of players that,
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in no way, shape,
or form probably would work.
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They were immature, petty,
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but so good.
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This was the greatest
sociology experiment in sports.
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[whistle blows]
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[commentator 1] The biggest opponent
the Blazers must defeat are themselves.
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[commentator 2] Rasheed Wallace
is the man Blazer fans are counting on
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to carry their beloved team
to their second title.
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{\an8}[Canzano] This was gonna be it,
a chance to win a championship.
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{\an8}[commentator 1] Rasheed Wallace has
battled the Lakers and sometimes himself.
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They might've won
back-to-back NBA championships.
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It was set up for them.
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{\an8}[circus-style music picks up pace]
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{\an8}[Canzano] But it cascaded out of control.
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[reporter 1] Marijuana, cocaine, assault.
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[reporter 2] The longest period
without any incident was just 17 days.
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- [man 1] Jail time for drunk driving.
- [man 2] Sucker-punched a teammate.
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I'm a sportscaster.
I'm not a crime reporter.
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[reporter 3] For the third time
in 16 months,
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Stoudamire faces drug charges.
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I'm sure we got a lot of angry fans.
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[Costas] Risks a technical,
and there it is.
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[man] Technical foul on Wallace.
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They're an insult to the city.
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[bleep, indistinct]
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- Most of them are kinda thugs.
- [commentator] You've gotta be kidding me.
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For fuck's sake,
can you guys just stay out of trouble?
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[commentator] It's a full-on fight.
Look out!
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Rasheed Wallace took a swing at a fan.
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[radio caller] I've never seen
a town turn on a team like this.
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[woman] Shame on you, Rasheed Wallace.
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I know what happened.
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But this the only thing I'mma tell y'all.
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Yo, I don't fucking know you.
I don't care to know you.
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It's your job to get to know me.
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[music fades]
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[clicking]
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[machinery whirring]
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[chiming]
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How much do you think this
advanced operating environment is worth?
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{\an8}It's $99!
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{\an8}It's an incredible value, but it's true.
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It's Windows from Microsoft!
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Order today!
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[various voices] Microsoft…
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[man 1] Microsoft is the world's
largest software company.
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[woman] Bill Gates co-founded his company
with his high school buddy, Paul Allen.
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[man 2] Paul Allen…
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[man 3] Paul Allen is
the third-wealthiest man in the world.
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[woman] One of Allen's ideas would
lead to the personal computer revolution
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and launch Microsoft.
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Microsoft's not just the biggest fish
in the sea, they're the water we swim in.
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[reporter 1] Allen has spent his wealth
on a hodgepodge of many interests,
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yachts, submarines, Jimi Hendrix's guitar.
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[reporter 2] The venture capitalist
now has his sights set
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on the small town of Portland, Oregon.
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The Trail Blazers announced today
they have sold the team to Allen,
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who is now the youngest owner in the NBA.
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{\an8}I bought the team because basketball
is one of my real passions,
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{\an8}and I wanted to be personally involved
with a championship-quality team.
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[reporter 3] Allen's big move
in building a championship team?
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Hiring the current NBA General Manager
of the Year, Bob Whitsitt.
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[stirring music rises]
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I see my role right now as
coming to a great organization
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{\an8}and trying to add to what is
already very, very good.
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{\an8}I'm coming off the best record in the NBA.
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[man 1] Whitsitt spent eight years turning
the Seattle Supersonics into a powerhouse.
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[Whitsitt] Nobody built it
better than that.
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I wasn't so much interested
in building an entire organization
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and selling tickets and educating
the market on what the NBA was.
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And I said, "Paul, I really only wanna
build the basketball team."
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So Bob Whitsitt's nickname was Trader Bob.
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[woman] Trader Bob.
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[man 1] Trader Bob.
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[man 2] Trader Bob.
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[Cowherd] Trader Bob
is an interesting guy.
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{\an8}He's computer-like, analytical.
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He didn't care much about chemistry.
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I'm not a chemistry major.
I'm a sports major.
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{\an8}You have to understand…
it's a very difficult thing
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{\an8}to be the general manager in Portland.
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[thunder cracks]
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It's Portland… rainy, wet,
tucked in the northwest, Portland.
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[Canzano] It's small market.
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It's viewed as
a predominantly white community.
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NBA players are not interested in that.
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All you had was the draft
and trade available.
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[Deckard] Trader Bob came in at a time
when the Drexler era was ending naturally.
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[journalist] The Drexler era…
12 years, two finals appearances,
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but no championships.
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{\an8}He had to figure out how to deconstruct
and reconstruct at the same time.
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I went in there today,
and there was a phone and a computer.
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I was so excited. I went in,
shut the door, and locked it.
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With Sonics, we did not have computers.
We had no technology.
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If you don't have that computer literacy
today… you're gonna have trouble
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succeeding in the next century.
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The second I got hired by Paul,
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I had a laptop, I was on email…
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My world got more efficient, smarter.
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So Paul said to me, "It's my money.
Let's go do this at all costs."
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"I want to win."
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{\an8}[playing exuberant riff]
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[Whitsitt] "Oh, and by the way, Bob…"
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"We're gonna be
in the playoffs next year."
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Which signaled to me…
you don't have much time.
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[Deckard] He was looking for value,
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and so he was taking damaged guys,
the guys that had been in trouble.
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[stirring music continues]
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[Whitsitt] If you did your time…
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I believe you should get another shot.
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It's time for a new Trail Blazer chapter.
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I was gonna be tested to my limit.
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Can I clean this guy up,
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repackage him,
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and turn it into something spectacular?
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Whether it's draft picks,
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more cap space,
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a better player…
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We did all our moves,
and Rasheed was my target.
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[woman] After amassing players and picks,
Trader Bob has made his first big move.
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Portland has traded for the former fourth
overall pick, 21-year-old Rasheed Wallace.
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My challenge with Rasheed
was trying to manage
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the emotion,
the adrenaline, the temperament.
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You know, certain people play
with certain attitudes.
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You have some guys
who get out on the court,
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and, you know, they're calm
and cool and collected,
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and you have other guys who,
you know, like, they're full of rage.
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It's just the competitiveness,
and I'm a competitive person.
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[reporter] Wallace's first impression
raised some eyebrows with his T-shirt
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that read, "'Expletive' who you know,
we're still gonna kill you."
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[announcer] …and here they are.
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At forward, number 30, Rasheed Wallace!
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[crowd cheering]
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[Rasheed] I tell my fellas,
"Yo, I ain't no role model."
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To my kids, maybe,
but I still fuck up with them too.
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[laughing]
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I was the first one up there.
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{\an8}There wasn't none of the glitz
and glamour. It was like,
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{\an8}"We basket-balling here,
so that's what we preach,
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and we don't have time for
all the other stuff." I liked that.
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[Deckard] When Rasheed
arrived in Portland,
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it was like someone
dropped the bass on this franchise.
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["The World Is Coming to My Party"
by Cody ChestnuTT playing]
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[analyst 1] The NBA
is desperate for a new face.
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They may have found it here in Portland.
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[analyst 2] Now the Blazers
are a unique team.
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Rasheed Wallace, no doubt,
and I think he's an emerging superstar.
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Rasheed was an insane talent.
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He was temperamental.
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[analyst 3] Rasheed is
basketball's version of John McEnroe.
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He would scream. [imitating roar]
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He was just so emotional.
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[Whitsitt] He could pull up from three.
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This was before
the three-ball era we're in now.
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[radio caller] Wallace…
he's dynamite on the court,
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but we desperately need
to get him some help.
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We were looking for a point guard.
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{\an8}At five feet, 10 inches, some people
thought that Stoudamire was too small.
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Damon Stoudamire, rookie of the year,
high scorer, hometown boy.
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[Damon] Lived here my whole life,
played high school ball here.
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Seems like the Blazer organization
is changing.
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It'd only be fitting to get
a hometown kid to start everything off.
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{\an8}I get a call from Bob Whitsitt.
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{\an8}[snaps] It just happened.
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[reporter] Trader Bob
is unloading the war chest.
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He moved three players and three draft
picks for Toronto's Damon Stoudamire.
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He's from Portland.
I think they got a good deal.
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I'm glad to see him coming, you know?
I think it'll help the team out.
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[announcer] This is the night.
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Damon Stoudamire, the hometown boy,
back home and in a Trail Blazer uniform.
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{\an8}[commentator] Sneak in for the steal,
and Rider smartly held up.
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{\an8}Damon Stoudamire will get it.
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{\an8}When Damon came to the Blazers,
he was hot shit.
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[commentator] Stoudamire to Wallace.
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It clicked with him from the top.
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{\an8}Portland having Rasheed Wallace,
Damon Stoudamire… fast, quick guys.
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[commentator] …but four in this quarter.
Look at Stoudamire!
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And then Bonzi came along.
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{\an8}I got drafted by Detroit,
the Detroit Pistons.
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[Stern] With the 11th pick,
the Detroit Pistons select
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00:10:00,516 --> 00:10:03,226
Bonzi Wells from Ball State University.
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00:10:03,227 --> 00:10:04,519
[man] Yeah, boy!
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00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,606
Don't talk about my suit, man,
I don't want… [laughs]
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00:10:07,607 --> 00:10:08,940
[song stops playing]
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00:10:08,941 --> 00:10:12,986
On my way back to Detroit, they called me,
"We're 99% sure we're gonna trade you."
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00:10:12,987 --> 00:10:15,155
I was like, "Oh Lord, what did I do?"
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00:10:15,156 --> 00:10:16,364
[grim music plays]
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"You're going to Portland."
I was like, "Where the heck is Portland?"
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00:10:19,994 --> 00:10:21,828
"Portland, Maine? Where am I going?"
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00:10:21,829 --> 00:10:24,581
I looked at a map, like,
"Man, I'm going way over here."
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00:10:24,582 --> 00:10:27,626
Hopefully we didn't give the coach
too many problems bringing in more guys,
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00:10:27,627 --> 00:10:30,004
but we like to give him
as many guys to work with as we can.
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[Rasheed] Me, Damon…
we were the cool kids.
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00:10:35,801 --> 00:10:40,221
When Bonz first got to Portland,
he wasn't one of the cool kids.
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And then one game,
Bonzi had a little scuffle match.
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00:10:45,436 --> 00:10:48,314
Rasheed told me, "Bonzi, if we
don't win the game, let's win the fight."
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00:10:49,065 --> 00:10:51,275
[Rasheed] Bonzi went
right back at his ass.
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00:10:52,401 --> 00:10:54,362
You know, Bonzi became a cool kid then.
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00:10:55,446 --> 00:10:58,657
We're a bunch of physical guys.
People don't realize that we're real.
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00:10:58,658 --> 00:11:00,700
We ain't gonna let nobody
test our manhood.
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00:11:00,701 --> 00:11:01,911
And we'll test yours back.
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00:11:02,578 --> 00:11:07,957
The Blazers were a little bit the outlaws.
They weren't on brand for the NBA.
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00:11:07,958 --> 00:11:10,795
Dudes were scared of us.
They didn't know what we was gonna do.
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That chemistry is starting to
boil together more each game.
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00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:16,842
And that's what we need.
And it'll only get better.
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00:11:17,635 --> 00:11:20,096
[Damon] Rasheed, Bonzi, them was my boys.
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00:11:20,596 --> 00:11:22,306
It was always us three.
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00:11:23,057 --> 00:11:25,266
We were in the window,
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00:11:25,267 --> 00:11:28,062
but I needed the window
to be a lot more solid.
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00:11:30,231 --> 00:11:33,401
I wanted to keep the core,
but I wanted to upgrade.
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00:11:34,735 --> 00:11:36,946
And the Lakers
were gunning to get Scottie.
231
00:11:38,656 --> 00:11:40,574
{\an8}If Scottie goes to the Lakers,
232
00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,994
{\an8}not only do we not take another step up,
we're taking a step back.
233
00:11:44,995 --> 00:11:46,287
[music fades]
234
00:11:46,288 --> 00:11:48,790
[soft atmospheric music rises]
235
00:11:48,791 --> 00:11:52,962
[announcer] And now,
with six NBA world championships…
236
00:11:54,255 --> 00:11:58,299
{\an8}your Los Angeles Lakers.
237
00:11:58,300 --> 00:11:59,467
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
238
00:11:59,468 --> 00:12:01,428
The Lakers are
sort of this Tiffany product.
239
00:12:01,429 --> 00:12:03,596
[reporter] The Lakers
are going for it all.
240
00:12:03,597 --> 00:12:08,017
This off-season, they brought in legendary
coach Phil Jackson from the Chicago Bulls.
241
00:12:08,018 --> 00:12:09,769
[analyst] It used to be
Michael and Scottie.
242
00:12:09,770 --> 00:12:11,230
Now it's Shaq and Kobe.
243
00:12:12,314 --> 00:12:13,524
[Cowherd] They had Shaq.
244
00:12:15,776 --> 00:12:17,820
I consider myself a Renaissance man.
245
00:12:18,571 --> 00:12:21,448
Young kid having fun just,
you know, following his dreams.
246
00:12:21,449 --> 00:12:22,407
♪ Shaq ♪
247
00:12:22,408 --> 00:12:23,784
Staying out of trouble.
248
00:12:24,702 --> 00:12:26,370
[Cowherd] And they had Kobe.
249
00:12:28,956 --> 00:12:32,251
And they always had stars
that moved the needle.
250
00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:38,466
[Deckard] There was a great divide
between the city of Los Angeles
251
00:12:39,383 --> 00:12:41,177
and little old Portland.
252
00:12:43,804 --> 00:12:48,267
[Cowherd] Portland's not a Porsche town or
a sports car town. Not a real showy town.
253
00:12:49,059 --> 00:12:50,728
I mean, it's counterculture.
254
00:12:52,188 --> 00:12:54,607
It's sort of a wet Austin, Texas.
255
00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:58,652
And it's a one newspaper town.
256
00:13:00,196 --> 00:13:01,906
[Whitsitt] And this was a rivalry.
257
00:13:02,448 --> 00:13:04,700
We were the underdog.
258
00:13:05,743 --> 00:13:08,954
So I was ready
to really put this thing in motion.
259
00:13:14,084 --> 00:13:16,795
[director] Scottie told you flat out,
"I'll never go to Portland."
260
00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:18,172
- Yeah, yeah.
- [director] So…
261
00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:21,758
[interviewer] A lot of people
been saying, "Scottie Pippen's gone."
262
00:13:21,759 --> 00:13:23,760
I don't even listen to that bull crap.
263
00:13:23,761 --> 00:13:25,429
I finally found a button.
264
00:13:26,180 --> 00:13:29,140
"Gosh, Scottie, you're kind of like
the fourth banana."
265
00:13:29,141 --> 00:13:32,186
"You only won championships
with Michael and Phil."
266
00:13:32,937 --> 00:13:35,231
"And you're only gonna go win again with
267
00:13:36,023 --> 00:13:38,817
Shaq and Kobe and Phil."
268
00:13:38,818 --> 00:13:43,238
"Our place, you're gonna be
the best player, the headliner,
269
00:13:43,239 --> 00:13:45,908
and you're gonna win it
without Michael and without Phil."
270
00:13:46,700 --> 00:13:49,661
[announcer] Scottie Pippen!
271
00:13:49,662 --> 00:13:52,581
And at some point, Scottie finally said,
272
00:13:53,207 --> 00:13:54,499
"Let's do it."
273
00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:58,211
[Scottie] This team
is very talented and it's very deep.
274
00:13:58,212 --> 00:14:02,132
And, uh… they have a great chance
of winning even without Scottie Pippen.
275
00:14:03,175 --> 00:14:04,884
That's about as good as I can do.
276
00:14:04,885 --> 00:14:09,305
When he got traded to Portland, if you'd
have saw the smile on my face back then…
277
00:14:09,306 --> 00:14:11,100
We all seen Pip as young boys.
278
00:14:12,309 --> 00:14:13,686
Knew the history.
279
00:14:14,186 --> 00:14:17,605
Man, we was like, "All right, shit,
we got somebody on our team now
280
00:14:17,606 --> 00:14:20,942
who been to the mountaintop
and sipped the juice six times."
281
00:14:20,943 --> 00:14:22,944
Six rings, man. Whew!
282
00:14:22,945 --> 00:14:25,113
His locker was over there,
and I'm sitting there.
283
00:14:25,114 --> 00:14:27,490
And I'm looking at him,
and he just looked like a god.
284
00:14:27,491 --> 00:14:28,908
[dramatic music plays]
285
00:14:28,909 --> 00:14:31,452
Scottie walks in, and he has security.
286
00:14:31,453 --> 00:14:32,787
[laughing]
287
00:14:32,788 --> 00:14:36,499
We said, "Man, take that old Hollywood,
Chicago shit back to Chicago."
288
00:14:36,500 --> 00:14:38,710
Pip saying, "No, no, no!"
289
00:14:38,711 --> 00:14:41,254
Pip had security, man,
for about four, five days,
290
00:14:41,255 --> 00:14:43,548
then that shit was dead.
Pip was one of us.
291
00:14:43,549 --> 00:14:46,759
We had Scottie getting his hair braided.
We had him wearing throwback jerseys.
292
00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,929
Pip crazy.
Institutionalized by the Blazers.
293
00:14:50,014 --> 00:14:51,556
[all cheering]
294
00:14:51,557 --> 00:14:55,602
[reporter] It's been a long time since
Blazer fans have been this excited.
295
00:14:55,603 --> 00:14:59,356
Thanks to Scottie, tickets are already
sold out for the upcoming season.
296
00:15:00,024 --> 00:15:04,235
For us, it was finals or bust.
We was trying to win a championship.
297
00:15:04,236 --> 00:15:06,738
[analyst] Scottie Pippen
has become the go-to guy on defense.
298
00:15:06,739 --> 00:15:09,115
Couldn't tell us nothing.
Yeah, we in there.
299
00:15:09,116 --> 00:15:11,159
{\an8}[Whitsitt] The Lakers were our nemesis,
300
00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,246
{\an8}but you still gotta get through
the 82 games, and both teams did that.
301
00:15:15,247 --> 00:15:18,876
You still gotta get through the first
couple rounds. Both teams did that.
302
00:15:19,585 --> 00:15:22,545
So now we're staring
at each other in the conference finals.
303
00:15:22,546 --> 00:15:24,088
We had them on the ropes.
304
00:15:24,089 --> 00:15:26,091
[dramatic notes play, then fade]
305
00:15:30,846 --> 00:15:34,182
A week ago today, the Lakers led
the Blazers three games to one.
306
00:15:34,183 --> 00:15:38,603
Only six teams in NBA history
have overcome a 3-1 deficit.
307
00:15:38,604 --> 00:15:40,731
It's game seven. Ain't nothing else on TV.
308
00:15:42,149 --> 00:15:44,776
So you know all eyes
gonna be on the game, man.
309
00:15:44,777 --> 00:15:48,697
[Costas] Game seven is a tough ticket
to score, but celebrities have their way.
310
00:15:49,281 --> 00:15:50,658
[air horn sounds]
311
00:15:52,242 --> 00:15:54,702
We come out and… we was smoking them.
312
00:15:54,703 --> 00:15:56,955
{\an8}[Costas] And Pippen pulls up for three.
313
00:15:56,956 --> 00:15:58,873
{\an8}And Portland's off to a great start.
314
00:15:58,874 --> 00:16:00,209
{\an8}It's gonna be Scottie.
315
00:16:00,751 --> 00:16:01,876
[Walton] Haha. Got it.
316
00:16:01,877 --> 00:16:04,379
[Cowherd] The Blazers
were not intimidated by the Lakers.
317
00:16:04,380 --> 00:16:06,965
[Walton] The Blazers have
a comfortable eight-point lead.
318
00:16:06,966 --> 00:16:10,677
I remember asking Phil Jackson in that
series, "How do you stop Rasheed?"
319
00:16:10,678 --> 00:16:12,595
And Phil Jackson paused.
320
00:16:12,596 --> 00:16:13,680
"You don't."
321
00:16:13,681 --> 00:16:14,681
[exciting music plays]
322
00:16:14,682 --> 00:16:16,766
[commentator] We marvel
at this young man's talent.
323
00:16:16,767 --> 00:16:18,601
[Costas] Leaning on him… Tough hoop!
324
00:16:18,602 --> 00:16:21,646
{\an8}Inside two minutes to play.
Into the paint for the slam.
325
00:16:21,647 --> 00:16:22,898
[air horn blows]
326
00:16:23,482 --> 00:16:26,651
{\an8}[Jones] And the Lakers have been
on their heels the entire first half.
327
00:16:26,652 --> 00:16:30,613
We just took advantage of our youth,
of our bodies that we threw at them.
328
00:16:30,614 --> 00:16:34,283
But it just felt good for us because
we was like, "These guys are legends."
329
00:16:34,284 --> 00:16:36,286
[air horns blowing]
330
00:16:37,454 --> 00:16:39,707
We didn't fear them at all.
331
00:16:40,499 --> 00:16:42,041
[Costas] Fadeaway jumper.
332
00:16:42,042 --> 00:16:46,546
Wallace with ten points in this quarter.
With 23 points for the game.
333
00:16:46,547 --> 00:16:48,047
I mean, we was rolling.
334
00:16:48,048 --> 00:16:50,092
[Costas] This is a 15-point game.
335
00:16:50,968 --> 00:16:52,176
[tense music playing]
336
00:16:52,177 --> 00:16:54,763
You see the dreary looks on their faces.
337
00:16:56,015 --> 00:16:59,434
I look over at the bench a little bit,
I see guys just jumping up and down.
338
00:16:59,435 --> 00:17:01,186
It's like, "Yo, we almost here."
339
00:17:02,062 --> 00:17:03,104
[Costas] Scottie.
340
00:17:03,105 --> 00:17:06,190
How big is that?
And he's done that throughout…
341
00:17:06,191 --> 00:17:08,609
So the Lakers bring the ball
back down court.
342
00:17:08,610 --> 00:17:10,361
We playing them, tough defense.
343
00:17:10,362 --> 00:17:11,280
And then…
344
00:17:12,781 --> 00:17:14,073
[Costas] Shaw.
345
00:17:14,074 --> 00:17:16,242
Overshot it and banked it in for three!
346
00:17:16,243 --> 00:17:18,661
Kind of hit the side of the backboard
and then went in.
347
00:17:18,662 --> 00:17:20,455
And I was like, "Here go the bullshit."
348
00:17:20,456 --> 00:17:25,044
[Costas] But it's still a 13-point
Portland lead heading into the fourth.
349
00:17:25,878 --> 00:17:27,962
We were up 13 going into the fourth,
350
00:17:27,963 --> 00:17:31,049
and they had nothing
to answer what we were doing.
351
00:17:31,050 --> 00:17:32,925
[Costas] …getting his team to believe.
352
00:17:32,926 --> 00:17:34,719
But then we miss a few shots.
353
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,430
[heavy dramatic music building]
354
00:17:37,431 --> 00:17:40,058
We get the great shot.
I… I kinda get on the edge,
355
00:17:40,059 --> 00:17:41,602
thinking… "That's in."
356
00:17:42,394 --> 00:17:43,811
[Costas] It pops out!
357
00:17:43,812 --> 00:17:45,229
[air horn sounds]
358
00:17:45,230 --> 00:17:47,232
[Rasheed] We missed four straight shots.
359
00:17:48,233 --> 00:17:49,234
Timeout.
360
00:17:49,902 --> 00:17:51,070
Timeout.
361
00:17:51,653 --> 00:17:54,489
Now we just got to make a bucket
to break the run.
362
00:17:54,490 --> 00:17:56,616
[Costas] …with the trouble in the paint…
363
00:17:56,617 --> 00:17:57,867
Who gonna make this bucket?
364
00:17:57,868 --> 00:18:00,495
- …but they gotta make a basket.
- These things are…
365
00:18:00,496 --> 00:18:02,371
- …shoo… shoo…
- [drumbeat picks up]
366
00:18:02,372 --> 00:18:05,041
[Rasheed] Shit, we need a bucket
right here, stop this bleeding.
367
00:18:05,042 --> 00:18:07,251
[Costas] It's Wallace.
Dirty dozen for Portland.
368
00:18:07,252 --> 00:18:09,337
Lakers on a 12-0 run
and the Trail Blazers…
369
00:18:09,338 --> 00:18:10,963
Is there a jinx going on?
370
00:18:10,964 --> 00:18:12,424
[Costas] Pippen for three!
371
00:18:13,383 --> 00:18:15,052
Was it a fucked up game?
372
00:18:15,636 --> 00:18:16,637
[Costas] Shaw.
373
00:18:17,721 --> 00:18:19,472
- Ties it at 75!
- [crowd cheering]
374
00:18:19,473 --> 00:18:21,015
[downtempo music playing]
375
00:18:21,016 --> 00:18:22,225
Yeah.
376
00:18:22,226 --> 00:18:25,019
We end up missing 13 shots in a row
at the worst time possible.
377
00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:26,771
I missed like six or seven of them.
378
00:18:26,772 --> 00:18:30,566
But man, all I remember is
that it culminated with the lob.
379
00:18:30,567 --> 00:18:32,235
[Costas] Bryant… to Shaq!
380
00:18:32,236 --> 00:18:35,071
[crowd erupts in cheers and applause]
381
00:18:35,072 --> 00:18:36,948
That shit was just over from there.
382
00:18:36,949 --> 00:18:38,283
We was like, "Damn."
383
00:18:39,701 --> 00:18:41,662
- [cheers rising]
- [Costas] That's it.
384
00:18:42,746 --> 00:18:46,249
{\an8}I'm not sure if the Lakers won
as much as they escaped.
385
00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:49,585
{\an8}- [air horn sounds]
- [music and crowd noise fading]
386
00:18:49,586 --> 00:18:51,588
[low somber music playing]
387
00:18:56,093 --> 00:18:58,387
[Whitsitt] That's… the nature of sports.
388
00:18:59,179 --> 00:19:00,930
Sometimes you need a little luck.
389
00:19:00,931 --> 00:19:03,851
And on that particular day,
in that particular quarter…
390
00:19:05,435 --> 00:19:06,895
we had the worst luck.
391
00:19:08,438 --> 00:19:11,775
You took time off and you still,
you know, thought about…
392
00:19:14,027 --> 00:19:17,029
We gonna get them next year.
We gonna run this thing back.
393
00:19:17,030 --> 00:19:20,409
And that's when every… [laughing]
…everything started happening.
394
00:19:25,789 --> 00:19:27,791
[light instrumental music playing]
395
00:19:29,710 --> 00:19:31,961
There was so much change
going on in the NBA
396
00:19:31,962 --> 00:19:36,133
where the salaries were starting to
escalate beyond anybody's wildest dreams.
397
00:19:36,967 --> 00:19:38,552
Money got out of control.
398
00:19:39,303 --> 00:19:41,555
[Damon] And so guys was getting money.
399
00:19:42,055 --> 00:19:43,849
We moved into Lake Oswego.
400
00:19:45,392 --> 00:19:49,478
[woman] The thriving city of Lake Oswego,
just minutes from downtown Portland,
401
00:19:49,479 --> 00:19:51,857
is centered around Oswego Lake.
402
00:19:54,109 --> 00:19:57,153
The large private lake,
a boating playground,
403
00:19:57,154 --> 00:20:00,323
is surrounded by beautiful homes
with stunning views.
404
00:20:00,324 --> 00:20:04,368
[Cowherd] They were young, rich, and
wanted everyone in Lake Oswego to know it.
405
00:20:04,369 --> 00:20:07,538
You'd see a nice car. You're always like,
"That must be a Blazer."
406
00:20:07,539 --> 00:20:10,708
{\an8}Right here where me and the boys
play a lot of football at.
407
00:20:10,709 --> 00:20:13,377
Over there where we were at,
it was myself…
408
00:20:13,378 --> 00:20:16,130
Little waterfall right here.
This is real relaxing.
409
00:20:16,131 --> 00:20:17,256
…Damon…
410
00:20:17,257 --> 00:20:21,219
{\an8}Hi, everybody. I'm Damon Stoudamire.
And welcome to my crib.
411
00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:23,931
{\an8}[Rasheed] Bonzi was
in the little neighborhood too.
412
00:20:24,556 --> 00:20:27,893
It was the rich, white side of Portland.
413
00:20:28,435 --> 00:20:31,855
Now, other than my son,
I want y'all to see my two babies.
414
00:20:32,731 --> 00:20:35,024
{\an8}There are some people, white people,
415
00:20:35,025 --> 00:20:38,194
{\an8}maybe even some other people of color
that don't like seeing
416
00:20:38,195 --> 00:20:41,781
young African-American men
making a lot of money so quickly.
417
00:20:41,782 --> 00:20:43,324
It's like, "They didn't earn that."
418
00:20:43,325 --> 00:20:47,662
The '96 Bronco right here. A lot of
my teammates and stuff call me "O.J."
419
00:20:47,663 --> 00:20:50,582
A majority of the police
didn't want us out there.
420
00:20:51,166 --> 00:20:53,960
You definitely gotta make sure
you're doing the speed limit.
421
00:20:53,961 --> 00:20:56,295
I got, in the back,
I got a couple speakers.
422
00:20:56,296 --> 00:20:57,755
You know, I love music.
423
00:20:57,756 --> 00:21:00,092
It gets me pumped up
before basketball games.
424
00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:04,387
One particular day in the summer,
I got pulled over three times.
425
00:21:04,388 --> 00:21:05,889
In one day.
426
00:21:07,307 --> 00:21:10,518
I just never say it out loud,
but we used to call it "Lake No Negro."
427
00:21:10,519 --> 00:21:11,560
Lake No Negro.
428
00:21:11,561 --> 00:21:12,687
It's Lake No Negro.
429
00:21:12,688 --> 00:21:15,690
You see so much whiteness there
430
00:21:15,691 --> 00:21:17,776
that it takes a little getting used to.
431
00:21:19,486 --> 00:21:24,282
{\an8}[Rasheed] They were used to the guys
who would come to the games in the suits,
432
00:21:24,283 --> 00:21:26,117
the Magic Johnsons,
433
00:21:26,118 --> 00:21:28,286
the Michael Jordans.
434
00:21:28,287 --> 00:21:32,039
Here we come. We're loud, boisterous,
riding around in our big cars,
435
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,791
smoking weed, so we're…
436
00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:37,129
[laughs] We're definitely
the opposite of that bullshit.
437
00:21:38,463 --> 00:21:42,008
[Bonzi] It was the bling-bling era.
Everybody was turnt up with the jewelry.
438
00:21:42,009 --> 00:21:44,927
- [man] Too awesome. The real Iceman.
- The real Iceman. [laughs]
439
00:21:44,928 --> 00:21:47,138
We wearing baggy clothes,
we wearing big jerseys
440
00:21:47,139 --> 00:21:49,598
and all this type of stuff
to pay homage to our past.
441
00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:52,810
{\an8}[Rasheed] Our shirts was baggy.
Fucking Karl Kani jeans.
442
00:21:52,811 --> 00:21:55,479
The guy wears one X,
he's got on three X jeans.
443
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,984
[Bonzi] Jeans, white tees,
hats, Air Force Ones.
444
00:21:59,568 --> 00:22:01,444
[Cowherd] Portland has its own beat.
445
00:22:01,445 --> 00:22:03,946
And those young NBA players
had their own beat.
446
00:22:03,947 --> 00:22:06,073
And it didn't always coincide.
447
00:22:06,074 --> 00:22:07,867
It was a culture shock.
448
00:22:07,868 --> 00:22:09,577
- [music stops]
- [birds chirping]
449
00:22:09,578 --> 00:22:12,288
[radio DJ] Now here's Michael Thompson!
450
00:22:12,289 --> 00:22:13,372
[radio intro plays]
451
00:22:13,373 --> 00:22:16,709
[Thompson] Welcome to The 5th Quarter
on this Sonic boom of a Saturday
452
00:22:16,710 --> 00:22:18,252
as those booms were heard
453
00:22:18,253 --> 00:22:21,714
echoing all the way down here
from the Key Arena in Seattle.
454
00:22:21,715 --> 00:22:24,842
This was a major game
on the schedule tonight.
455
00:22:24,843 --> 00:22:28,054
You had the two Northwest rivals
squaring off…
456
00:22:28,055 --> 00:22:29,056
[Rasheed] So…
457
00:22:29,556 --> 00:22:31,098
driving back from Seattle.
458
00:22:31,099 --> 00:22:33,310
We just got finished playing the Sonics.
459
00:22:33,977 --> 00:22:35,770
We were so close that,
460
00:22:35,771 --> 00:22:38,440
you know, some family members
drove up from Portland.
461
00:22:38,982 --> 00:22:41,942
So, um, one of Big's guys drives up.
462
00:22:41,943 --> 00:22:43,402
So Biggie's my nickname.
463
00:22:43,403 --> 00:22:45,196
[air horn sounds]
464
00:22:45,197 --> 00:22:49,450
And I say, "Yo, Big… shit,
I'll just ride back with you."
465
00:22:49,451 --> 00:22:50,951
Spark a jay up or some shit.
466
00:22:50,952 --> 00:22:53,537
["I Wanna Get High" by Cypress Hill plays]
467
00:22:53,538 --> 00:22:56,375
[Rasheed] Just enjoy the little
two and a half hour ride.
468
00:22:57,667 --> 00:22:58,835
So we driving.
469
00:22:59,378 --> 00:23:01,796
Boom, I roll up… smoke.
470
00:23:01,797 --> 00:23:04,507
♪ I want to get high ♪
471
00:23:04,508 --> 00:23:07,009
Bigs rolled up something.
You know, he smoked.
472
00:23:07,010 --> 00:23:08,177
[inhaling]
473
00:23:08,178 --> 00:23:09,553
[cough echoing]
474
00:23:09,554 --> 00:23:11,556
[music slows slightly]
475
00:23:13,642 --> 00:23:15,601
I'm just saying, that was a good time.
476
00:23:15,602 --> 00:23:17,436
[both laughing, distorted]
477
00:23:17,437 --> 00:23:20,107
Just as soon as we finish smoking,
478
00:23:21,483 --> 00:23:23,318
Big's guy's speeding up.
479
00:23:24,152 --> 00:23:27,154
I told my man, I was like,
"Yo, slow down, dog, like…"
480
00:23:27,155 --> 00:23:29,740
- "This a yellow Hummer, man."
- [Rasheed] He told him twice.
481
00:23:29,741 --> 00:23:31,158
He told his buddy to slow down.
482
00:23:31,159 --> 00:23:33,452
- [distant] Yo, slow down.
- Fucking 11:30 at night.
483
00:23:33,453 --> 00:23:35,121
[distorted] Yo, slow down.
484
00:23:35,122 --> 00:23:38,707
You know, it's like, "Just drive, man.
We got time, man. We ain't rushing."
485
00:23:38,708 --> 00:23:39,667
Yo, slow down.
486
00:23:39,668 --> 00:23:42,128
Right when Damon told him to slow down?
487
00:23:42,129 --> 00:23:43,045
[siren whoops]
488
00:23:43,046 --> 00:23:44,630
- [imitates siren]
- [whistles]
489
00:23:44,631 --> 00:23:48,592
We get pulled over. And I was just like,
"Man, ain't this about a bitch, man."
490
00:23:48,593 --> 00:23:49,844
[police radio chatter]
491
00:23:49,845 --> 00:23:52,805
And so it obviously
still reeked a little bit of the weed.
492
00:23:52,806 --> 00:23:54,473
"Where's the weed at? I smell it!"
493
00:23:54,474 --> 00:23:55,683
We smoked it.
494
00:23:55,684 --> 00:23:57,101
Man, we don't got nothing.
495
00:23:57,102 --> 00:24:00,188
Ain't even really talked
to the guy who was driving.
496
00:24:01,189 --> 00:24:02,606
Just talking with me and Damon.
497
00:24:02,607 --> 00:24:05,901
You know, I heard dude in the car,
like when they was on the dispatch.
498
00:24:05,902 --> 00:24:08,279
"That's Damon Stoudamire
and Rasheed Wallace."
499
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:09,530
Like, I'm listening.
500
00:24:09,531 --> 00:24:12,241
He wanted to threaten us.
"Oh, we'll bring the dogs out."
501
00:24:12,242 --> 00:24:14,410
- "Tear the car apart."
- [helicopter whirring]
502
00:24:14,411 --> 00:24:17,288
[Damon] Man, they got the dogs
done jumped through the car.
503
00:24:17,289 --> 00:24:18,873
- They ain't find shit.
- Nothing.
504
00:24:18,874 --> 00:24:21,375
All they found
was fucking crumbs in the car.
505
00:24:21,376 --> 00:24:24,963
So me and Damon just standing
on the side of the road. We like… ugh.
506
00:24:26,006 --> 00:24:28,008
Dog, who comes down the road?
507
00:24:29,092 --> 00:24:30,635
The fucking team bus.
508
00:24:31,219 --> 00:24:33,053
I'm like, "Are y'all serious, man?"
509
00:24:33,054 --> 00:24:35,222
I'm like, "Is that a yellow Hummer?"
510
00:24:35,223 --> 00:24:36,224
"Is that…?"
511
00:24:36,892 --> 00:24:40,895
The slo-mo joint. It's like, you know,
when you watching the movies, it's just…
512
00:24:40,896 --> 00:24:43,272
[grunting extremely slowly]
513
00:24:43,273 --> 00:24:44,315
All slow motion?
514
00:24:44,316 --> 00:24:47,443
I swear that's how that bus rode by.
515
00:24:47,444 --> 00:24:50,821
And I could just read
everybody's face on there.
516
00:24:50,822 --> 00:24:53,533
[song playing in slo-mo] ♪ So high ♪
517
00:24:54,534 --> 00:24:56,368
I'm like, "Damn."
518
00:24:56,369 --> 00:24:58,662
Man, I just can't believe this shit.
519
00:24:58,663 --> 00:24:59,914
[song stops playing]
520
00:24:59,915 --> 00:25:01,790
[calm music plays]
521
00:25:01,791 --> 00:25:04,418
We end up, they give us a speeding ticket.
522
00:25:04,419 --> 00:25:07,880
Big's like, "You think this shit
gonna be on the news or something?"
523
00:25:07,881 --> 00:25:09,882
I'm like, "Dog, it's routine."
524
00:25:09,883 --> 00:25:12,843
Sheed like, "Ain't nothing gonna happen."
I said, "Yes, it is."
525
00:25:12,844 --> 00:25:16,055
- "Man, what you talking about?"
- "It's gonna be on the news, bruh."
526
00:25:16,056 --> 00:25:18,891
[Rasheed] Like, "All right, bet."
Go home, go to sleep.
527
00:25:18,892 --> 00:25:20,894
- [music fades]
- [birds chirping]
528
00:25:24,564 --> 00:25:26,441
[Rasheed] I wake up to my wife hitting me.
529
00:25:27,108 --> 00:25:28,484
"Get up! Get up!"
530
00:25:28,485 --> 00:25:29,860
"What you do?"
531
00:25:29,861 --> 00:25:32,112
"What you do last night? What happened?"
532
00:25:32,113 --> 00:25:35,574
"Whoa, what you talking about?
I ain't do nothing. I just woke up."
533
00:25:35,575 --> 00:25:38,411
I'm like, "Yo,
what are you talking about?"
534
00:25:39,746 --> 00:25:44,500
[newsman] Just before midnight, Stoudamire
and Wallace were pulled over for speeding.
535
00:25:44,501 --> 00:25:47,795
This morning, they've been cited
for marijuana possession.
536
00:25:47,796 --> 00:25:50,130
Yo! Like, really?
537
00:25:50,131 --> 00:25:55,135
[newsman] Centralia Police's K-9 unit,
Bak, came out to check the car for drugs.
538
00:25:55,136 --> 00:25:57,555
All over the god-dang TV, man.
539
00:25:57,556 --> 00:25:59,640
…teammate Rasheed Wallace
were cited for pot…
540
00:25:59,641 --> 00:26:02,810
…Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace
for marijuana possession.
541
00:26:02,811 --> 00:26:04,937
I think they should be
disciplined for it. Definitely.
542
00:26:04,938 --> 00:26:08,065
We actually had a pretty long talk
about drugs today as a result of it.
543
00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:10,526
Athletes should live by
the same standard as the rest of us.
544
00:26:10,527 --> 00:26:13,904
Mother called, father called,
"You're all on the radio."
545
00:26:13,905 --> 00:26:15,489
[host] Next caller, you're on the air.
546
00:26:15,490 --> 00:26:18,826
[radio caller] Maybe smoking all this weed
is why we missed so many shots.
547
00:26:18,827 --> 00:26:21,328
When you wake up this morning
and you learn about that,
548
00:26:21,329 --> 00:26:22,496
it's very frustrating.
549
00:26:22,497 --> 00:26:23,706
It's very disappointing.
550
00:26:23,707 --> 00:26:27,042
It's unfortunate.
That's poor examples for a lot of people,
551
00:26:27,043 --> 00:26:29,461
and young kids who look up to them.
552
00:26:29,462 --> 00:26:30,880
So, it's too bad.
553
00:26:31,590 --> 00:26:34,091
Nowadays, we know so much
about NBA players…
554
00:26:34,092 --> 00:26:35,759
I'm chilling in the bed, you know.
555
00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,178
At the time I'm married.
My wife's there with me.
556
00:26:38,179 --> 00:26:41,099
Chappelle's Show came out,
the hottest fucking shit on TV.
557
00:26:41,683 --> 00:26:45,769
And every time I do something
sweet or cool, I would… "Jordan!"
558
00:26:45,770 --> 00:26:47,272
[laughter]
559
00:26:48,148 --> 00:26:51,108
So, they said a couple NBA names,
so it's "ha, ha, ha."
560
00:26:51,109 --> 00:26:52,152
Kobe!
561
00:26:53,528 --> 00:26:58,532
And he come up to a car that's
full of smoke and taps on the glass.
562
00:26:58,533 --> 00:27:00,200
You're under arrest!
563
00:27:00,201 --> 00:27:03,580
And when Charlie Murphy rolled
that window down and said…
564
00:27:04,164 --> 00:27:05,956
- "Rasheed Wallace!"
- Rasheed Wallace!
565
00:27:05,957 --> 00:27:07,626
Damon Stoudamire!
566
00:27:08,752 --> 00:27:11,253
My wife like, "Yo, that shit ain't funny!"
567
00:27:11,254 --> 00:27:12,671
[chattering indistinctly]
568
00:27:12,672 --> 00:27:15,215
In my head,
you know what I said to myself?
569
00:27:15,216 --> 00:27:16,842
"Mama, I made it!"
570
00:27:16,843 --> 00:27:18,177
[laughing]
571
00:27:18,178 --> 00:27:19,845
"I made it, yes!"
572
00:27:19,846 --> 00:27:22,390
But no, I was crying, like…
573
00:27:23,350 --> 00:27:25,477
Just kept rewinding and rewinding.
574
00:27:26,227 --> 00:27:28,646
I just can't get mad at this shit.
It's comedy.
575
00:27:28,647 --> 00:27:30,397
Like, it's f… It's funny shit.
576
00:27:30,398 --> 00:27:32,107
"Nah, fuck that! Fuck this show!"
577
00:27:32,108 --> 00:27:36,111
I'm like, "Nah, you can't say that, baby."
Like, "This nigga's funny right here."
578
00:27:36,112 --> 00:27:37,863
[laughing]
579
00:27:37,864 --> 00:27:40,867
[dramatic notes play, then fade]
580
00:27:42,869 --> 00:27:46,789
Being from Portland, I never wanted
to play the race card because I'd had
581
00:27:46,790 --> 00:27:49,125
as many white friends
as I had Black friends.
582
00:27:49,626 --> 00:27:50,794
You know? So…
583
00:27:51,294 --> 00:27:52,754
It wasn't in my face.
584
00:27:53,254 --> 00:27:54,546
Right?
585
00:27:54,547 --> 00:27:56,715
And so I was all right with that.
586
00:27:56,716 --> 00:27:59,678
And even as I was with the Blazers,
I still don't think…
587
00:28:00,303 --> 00:28:02,012
I still don't think
588
00:28:02,013 --> 00:28:03,598
that stuff was racial.
589
00:28:05,141 --> 00:28:07,185
There were racial undertones.
590
00:28:07,936 --> 00:28:10,604
But I… I wasn't calling it racial.
591
00:28:10,605 --> 00:28:14,526
But there was one time…
that I was particularly bothered.
592
00:28:20,073 --> 00:28:21,324
I come home.
593
00:28:22,325 --> 00:28:24,577
I was like… [exhales deeply]
594
00:28:25,453 --> 00:28:27,288
"Somebody been in my place."
595
00:28:27,997 --> 00:28:30,958
- I live by myself.
- [unsettling music playing]
596
00:28:30,959 --> 00:28:33,961
There was things
that just was out of place.
597
00:28:33,962 --> 00:28:36,922
So I was like,
"Man, this is just weird." Like…
598
00:28:36,923 --> 00:28:39,592
"This is weird. Like, this is weird"
599
00:28:40,844 --> 00:28:42,262
And an hour later,
600
00:28:43,138 --> 00:28:44,763
the police came to my house.
601
00:28:44,764 --> 00:28:47,850
[newsman] Police were called
to Stoudamire's home in Lake Oswego
602
00:28:47,851 --> 00:28:50,310
after something tripped
the home's burglar alarm.
603
00:28:50,311 --> 00:28:52,604
[reporter] Officers responded
to a burglar alarm
604
00:28:52,605 --> 00:28:54,732
and entered the home
without a search warrant.
605
00:28:54,733 --> 00:28:58,944
[newsman] Once inside, sources tell us
that the police began searching the home
606
00:28:58,945 --> 00:29:02,865
and found one pound of marijuana
behind an attic access door.
607
00:29:02,866 --> 00:29:07,828
They broke into his house saying that…
something about his alarm was going off.
608
00:29:07,829 --> 00:29:10,372
So they went into the house to check
609
00:29:10,373 --> 00:29:14,042
to see if it was any burglars,
and this and that.
610
00:29:14,043 --> 00:29:18,797
And came across this marijuana.
And now he's under arrest, this and that.
611
00:29:18,798 --> 00:29:21,759
Like, "Man, get the fuck
out of here with that bullshit."
612
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,345
I was like, you know,
"Y'all gotta talk to my lawyers."
613
00:29:25,138 --> 00:29:27,514
My lawyer did his homework.
614
00:29:27,515 --> 00:29:29,476
You know, I had to go turn myself in.
615
00:29:30,518 --> 00:29:32,770
[newswoman] According to
the Clackamas County DA,
616
00:29:32,771 --> 00:29:35,939
a Lake Oswego police report
contains allegations
617
00:29:35,940 --> 00:29:39,067
of felony drug possession
against Damon Stoudamire.
618
00:29:39,068 --> 00:29:43,615
First degree felony, had me like I was
a drug dealer and all the different stuff.
619
00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:47,868
[reporter] Any comment
for your fans, Damon?
620
00:29:47,869 --> 00:29:48,869
How you holding up?
621
00:29:48,870 --> 00:29:52,831
[newswoman] After posting $50,000 bail,
the star point guard sprinted home
622
00:29:52,832 --> 00:29:55,376
around two in the morning
as reporters swarmed.
623
00:29:57,378 --> 00:30:01,007
This case will be presented
to a grand jury for their consideration.
624
00:30:02,008 --> 00:30:05,928
I just couldn't understand why
they would treat a hometown kid that way.
625
00:30:05,929 --> 00:30:09,515
It's been difficult, but, you know,
I'm gonna hang in there and, uh…
626
00:30:09,516 --> 00:30:10,724
I'm gonna be fine.
627
00:30:10,725 --> 00:30:12,518
[downtempo music playing]
628
00:30:12,519 --> 00:30:15,771
[reporter] Flanked by attorneys
and his father, Trail Blazers star,
629
00:30:15,772 --> 00:30:20,235
Damon Stoudamire walks into court
facing a felony drug possession charge.
630
00:30:20,944 --> 00:30:24,739
[Arnold] It's very hard for players
to come home and play in their hometown.
631
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,742
You're dealing with the scrutiny
of a tremendous spotlight on you,
632
00:30:28,743 --> 00:30:30,494
very, very intense.
633
00:30:30,495 --> 00:30:32,496
You're on the only stage in town,
634
00:30:32,497 --> 00:30:34,706
and people are
judging you unrealistically.
635
00:30:34,707 --> 00:30:36,792
[downtempo music continues]
636
00:30:36,793 --> 00:30:38,795
[cameras snapping]
637
00:30:41,714 --> 00:30:46,051
I wanted to be someone that inspired,
like, everybody in the neighborhood
638
00:30:46,052 --> 00:30:50,014
and the people around that was coming up,
like, "Man, we can be seen on TV too."
639
00:30:50,849 --> 00:30:53,434
I wanted to be a role model.
640
00:30:54,936 --> 00:30:58,146
[newswoman] Even though
Stoudamire has yet to be proven guilty,
641
00:30:58,147 --> 00:31:00,023
the damage is already done.
642
00:31:00,024 --> 00:31:02,861
I don't know if I'll look at him
the same way. He just…
643
00:31:03,570 --> 00:31:05,320
I don't… I don't know. I don't…
644
00:31:05,321 --> 00:31:07,198
He's not my role model, not anymore.
645
00:31:08,116 --> 00:31:09,534
[bailiff] Please rise.
646
00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:13,370
Please be seated.
647
00:31:13,371 --> 00:31:16,123
[reporter] Throughout the day,
arguments from the defense
648
00:31:16,124 --> 00:31:17,708
and prosecution were heard.
649
00:31:17,709 --> 00:31:21,462
But in the end,
it was the police who committed a crime.
650
00:31:22,589 --> 00:31:27,010
A Portland judge ruled that the entry
into Stoudamire's home was illegal.
651
00:31:27,594 --> 00:31:30,137
I felt like the police
was trying to find something.
652
00:31:30,138 --> 00:31:32,765
They was trying to make
an example of somebody or another.
653
00:31:35,977 --> 00:31:37,728
If you can go in somebody's house
654
00:31:37,729 --> 00:31:40,272
because you got a badge
and go in when they gone…
655
00:31:40,273 --> 00:31:42,482
[journalist] Any comment,
Damon or Stephen?
656
00:31:42,483 --> 00:31:44,818
No comments today.
Thank you very much, sir.
657
00:31:44,819 --> 00:31:47,196
I was like, "Man, this is not it for me."
658
00:31:48,323 --> 00:31:50,658
Like, I used to be around there paranoid.
659
00:31:51,576 --> 00:31:52,911
Man, it got bad.
660
00:31:53,828 --> 00:31:56,705
And so I never went back to the spot,
and I just sold it.
661
00:31:56,706 --> 00:31:59,291
A lot of this stuff,
this is the first time
662
00:31:59,292 --> 00:32:01,710
that I'm even saying anything.
It's like therapy.
663
00:32:01,711 --> 00:32:04,129
That's why I stayed away
from home for so long.
664
00:32:04,130 --> 00:32:08,300
People are like, "Man, why you stay away
from home?" I was like, "Man, I'm…" Like…
665
00:32:08,301 --> 00:32:09,510
It's weirdo stuff.
666
00:32:18,102 --> 00:32:20,187
- [music fades]
- [thunder rumbles]
667
00:32:20,188 --> 00:32:23,815
It's so hard to build a team
668
00:32:23,816 --> 00:32:26,193
{\an8}and climb the mountain.
669
00:32:26,194 --> 00:32:29,447
{\an8}You don't get close very often.
And when you get to taste it…
670
00:32:30,323 --> 00:32:32,617
it makes you want to have it even more.
671
00:32:33,201 --> 00:32:35,619
I told Paul, "This is the year."
672
00:32:35,620 --> 00:32:36,745
[quirky music plays]
673
00:32:36,746 --> 00:32:40,165
{\an8}When we lost to the Lakers in 2000,
that could have went either way.
674
00:32:40,166 --> 00:32:41,458
{\an8}Run it back.
675
00:32:41,459 --> 00:32:43,418
{\an8}Give us one more year
to kinda figure it out.
676
00:32:43,419 --> 00:32:46,088
{\an8}Let's go back to the drawing board.
We was this close.
677
00:32:46,089 --> 00:32:47,631
I will say this…
678
00:32:47,632 --> 00:32:49,257
And I'll say it today.
679
00:32:49,258 --> 00:32:51,969
And I would have said it 40 years ago.
680
00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:54,013
And I'll say it ten years from now.
681
00:32:54,514 --> 00:32:56,682
You need to be innovative.
682
00:32:56,683 --> 00:32:59,393
You need to stay young in your thinking.
683
00:32:59,394 --> 00:33:01,687
You need to be ahead of the curve.
684
00:33:01,688 --> 00:33:06,149
I guess what I'm saying is
don't break it if it's not broken,
685
00:33:06,150 --> 00:33:09,779
but if you stay status quo,
you'll never get ahead.
686
00:33:10,405 --> 00:33:12,656
[reporter] In a flurry
of moves this August,
687
00:33:12,657 --> 00:33:15,826
Trader Bob has retooled
one of the best rosters in the league.
688
00:33:15,827 --> 00:33:18,662
Yeah, he brought in
a couple extra veteran players,
689
00:33:18,663 --> 00:33:21,790
got rid of some of the glue to the team,
some of the glue to the bench.
690
00:33:21,791 --> 00:33:26,003
[reporter] The biggest fish
is undoubtedly the three-team deal
691
00:33:26,004 --> 00:33:30,465
that brought Trader Bob's former Seattle
Sonics star, Shawn Kemp, to Portland.
692
00:33:30,466 --> 00:33:34,845
{\an8}Bob drafted me, so we had always
stayed in touch and had conversations.
693
00:33:34,846 --> 00:33:38,390
{\an8}You know, it just shows you…
that he wanted to win that badly.
694
00:33:38,391 --> 00:33:40,767
And I think that's
what excited me at the time.
695
00:33:40,768 --> 00:33:43,395
{\an8}Shawn Kemp.
696
00:33:43,396 --> 00:33:48,066
{\an8}Now, we don't need to go too much into
Shawn Kemp's reputation or exploits.
697
00:33:48,067 --> 00:33:50,736
This week, Shawn Kemp
publicly addressed the issue
698
00:33:50,737 --> 00:33:53,196
of his chronic lateness
and irresponsibility.
699
00:33:53,197 --> 00:33:55,991
He denied speculation
that he had a drinking problem.
700
00:33:55,992 --> 00:33:57,326
Here's what you need to know.
701
00:33:57,910 --> 00:34:00,078
Kemp was drafted by Whitsitt.
702
00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:02,748
He was a former All-Star.
703
00:34:02,749 --> 00:34:04,541
[commentator] A thundering overhead…
704
00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:06,918
And I underline former All-Star
705
00:34:06,919 --> 00:34:10,881
because he was carrying so much weight
that he could barely dunk.
706
00:34:10,882 --> 00:34:12,340
[Whitsitt] He was overweight.
707
00:34:12,341 --> 00:34:14,634
He didn't have
the same game he had before.
708
00:34:14,635 --> 00:34:16,636
But I'm willing to risk that in a second.
709
00:34:16,637 --> 00:34:17,929
Can I roll seven again?
710
00:34:17,930 --> 00:34:19,806
I think that's the key to success.
711
00:34:19,807 --> 00:34:23,185
You have to keep pushing forward
in an aggressive way,
712
00:34:23,186 --> 00:34:25,562
knowing that not everything you do
will work out.
713
00:34:25,563 --> 00:34:29,149
You begin to suspect that
they have a type instead of a plan.
714
00:34:29,150 --> 00:34:31,193
[commentator] …to get it under control.
715
00:34:31,194 --> 00:34:33,487
- Tries to find Rasheed Wallace.
- I swear to God, man!
716
00:34:33,488 --> 00:34:36,406
- Better not blow that whistle no more!
- [commentator] And heads up here.
717
00:34:36,407 --> 00:34:38,658
Rasheed Wallace quickly gets it
back under control.
718
00:34:38,659 --> 00:34:40,077
- No, he doesn't.
- [buzzer sounds]
719
00:34:40,078 --> 00:34:41,411
- [booing]
- Surprise, surprise.
720
00:34:41,412 --> 00:34:42,954
A technical on Rasheed Wallace.
721
00:34:42,955 --> 00:34:45,248
This is just unbelievable
by Rasheed Wallace.
722
00:34:45,249 --> 00:34:50,128
[Whitsitt] One thing we were trying to
manage during our championship window
723
00:34:50,129 --> 00:34:53,924
was one of our best players
that we needed to stay on the court…
724
00:34:53,925 --> 00:34:55,801
[ubpeat music playing]
725
00:34:55,802 --> 00:34:59,137
…was getting many more technical fouls
than he should have gotten.
726
00:34:59,138 --> 00:35:02,474
{\an8}Portland's biggest problem all season long
has been trying to find a way
727
00:35:02,475 --> 00:35:05,227
to keep Rasheed Wallace
in the games and under control.
728
00:35:05,228 --> 00:35:06,687
I was more of a loose cannon.
729
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,232
I wouldn't necessarily say
I played with hate,
730
00:35:10,233 --> 00:35:12,610
but… I'm trying to go at your neck.
731
00:35:14,028 --> 00:35:17,906
He trash-talked officials
more than he trash-talked other guys.
732
00:35:17,907 --> 00:35:21,159
- [commentator] And a technical foul!
- Somehow he's gotta control himself.
733
00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,454
Now, some nights, yeah, I did deserve it.
I might call him, you know,
734
00:35:24,455 --> 00:35:26,665
a couple curse words
or some shit like that.
735
00:35:26,666 --> 00:35:27,666
Yeah, for sure.
736
00:35:27,667 --> 00:35:29,251
[Costas] Risks a technical.
737
00:35:29,252 --> 00:35:30,836
- And there it is.
- [man] Number 17.
738
00:35:30,837 --> 00:35:32,003
- [ref] Technical.
- Technical.
739
00:35:32,004 --> 00:35:34,422
[Breen] Technical on who else
but Rasheed Wallace.
740
00:35:34,423 --> 00:35:36,007
[commentator] And he's out of the game.
741
00:35:36,008 --> 00:35:38,051
[Walton] Rasheed Wallace
in a 30-point game
742
00:35:38,052 --> 00:35:40,053
gets a technical foul here?
743
00:35:40,054 --> 00:35:41,471
That's embarrassing.
744
00:35:41,472 --> 00:35:44,141
But, other nights, it's just… look at him.
745
00:35:44,142 --> 00:35:46,434
"Mmm! Oh, tech."
746
00:35:46,435 --> 00:35:48,229
- [whistle blows]
- Whack, get out.
747
00:35:49,605 --> 00:35:51,106
Come on, cut that shit out.
748
00:35:51,107 --> 00:35:54,317
[Costas] Well, Doug, can you get tossed
for looking at a guy funny?
749
00:35:54,318 --> 00:35:57,237
People were okay with him battling
emotionally for the game,
750
00:35:57,238 --> 00:36:01,116
and even getting technicals
because we didn't like the refs either.
751
00:36:01,117 --> 00:36:02,951
But he would never shut up.
752
00:36:02,952 --> 00:36:05,662
{\an8}[Breen] It could cost him
a possible chance of a championship
753
00:36:05,663 --> 00:36:07,497
{\an8}if he does not control his emotions.
754
00:36:07,498 --> 00:36:10,417
{\an8}[newswoman] Dr. John Givi
is a sports psychologist.
755
00:36:10,418 --> 00:36:13,379
He says Rasheed's behavior
crosses the line.
756
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:16,548
His conduct at this point is,
757
00:36:16,549 --> 00:36:19,926
uh, detrimental to him,
detrimental to his team.
758
00:36:19,927 --> 00:36:22,888
When you're known for
yelling and cussing at the referees,
759
00:36:22,889 --> 00:36:25,141
sometimes people lose faith in you.
760
00:36:26,017 --> 00:36:28,727
They look at you like you're the problem.
761
00:36:28,728 --> 00:36:30,729
[reporter] Recently,
Wallace was at the airport
762
00:36:30,730 --> 00:36:33,023
when a mother and son
came asking for an autograph.
763
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:36,110
Held out my magazine and my pen.
He shook away and said "No."
764
00:36:36,694 --> 00:36:39,446
[woman] I ripped the picture
of Rasheed out of the magazine
765
00:36:39,447 --> 00:36:41,656
and crumpled it up,
and I threw it at his feet.
766
00:36:41,657 --> 00:36:44,492
He threw it right back,
and hit me in the face,
767
00:36:44,493 --> 00:36:46,203
and said, "Ooh!"
768
00:36:46,204 --> 00:36:48,414
Fuck it, I might as well say how I feel.
769
00:36:48,915 --> 00:36:52,335
We got the nod that Sports Illustrated
was coming to do an article on us.
770
00:36:53,502 --> 00:36:56,880
[reporter] The controversy centers around
the latest Sports Illustrated article,
771
00:36:56,881 --> 00:36:59,591
where Bonzi Wells is quoted as saying,
772
00:36:59,592 --> 00:37:03,428
"We're not really gonna worry about
what the hell the fans think about us."
773
00:37:03,429 --> 00:37:05,180
"They really don't matter to us."
774
00:37:05,181 --> 00:37:06,640
"They can boo us every day,
775
00:37:06,641 --> 00:37:10,727
but they're still gonna ask for our
autographs if they see us on the street."
776
00:37:10,728 --> 00:37:12,562
"That's why they're fans,
777
00:37:12,563 --> 00:37:14,522
and we're NBA players."
778
00:37:14,523 --> 00:37:18,276
It reflects an arrogance that this team
has taken this town for granted.
779
00:37:18,277 --> 00:37:19,694
{\an8}It was a hot topic.
780
00:37:19,695 --> 00:37:22,573
{\an8}You know,
you just can't go public in that way.
781
00:37:23,366 --> 00:37:25,243
The Blazers had lost the fan base.
782
00:37:25,993 --> 00:37:28,411
When you say things like that,
it doesn't inspire people
783
00:37:28,412 --> 00:37:30,205
to really even wanna go and see the game.
784
00:37:30,206 --> 00:37:32,958
Fans are the stockholders.
They're the customers, you know?
785
00:37:32,959 --> 00:37:35,252
And it's ridiculous
to spit in the face of fans.
786
00:37:35,253 --> 00:37:37,380
These fans turned on me like…
787
00:37:40,883 --> 00:37:43,468
That doesn't help the cause.
It doesn't help anybody's cause.
788
00:37:43,469 --> 00:37:45,930
It's a stupid quote.
I mean, what else can you say?
789
00:37:47,515 --> 00:37:49,808
The fans were fed up.
They were already fed up
790
00:37:49,809 --> 00:37:53,270
with some of the stuff that was going on,
like the yellow Hummer.
791
00:37:53,271 --> 00:37:54,854
Smoking weed.
792
00:37:54,855 --> 00:37:57,565
There were problems, and red flags,
793
00:37:57,566 --> 00:37:59,944
and issues, especially with Shawn Kemp.
794
00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:03,530
[reporter 1] Trader Bob's big signing
is ending his season early.
795
00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:05,865
Shawn Kemp has entered rehab
for cocaine abuse.
796
00:38:05,866 --> 00:38:09,119
[commentator] Scottie Pippen said
that the acquisition of Shawn Kemp
797
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,497
was the worst move ever
in the history of pro sports.
798
00:38:12,498 --> 00:38:15,709
That's kind of taking a bull's eye
at your general manager.
799
00:38:15,710 --> 00:38:19,296
We all wanna be known as winners,
but sometimes it just doesn't happen.
800
00:38:19,297 --> 00:38:21,966
We were aggressive, made sense.
801
00:38:22,508 --> 00:38:23,551
I failed.
802
00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:27,262
[commentator] Rasheed Wallace,
wanted to foul him.
803
00:38:27,263 --> 00:38:29,306
Felt he was bumped and now he gets a T.
804
00:38:29,307 --> 00:38:31,766
- He's going at him, that's two.
- [buzzer sounds]
805
00:38:31,767 --> 00:38:35,020
I felt like the alignment
was all the way messed up.
806
00:38:35,021 --> 00:38:39,399
[reporter 1] After a promising start,
Blazers finish the season going 15 and 17.
807
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,736
- Team's in a lot of turmoil right now.
- They're always losing. I'm wondering why.
808
00:38:42,737 --> 00:38:46,656
[reporter 2] The drug rehab slam dunk
from Blazer Shawn Kemp has left fans
809
00:38:46,657 --> 00:38:48,867
wondering about the championship.
810
00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:51,953
- [woman] I think it's just an atrocity.
- [man] The guy's a total loser.
811
00:38:51,954 --> 00:38:55,291
Then we get to the damn playoffs,
who we see first round? Lakers.
812
00:38:56,292 --> 00:38:58,835
[commentator] Blazer turnover.
And here comes Bryant.
813
00:38:58,836 --> 00:39:01,796
Front court, moving quickly.
Throws to Shaq and he dunks it.
814
00:39:01,797 --> 00:39:04,549
Blazers wanted a travel on Bryant.
They don't get it.
815
00:39:04,550 --> 00:39:08,595
Final score, the Lakers 99,
the Blazers 86.
816
00:39:08,596 --> 00:39:11,557
L.A. wins the series, three games to none.
817
00:39:12,183 --> 00:39:15,560
We got swept, and so it was
just one of them things, man.
818
00:39:15,561 --> 00:39:18,938
You just wanna decompress, you know,
'cause the way the year ended,
819
00:39:18,939 --> 00:39:20,899
it was just like, "Man, this is crazy."
820
00:39:20,900 --> 00:39:24,820
You had local Portland media bitching
and complaining, some of them punks.
821
00:39:25,863 --> 00:39:29,783
I just got tired of all my shit
just getting misconstrued.
822
00:39:29,784 --> 00:39:33,161
So I was like, "Man, stop
fucking with y'all, period."
823
00:39:33,162 --> 00:39:36,331
Do you consider yourself a role model to
all the fans that show up at the games?
824
00:39:36,332 --> 00:39:38,249
[man] There's a car behind you. Watch it.
825
00:39:38,250 --> 00:39:42,087
[Rasheed] "Why you aren't talking?"
"Because your reporters
826
00:39:42,088 --> 00:39:43,755
only report negativity."
827
00:39:43,756 --> 00:39:45,758
[melancholy music playing]
828
00:39:51,138 --> 00:39:52,515
Just keep shooting.
829
00:39:53,140 --> 00:39:54,682
Yo, I don't fucking know you.
830
00:39:54,683 --> 00:39:56,601
I don't care to know you.
831
00:39:56,602 --> 00:39:59,438
It's your job to get to know me.
832
00:40:02,191 --> 00:40:05,569
{\an8}[Arnold] He didn't appreciate how
the media in Portland was portraying him.
833
00:40:11,409 --> 00:40:13,243
I understood.
834
00:40:13,244 --> 00:40:16,497
{\an8}Because I remember
walking into the locker room.
835
00:40:18,207 --> 00:40:20,417
{\an8}Almost all white reporters.
836
00:40:20,418 --> 00:40:23,504
{\an8}"Geoffrey Arnold, with The Oregonian."
"Oregonian has black reporters?"
837
00:40:24,672 --> 00:40:27,424
[Rasheed] He was like,
"Yo, you mind if I do a story on you?"
838
00:40:27,425 --> 00:40:30,511
"You know, it's not gonna be
about a lot of the negativity."
839
00:40:31,262 --> 00:40:33,180
I'm like, "All right, no problem."
840
00:40:36,308 --> 00:40:41,563
He said, "Do you mind if I record
and write everything you say?"
841
00:40:41,564 --> 00:40:45,651
I'm like, "No, I ain't got shit to hide.
I'm not trying to sugarcoat nothing."
842
00:40:46,444 --> 00:40:50,488
"Just say it." Now, the part that did
surprise me… I ain't know he was gonna put
843
00:40:50,489 --> 00:40:54,368
all the "motherfuckers" and "niggas"
in there that I said, though. [laughing]
844
00:40:58,497 --> 00:41:01,249
[Arnold] I thought it was
an opportunity to get to know him
845
00:41:01,250 --> 00:41:03,294
and for others to get to know him.
846
00:41:04,253 --> 00:41:06,671
Not the Rasheed technical foul,
847
00:41:06,672 --> 00:41:09,048
not the Rasheed screaming at the referee.
848
00:41:09,049 --> 00:41:10,468
There was another side.
849
00:41:11,343 --> 00:41:14,762
You don't know where I come from.
You don't understand me at all.
850
00:41:14,763 --> 00:41:19,767
You want me to be
that good Martin Luther King.
851
00:41:19,768 --> 00:41:23,146
As great of a person he was,
I'm not Martin Luther King.
852
00:41:23,147 --> 00:41:27,318
I'm more in that spirit
of a Medgar Evers or a Malcolm X.
853
00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:33,156
[Arnold] He's not going to conform.
854
00:41:33,157 --> 00:41:36,117
He just wasn't gonna do that
because that's not who he is.
855
00:41:36,118 --> 00:41:40,498
And one of the things I always respected
about Rasheed was that he was who he was.
856
00:41:44,168 --> 00:41:47,003
[Rasheed] Some people think
the pen is mightier than the sword.
857
00:41:47,004 --> 00:41:50,548
Here's the thing, the pen
isn't mightier than right.
858
00:41:50,549 --> 00:41:53,676
[reporter] The article
in The Oregonian titled "Raw 'Sheed"
859
00:41:53,677 --> 00:41:56,513
has caught the attention
of many across America.
860
00:41:56,514 --> 00:42:00,934
The article even made its way to the
office of NBA Commissioner David Stern.
861
00:42:00,935 --> 00:42:03,728
"Mr. Wallace's hateful diatribe
was ignorant
862
00:42:03,729 --> 00:42:06,315
and offensive to all NBA players."
863
00:42:08,526 --> 00:42:12,487
You're entitled to your opinion,
but don't go overboard with it.
864
00:42:12,488 --> 00:42:14,614
Know what I'm sayin'?
I respect your opinion.
865
00:42:14,615 --> 00:42:18,451
No matter what it is, you call me
"a fucking nigger" and "oh this and that."
866
00:42:18,452 --> 00:42:21,121
Da-da-da… All right. You said your piece.
867
00:42:22,998 --> 00:42:26,793
Keep it moving. 'Cause if you keep
reiterating shit and reiterating things,
868
00:42:26,794 --> 00:42:29,505
and trying to come back at me,
all right, well now…
869
00:42:30,130 --> 00:42:32,131
Yeah, the nigga gonna come out.
870
00:42:32,132 --> 00:42:34,134
[tense steady beat thrumming]
871
00:42:41,642 --> 00:42:44,602
[Deckard] When things
started shaking and crumbling,
872
00:42:44,603 --> 00:42:48,274
everybody said we need a cultural change.
873
00:42:48,774 --> 00:42:51,193
So instead what they did is double down.
874
00:42:56,198 --> 00:42:58,033
[Whitsitt] I'm a fan first.
875
00:42:58,701 --> 00:43:01,036
And as a fan, I want my team to win.
876
00:43:01,620 --> 00:43:03,205
And I told everybody,
877
00:43:03,831 --> 00:43:05,457
"We got to stop the Lakers."
878
00:43:06,083 --> 00:43:08,918
[analyst] He's known as the Kobe Stopper.
879
00:43:08,919 --> 00:43:11,212
- [man 1] The Kobe Stopper.
- [man 2] The Kobe Stopper.
880
00:43:11,213 --> 00:43:15,425
He didn't back down from Kobe,
I'll tell you that. He played Kobe hard.
881
00:43:15,426 --> 00:43:16,927
Kobe even said that.
882
00:43:18,679 --> 00:43:20,805
{\an8}Bob's like, "We're not
a free agent market."
883
00:43:20,806 --> 00:43:22,724
{\an8}We don't have top-five picks.
884
00:43:22,725 --> 00:43:24,892
{\an8}I'm trying to effin' beat Kobe and Shaq.
885
00:43:24,893 --> 00:43:27,312
I got to get players and length.
886
00:43:27,313 --> 00:43:29,856
And those teams won't get Ruben Patterson.
887
00:43:29,857 --> 00:43:33,901
There's no one answer as to what
you look for with any one player.
888
00:43:33,902 --> 00:43:36,112
[somber music plays]
889
00:43:36,113 --> 00:43:41,035
[newswoman] Trail Blazer Ruben Patterson,
the NBA's first registered sex offender.
890
00:43:41,744 --> 00:43:44,495
There are people that deserve
second chances,
891
00:43:44,496 --> 00:43:46,664
and Ruben is
definitely one of those people.
892
00:43:46,665 --> 00:43:49,710
And I think as an organization
we're open-minded that way.
893
00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:56,842
You know, his transgressions
happened with another team…
894
00:43:58,302 --> 00:43:59,928
uh, at another time.
895
00:44:00,512 --> 00:44:04,390
[newswoman] Patterson's victim was
a 23-year-old woman we will call Jenny.
896
00:44:04,391 --> 00:44:09,647
In January 2000, she was hired by
Patterson's fiancée, Shannon, as a nanny.
897
00:44:10,648 --> 00:44:14,234
She told police Patterson
forced her to perform oral sex.
898
00:44:15,861 --> 00:44:18,821
I'm not saying it was
the greatest signing we ever did.
899
00:44:18,822 --> 00:44:20,531
I'm not suggesting that at all.
900
00:44:20,532 --> 00:44:24,786
I'm saying when we did it,
we weighed a lot of factors,
901
00:44:24,787 --> 00:44:25,829
but…
902
00:44:26,705 --> 00:44:29,041
the real risk, honestly, was
903
00:44:30,042 --> 00:44:31,710
a certain amount of cash.
904
00:44:33,504 --> 00:44:37,174
[Canzano] You had a registered
sex offender in a Blazers uniform.
905
00:44:37,675 --> 00:44:40,093
You were holding him up
as part of the team.
906
00:44:40,094 --> 00:44:42,679
That's not good. Like, you can't do that.
907
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,100
You can't be that franchise
that's okay with that at any cost.
908
00:44:46,684 --> 00:44:47,892
Fine day, isn't it?
909
00:44:47,893 --> 00:44:52,230
[reporter] The Blazers' PR department,
in the midst of an aggressive campaign
910
00:44:52,231 --> 00:44:56,651
aimed at reconnecting with the fans,
has pulled the plug on its current TV ads.
911
00:44:56,652 --> 00:44:58,945
The focus now is damage control.
912
00:44:58,946 --> 00:45:01,823
I'd like to have a team that I could
stand behind and be proud of.
913
00:45:01,824 --> 00:45:02,824
I don't feel that way.
914
00:45:02,825 --> 00:45:06,369
I think we need like kind of a role model,
a new good guy for the Blazers.
915
00:45:06,370 --> 00:45:08,079
'Cause most of them are kinda thugs.
916
00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,623
That came in fucking the chemistry up,
917
00:45:10,624 --> 00:45:11,958
of the team.
918
00:45:11,959 --> 00:45:15,211
And, um, yeah, I would say
that's the only time that,
919
00:45:15,212 --> 00:45:17,548
mmm… I truly, you know,
920
00:45:18,465 --> 00:45:21,510
could say was mad with Bob
or a little upset with Bob.
921
00:45:22,010 --> 00:45:25,179
[reporter] Since the trade
for sex offender Ruben Patterson,
922
00:45:25,180 --> 00:45:27,849
the antagonistic on-court behavior
923
00:45:27,850 --> 00:45:30,102
and drug incidents with multiple players,
924
00:45:30,728 --> 00:45:33,771
the front office has received
numerous calls from fans,
925
00:45:33,772 --> 00:45:36,608
some of them hoping
to cancel season tickets.
926
00:45:37,359 --> 00:45:41,696
[director] With Ruben, what's the need
to bring in somebody with this history?
927
00:45:41,697 --> 00:45:44,198
I don't think there's
a shortage of guys in the league
928
00:45:44,199 --> 00:45:46,075
who can occupy Ruben Pattererson's--
929
00:45:46,076 --> 00:45:48,453
- Well, let's stop there. You're wrong.
- Okay.
930
00:45:48,454 --> 00:45:50,705
- Go… Go back… Go…
- [speaking indistinctly]
931
00:45:50,706 --> 00:45:54,542
Go back at that time,
in that free agent class,
932
00:45:54,543 --> 00:45:57,295
and tell me who all those players are.
933
00:45:57,296 --> 00:45:59,881
And I'll be the first to say you're right.
934
00:45:59,882 --> 00:46:03,509
So I'll wait right now for you
to start listing those players.
935
00:46:03,510 --> 00:46:06,471
- Don't have it off the top of my head.
- And you won't have them. Okay?
936
00:46:06,472 --> 00:46:11,309
And if his character was such, he did not
act up at all while he was in Portland.
937
00:46:11,310 --> 00:46:13,896
[slow pensive music plays]
938
00:46:17,441 --> 00:46:20,944
I was in Arizona going to school,
you know, getting my degree.
939
00:46:21,904 --> 00:46:24,614
So… I'm going to New Orleans.
940
00:46:24,615 --> 00:46:28,618
[reporter] This is Tucson International
Airport's security screening area.
941
00:46:28,619 --> 00:46:31,037
And this is where
Damon Stoudamire ran into trouble.
942
00:46:31,038 --> 00:46:33,331
According to
the sheriff's department report,
943
00:46:33,332 --> 00:46:36,626
Stoudamire removed a package
wrapped in aluminum foil
944
00:46:36,627 --> 00:46:38,920
before he walked through a metal detector.
945
00:46:38,921 --> 00:46:42,673
Sheriff's deputies searched Stoudamire,
finding 39.95 grams,
946
00:46:42,674 --> 00:46:45,051
or 1.4 ounces, of marijuana.
947
00:46:45,052 --> 00:46:46,552
[unsettling music plays]
948
00:46:46,553 --> 00:46:49,013
{\an8}[Damon] I had to go
to David Stern's office.
949
00:46:49,014 --> 00:46:52,600
David Stern sit across from me,
like, "Don't fuck my league up, now."
950
00:46:52,601 --> 00:46:56,521
[reporter] For the third time in
16 months, Stoudamire faces drug charges.
951
00:46:56,522 --> 00:46:59,023
[Cowherd] I wished
they'd stop getting in trouble
952
00:46:59,024 --> 00:47:03,153
'cause I was tired of fucking covering
news conferences about non-basketball.
953
00:47:04,530 --> 00:47:09,200
{\an8}Well, Portland's Rasheed Wallace has tied
the NBA record that he set last season.
954
00:47:09,201 --> 00:47:12,745
It's a bit of a dubious distinction.
38 technical fouls.
955
00:47:12,746 --> 00:47:16,040
[Walton] Somebody should go
and tell Rasheed Wallace to sit down
956
00:47:16,041 --> 00:47:18,042
and just be quiet here.
957
00:47:18,043 --> 00:47:20,045
I thought that it was, at times…
958
00:47:21,505 --> 00:47:23,090
a lack of awareness…
959
00:47:23,882 --> 00:47:26,634
for when and when not to, on his behalf.
960
00:47:26,635 --> 00:47:31,097
[Walton] This is a major problem
for this franchise with so much pride
961
00:47:31,098 --> 00:47:34,058
and dignity and class
to have this young man,
962
00:47:34,059 --> 00:47:39,021
this star, with an $80 million contract
setting a record for technical fouls.
963
00:47:39,022 --> 00:47:42,609
End up leading the league.
So that record still stands to this day.
964
00:47:43,402 --> 00:47:46,153
[Canzano] Setting a league record
for technical fouls,
965
00:47:46,154 --> 00:47:48,406
throwing a towel in the teammate's face.
966
00:47:48,407 --> 00:47:50,658
These are not criminal offenses.
967
00:47:50,659 --> 00:47:54,370
[Harlan] The biggest opponent
the Blazers must defeat are themselves.
968
00:47:54,371 --> 00:47:59,709
This is sports, but in the end,
you are perpetuating the legacy.
969
00:47:59,710 --> 00:48:03,421
And you're perpetuating that brand.
We all know how strong a brand can be.
970
00:48:03,422 --> 00:48:06,591
And unfortunately the Blazers brand
got pushed in that direction,
971
00:48:06,592 --> 00:48:08,467
and the momentum never stopped.
972
00:48:08,468 --> 00:48:11,304
[reporter 1] Trader Bob's
latest draft pick, Zach Randolph,
973
00:48:11,305 --> 00:48:13,848
was arrested Tuesday morning
for underage drinking.
974
00:48:13,849 --> 00:48:18,477
Look, not only does Bob Whitsitt
trade for problematic players,
975
00:48:18,478 --> 00:48:23,774
Bob Whitsitt is almost an addict
now drafting problematic players.
976
00:48:23,775 --> 00:48:26,777
[reporter 2] Making matters worse,
instead of fighting for a playoff spot,
977
00:48:26,778 --> 00:48:28,905
the team seems to be fighting with itself.
978
00:48:28,906 --> 00:48:32,533
Zach Randolph sucker punched teammate
Ruben Patterson during a practice.
979
00:48:32,534 --> 00:48:36,662
Officers note they found
two loaded handguns in the car,
980
00:48:36,663 --> 00:48:40,918
one with a bullet in the chamber,
and say Randolph smelled of marijuana.
981
00:48:41,418 --> 00:48:45,421
When Bob made another deal with a player
that had had troubles, it was like, "Ugh…"
982
00:48:45,422 --> 00:48:47,924
[reporter 3] It's been
a rough week for Qyntel Woods.
983
00:48:47,925 --> 00:48:49,467
Monday, he watched detectives
984
00:48:49,468 --> 00:48:53,554
and animal control officers search
his home for evidence of dogfighting.
985
00:48:53,555 --> 00:48:56,140
I'm a sportscaster.
I'm not a crime reporter.
986
00:48:56,141 --> 00:48:59,226
[commentator] …and Bonzi Wells
pushing and shoving.
987
00:48:59,227 --> 00:49:01,063
It's a full-on fight, and look out.
988
00:49:01,605 --> 00:49:02,939
The benches have cleared.
989
00:49:02,940 --> 00:49:05,149
Rasheed Wallace took a swing at a fan.
990
00:49:05,150 --> 00:49:07,277
The fans were pouring something on him.
991
00:49:07,778 --> 00:49:11,238
I think they're an insult to the city.
I have no interest in them winning.
992
00:49:11,239 --> 00:49:12,491
I'd just as soon they lose.
993
00:49:13,158 --> 00:49:15,159
[phone line ringing]
994
00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:17,411
[music fades]
995
00:49:17,412 --> 00:49:20,623
- [911] What's your name?
- Shannon. My husband is Ruben Patterson.
996
00:49:20,624 --> 00:49:23,334
- [911] All right. And is he still there?
- [Shannon] Yeah.
997
00:49:23,335 --> 00:49:25,753
- [911] Where is he?
- [Shannon] I need to leave.
998
00:49:25,754 --> 00:49:27,630
He just tried to [bleep] choke me.
999
00:49:27,631 --> 00:49:29,633
[somber music playing]
1000
00:49:31,259 --> 00:49:34,637
{\an8}[newsman] At the Washington County
Courthouse, Blazer Ruben Patterson met
1001
00:49:34,638 --> 00:49:37,557
{\an8}his probation officer
to discuss his latest arrest.
1002
00:49:38,100 --> 00:49:40,726
Patterson faces
felony domestic assault charges
1003
00:49:40,727 --> 00:49:43,479
after an altercation
with his wife Monday night.
1004
00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:46,692
I don't want our players
even in a situation
1005
00:49:47,442 --> 00:49:50,236
that makes us even have to talk about it.
1006
00:49:50,237 --> 00:49:53,614
That's what bothers me
right now more than anything.
1007
00:49:53,615 --> 00:49:56,575
[reporter] A visibly frustrated
Bob Whitsitt told the media today,
1008
00:49:56,576 --> 00:49:59,078
"I take all responsibility
for anything that happens
1009
00:49:59,079 --> 00:50:00,747
with the Portland Trail Blazers."
1010
00:50:01,289 --> 00:50:03,708
The timing, the city,
1011
00:50:03,709 --> 00:50:07,045
it just kind of all went together,
and it hit all at once.
1012
00:50:07,754 --> 00:50:11,507
[reporter] After charges of drugs,
dog fighting, loaded guns, and assault
1013
00:50:11,508 --> 00:50:14,135
the team is now being called
the "Jail Blazers."
1014
00:50:14,136 --> 00:50:15,428
[haunting music plays]
1015
00:50:15,429 --> 00:50:19,807
That was just the beginning of the end for
myself, Rasheed, and Damon in Portland.
1016
00:50:19,808 --> 00:50:22,977
[reporter] Some say the Blazers'
criminal record off the court
1017
00:50:22,978 --> 00:50:26,815
is causing the team's lowest
attendance at the Rose Garden ever.
1018
00:50:27,315 --> 00:50:29,442
[analyst] For the third straight year,
1019
00:50:29,443 --> 00:50:32,153
the Blazers are facing the Lakers
in the playoffs.
1020
00:50:32,154 --> 00:50:35,156
What was once a matchup
between two ascending teams
1021
00:50:35,157 --> 00:50:38,577
has turned into two teams
headed in two very different directions.
1022
00:50:39,995 --> 00:50:41,955
[commentator] There is a three by Kobe!
1023
00:50:42,831 --> 00:50:44,623
{\an8}-And he got it.
- [crowd reacting]
1024
00:50:44,624 --> 00:50:47,543
{\an8}A woman and her eight-year-old stepson
were thrown out of
1025
00:50:47,544 --> 00:50:49,462
{\an8}the Blazers' playoff game yesterday.
1026
00:50:49,463 --> 00:50:51,881
It all had to do with
a sign they were holding.
1027
00:50:51,882 --> 00:50:53,340
This is the sign.
1028
00:50:53,341 --> 00:50:56,343
Katherine Topaz
and her stepson, Will Abeles,
1029
00:50:56,344 --> 00:50:58,179
say they had to leave at the half
1030
00:50:58,180 --> 00:51:01,348
because they aren't fans
of the team's general manager.
1031
00:51:01,349 --> 00:51:05,227
Will believes there's only one reason
he had to leave.
1032
00:51:05,228 --> 00:51:07,354
I think it was Bob Whitsitt.
1033
00:51:07,355 --> 00:51:09,774
[music fades]
1034
00:51:09,775 --> 00:51:11,150
[slow pensive notes rise]
1035
00:51:11,151 --> 00:51:13,361
It was a real roller coaster ride for us,
1036
00:51:14,071 --> 00:51:16,823
and boom, we fast-forward to next year.
1037
00:51:17,574 --> 00:51:19,451
I wasn't talking to the media.
1038
00:51:20,452 --> 00:51:24,872
Rasheed was getting fined
for not speaking to the media,
1039
00:51:24,873 --> 00:51:26,624
and the numbers started to get big.
1040
00:51:26,625 --> 00:51:29,460
[reporter] The Blazers forward
was fined $10,000
1041
00:51:29,461 --> 00:51:32,922
for failing to cooperate with the media
after Sunday's game
1042
00:51:32,923 --> 00:51:34,840
and another $20,000 on Monday.
1043
00:51:34,841 --> 00:51:39,095
I was getting bombarded by the league.
It's my job to make him talk.
1044
00:51:39,096 --> 00:51:43,141
I don't know why it became my job,
but it is, 'cause I'm the guy in charge.
1045
00:51:43,850 --> 00:51:45,684
So I'd start meeting with Rasheed.
1046
00:51:45,685 --> 00:51:48,646
"If you don't say nothing to the media,
you're gonna get fined."
1047
00:51:48,647 --> 00:51:50,856
- I'm like, "All right."
- He understood.
1048
00:51:50,857 --> 00:51:53,609
But he also made it clear,
"I don't like them."
1049
00:51:53,610 --> 00:51:58,322
I would fucking love to go to their job
right now and heckle the shit out of them.
1050
00:51:58,323 --> 00:52:01,118
"Boo! You can't write!"
1051
00:52:02,661 --> 00:52:04,703
"You can't write!"
1052
00:52:04,704 --> 00:52:08,582
"What? You didn't put the abbreviation
there where it's supposed to be? No!"
1053
00:52:08,583 --> 00:52:11,211
So now the Blazers are also getting fined.
1054
00:52:12,337 --> 00:52:17,174
The league said, "Next move is
we're gonna suspend Rasheed,
1055
00:52:17,175 --> 00:52:20,803
so that's even more money,
and we'll fine the team."
1056
00:52:20,804 --> 00:52:25,599
"But now, Rasheed, if you get suspended,
you're hurting the team."
1057
00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:28,853
"Well, how about this? You want me
to say what you want me to say?"
1058
00:52:28,854 --> 00:52:32,898
"Have your secretary write up a dictation,
and I'll say what you want me to say
1059
00:52:32,899 --> 00:52:34,942
since you wanna put words in my mouth."
1060
00:52:34,943 --> 00:52:37,027
If a media person says,
1061
00:52:37,028 --> 00:52:41,448
"Hey, I heard your teammate got arrested
for speeding last night on the highway."
1062
00:52:41,449 --> 00:52:44,869
"What do you think?"
You don't have to answer that question.
1063
00:52:44,870 --> 00:52:48,414
You just simply say,
"Both teams played hard."
1064
00:52:48,415 --> 00:52:50,750
Both teams played hard. So sure enough…
1065
00:52:52,169 --> 00:52:56,590
I guess that registered. So I'm watching
the post-game press conference.
1066
00:52:57,549 --> 00:52:59,718
Great, he's at the podium.
1067
00:53:00,510 --> 00:53:03,137
That's all I needed.
And here come the questions.
1068
00:53:03,138 --> 00:53:05,347
[reporter] Rasheed,
you think it was a good game?
1069
00:53:05,348 --> 00:53:06,515
Both teams played hard.
1070
00:53:06,516 --> 00:53:08,100
So I kept saying that, the whole joint.
1071
00:53:08,101 --> 00:53:09,643
Both teams played hard.
1072
00:53:09,644 --> 00:53:12,438
- Sheed don't talk to the media.
- Both teams played hard.
1073
00:53:12,439 --> 00:53:14,398
"Both teams played hard."
1074
00:53:14,399 --> 00:53:16,859
[laughing] So somebody
asked another question.
1075
00:53:16,860 --> 00:53:19,987
He was like…
"Both teams played hard, my man."
1076
00:53:19,988 --> 00:53:21,947
Both teams played hard, my man.
1077
00:53:21,948 --> 00:53:23,867
[laughing] I said, "This boy a damn fool."
1078
00:53:24,451 --> 00:53:25,701
God bless and good night.
1079
00:53:25,702 --> 00:53:27,119
We got fined for that.
1080
00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:29,079
[music fades]
1081
00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:32,625
"God bless and good night."
1082
00:53:32,626 --> 00:53:34,211
[air horn blows]
1083
00:53:36,004 --> 00:53:38,048
[Damon] We made the playoffs that year,
1084
00:53:39,216 --> 00:53:42,176
but from a basketball standpoint,
1085
00:53:42,177 --> 00:53:44,595
you know, we weren't that good anymore.
1086
00:53:44,596 --> 00:53:46,597
You could see the bottom falling out.
1087
00:53:46,598 --> 00:53:48,600
{\an8}[crowd cheering]
1088
00:53:49,142 --> 00:53:52,103
{\an8}[commentator] Nash out to Nowitzki.
He's open. He got it!
1089
00:53:52,812 --> 00:53:55,981
{\an8}[Walton] But where is Bonzi Wells
and Rasheed Wallace?
1090
00:53:55,982 --> 00:53:58,235
{\an8}They have phoned this one in.
1091
00:53:59,152 --> 00:54:01,737
{\an8}[woman] It was pretty busy
before and after games.
1092
00:54:01,738 --> 00:54:04,281
People coming in,
having a good time, excited.
1093
00:54:04,282 --> 00:54:06,033
[interviewer] And now what's it like?
1094
00:54:06,034 --> 00:54:08,954
We don't really have too many people
coming in excited anymore.
1095
00:54:09,537 --> 00:54:12,873
[reporter 1] For the third straight year,
the Blazers' season ends
1096
00:54:12,874 --> 00:54:14,918
with a first-round playoff loss.
1097
00:54:16,378 --> 00:54:18,337
I was like, man, the window up.
1098
00:54:18,338 --> 00:54:21,173
[reporter 2] Fans say the problem
starts in the front office.
1099
00:54:21,174 --> 00:54:24,635
- Get rid of Whitsitt while they're at it.
- I think they should fire Bob Whitsitt.
1100
00:54:24,636 --> 00:54:25,678
He's not…
1101
00:54:25,679 --> 00:54:28,348
He's made a lot of…
He gives away good players.
1102
00:54:33,353 --> 00:54:35,521
[Whitsitt] The owner, Paul Allen,
1103
00:54:35,522 --> 00:54:37,857
was one of the wealthiest men
in the world.
1104
00:54:38,858 --> 00:54:40,902
One day, he bought the Seahawks.
1105
00:54:42,237 --> 00:54:44,947
Paul says, "Oh, and by the way,
1106
00:54:44,948 --> 00:54:48,701
but you, Bob, have to be
the president and run the team."
1107
00:54:48,702 --> 00:54:50,744
And I go, "Well, I can't do that."
1108
00:54:50,745 --> 00:54:53,540
"I'm running all
your businesses in Portland."
1109
00:54:55,166 --> 00:54:57,626
What started out as just going to Portland
1110
00:54:57,627 --> 00:54:59,754
only to run the basketball side…
1111
00:55:00,755 --> 00:55:04,216
I'm now running
all of the Blazers' basketball,
1112
00:55:04,217 --> 00:55:05,843
the Rose Garden Arena,
1113
00:55:05,844 --> 00:55:10,390
a WNBA team, radio stations,
all kinds of businesses in Portland.
1114
00:55:11,224 --> 00:55:14,769
And I'm the full-time president
of the Seahawks.
1115
00:55:16,855 --> 00:55:18,522
Eventually, I said to Paul,
1116
00:55:18,523 --> 00:55:20,149
"This is dysfunctional."
1117
00:55:20,150 --> 00:55:23,610
"I've told you, you need
more people running these things,
1118
00:55:23,611 --> 00:55:27,281
and you won't do that,
so this is my last year in Portland."
1119
00:55:27,282 --> 00:55:29,658
[slow pensive music playing]
1120
00:55:29,659 --> 00:55:32,619
[reporter] So long, Trader Bob.
The beleaguered GM announced
1121
00:55:32,620 --> 00:55:34,079
he's stepping down today.
1122
00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:37,333
When I left, we averaged 50 wins a year
1123
00:55:37,334 --> 00:55:39,835
for nine years,
and made the playoffs every year.
1124
00:55:39,836 --> 00:55:42,546
What an accomplishment
for the Portland community.
1125
00:55:42,547 --> 00:55:45,424
Most fans we spoke with
are happy to see Whitsitt go,
1126
00:55:45,425 --> 00:55:49,053
but Ken Boddie has the perspective
of two former Blazer fans.
1127
00:55:49,054 --> 00:55:51,472
One who was on the inside
1128
00:55:51,473 --> 00:55:54,059
and another who feels she was pushed out.
1129
00:55:54,851 --> 00:55:58,645
{\an8}I thought it was about time.
It should have been done some time ago,
1130
00:55:58,646 --> 00:56:00,105
{\an8}as far as I was concerned.
1131
00:56:00,106 --> 00:56:03,442
The last 40 or 50 years in the NBA,
1132
00:56:03,443 --> 00:56:06,612
there's only been
three teams that have a moniker.
1133
00:56:06,613 --> 00:56:08,198
You got the Showtime Lakers.
1134
00:56:10,909 --> 00:56:13,244
Then you got the Bad Boy Pistons.
1135
00:56:15,288 --> 00:56:16,997
And then you got the Jail Blazers.
1136
00:56:16,998 --> 00:56:19,000
[music fades]
1137
00:56:19,918 --> 00:56:23,087
Mr. Whitsitt didn't get Portland.
He didn't get it,
1138
00:56:23,088 --> 00:56:24,963
the whole idea of community
1139
00:56:24,964 --> 00:56:27,049
and what we want out of the team.
1140
00:56:27,050 --> 00:56:30,636
You can't have a moniker with a bad team,
1141
00:56:30,637 --> 00:56:33,430
a lousy team, a non-playoff team.
1142
00:56:33,431 --> 00:56:36,558
You gotta have a team that's really good,
1143
00:56:36,559 --> 00:56:40,229
has some personality, has some excitement.
1144
00:56:40,230 --> 00:56:44,066
I think the majority of Portland would
rather have a team that's not winning
1145
00:56:44,067 --> 00:56:46,110
and have a bunch of people
that we can support.
1146
00:56:46,111 --> 00:56:50,864
By far, the biggest regret
I have for my time in Portland
1147
00:56:50,865 --> 00:56:54,576
is that we didn't get to hang
the championship banner for our fans.
1148
00:56:54,577 --> 00:56:55,786
That's what haunts me.
1149
00:56:55,787 --> 00:56:57,789
[dynamic instrumental music builds]
1150
00:57:01,084 --> 00:57:04,045
[Damon] The Blazers was
moving into a different phase.
1151
00:57:05,171 --> 00:57:09,341
You know, Paul, he had for the most part
turned into an absentee owner.
1152
00:57:09,342 --> 00:57:12,720
Then they got rid of Whitsitt,
and put John Nash in there.
1153
00:57:13,304 --> 00:57:15,390
[reporter] A new era begins today.
1154
00:57:16,141 --> 00:57:20,352
New GM John Nash met with the press
at the team's practice facility.
1155
00:57:20,353 --> 00:57:24,189
{\an8}For right now, what you see
is what you get, and, um…
1156
00:57:24,190 --> 00:57:26,192
{\an8}we're kinda pleased with where we stand.
1157
00:57:26,776 --> 00:57:28,444
[Bonzi] We were in training camp.
1158
00:57:28,445 --> 00:57:31,196
Sheed walked in,
and he was just waving bye to everybody.
1159
00:57:31,197 --> 00:57:34,867
"Bye! Bonzi, start saying bye! Dame."
Like, what you talking about, Sheed?
1160
00:57:34,868 --> 00:57:38,037
I said, "You see that motherfucker
right there standing next to Mo?"
1161
00:57:38,621 --> 00:57:40,831
That motherfucker's about to trade me.
1162
00:57:40,832 --> 00:57:44,543
- They're like, "What you talking about?"
- He was Sheed's general manager in D.C.
1163
00:57:44,544 --> 00:57:47,337
[Rasheed] "He'll trade me
before he trade one of y'all."
1164
00:57:47,338 --> 00:57:50,048
Started giving everybody some dap,
the little bro hug.
1165
00:57:50,049 --> 00:57:52,801
I'm like, "Yo, I'm out of this, bitch.
I'm gone."
1166
00:57:52,802 --> 00:57:54,846
[quick string music rises]
1167
00:57:55,930 --> 00:57:57,098
And what happened?
1168
00:57:57,849 --> 00:58:00,226
John Nash traded my ass up out of there.
1169
00:58:03,271 --> 00:58:07,483
{\an8}We recognized that at some point in time
that the Portland Trail Blazers
1170
00:58:07,484 --> 00:58:09,903
{\an8}and Rasheed Wallace were
gonna have to part ways.
1171
00:58:11,029 --> 00:58:12,614
Yeah, that's all she wrote.
1172
00:58:16,367 --> 00:58:18,827
[Bonzi] Next thing you know,
I'm at the crib.
1173
00:58:18,828 --> 00:58:20,245
[hums SportsCenter jingle]
1174
00:58:20,246 --> 00:58:24,500
"Bonzi Wells, guard forward,
traded to Memphis Grizzlies."
1175
00:58:24,501 --> 00:58:26,877
They didn't give me
the courtesy to call me.
1176
00:58:26,878 --> 00:58:29,839
They didn't say nothing to me.
I found out on SportsCenter.
1177
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:37,679
[reporter] Memphis' Bonzi Wells is making
his first return to Portland tonight.
1178
00:58:37,680 --> 00:58:40,349
- How do you feel about coming back, Bonz?
- Good.
1179
00:58:40,350 --> 00:58:43,393
- What you expect from the crowd tonight?
- I don't.
1180
00:58:43,394 --> 00:58:46,146
I never left home in my life
until I went to Portland, Oregon.
1181
00:58:46,147 --> 00:58:48,232
That's 2,500 miles away from Indiana.
1182
00:58:48,233 --> 00:58:51,610
I turned into a man out there,
and then they gave up on me,
1183
00:58:51,611 --> 00:58:53,987
and… and that hurt me more than anything.
1184
00:58:53,988 --> 00:58:55,990
[music fades]
1185
00:58:56,658 --> 00:58:58,910
[Damon] The Last of the Mohicans, man.
1186
00:58:59,827 --> 00:59:02,080
We had a totally different group of guys.
1187
00:59:03,623 --> 00:59:06,708
You know, I finished out the year,
and I made the best of it.
1188
00:59:06,709 --> 00:59:11,256
It was fun, 'cause I got a chance to help
the young guys and shit like that, but…
1189
00:59:13,007 --> 00:59:15,092
like I said, man, I was checked out.
1190
00:59:15,093 --> 00:59:20,138
[announcer] Damon Stoudamire!
1191
00:59:20,139 --> 00:59:22,141
[slow sentimental music rises]
1192
00:59:23,142 --> 00:59:26,270
Sometimes, parting ways is the best…
1193
00:59:26,271 --> 00:59:27,272
It's just time.
1194
00:59:28,731 --> 00:59:33,360
In that last game, it was just like…
a tear come to my eye, 'cause I'm like,
1195
00:59:33,361 --> 00:59:35,113
"These people tried to break me."
1196
00:59:41,286 --> 00:59:43,328
I won't say I was ready
to get it over with,
1197
00:59:43,329 --> 00:59:45,248
but I was ready to close that chapter.
1198
00:59:45,957 --> 00:59:47,959
[bright uplifting music builds]
1199
00:59:49,669 --> 00:59:51,295
[Rasheed] New, fresh start.
1200
00:59:51,296 --> 00:59:54,381
Was excited. Detroit had a good team.
1201
00:59:54,382 --> 00:59:58,719
I was like, "Shit, we could probably be
good contenders in about a year or two,
1202
00:59:58,720 --> 01:00:00,429
once we really get to know."
1203
01:00:00,430 --> 01:00:01,556
Little did I know.
1204
01:00:03,308 --> 01:00:04,726
{\an8}Detroit Pistons…
1205
01:00:05,643 --> 01:00:08,229
{\an8}have just shocked the Los Angeles Lakers.
1206
01:00:11,608 --> 01:00:13,359
[Damon] He was meant to be there.
1207
01:00:14,027 --> 01:00:15,569
I was happy for him.
1208
01:00:15,570 --> 01:00:18,531
At least one of us got to,
you know, get that feeling.
1209
01:00:19,824 --> 01:00:21,450
[Rasheed] It was joyous.
1210
01:00:21,451 --> 01:00:25,162
It's what I came into the NBA to do,
is to win a championship.
1211
01:00:25,163 --> 01:00:29,042
And I think for me, it made it sweet,
because we beat the Lakers.
1212
01:00:29,667 --> 01:00:31,335
[announcer] And for the Lakers,
1213
01:00:31,336 --> 01:00:34,338
it truly will be the end
of a particular era.
1214
01:00:34,339 --> 01:00:36,381
They've had the three championships…
1215
01:00:36,382 --> 01:00:38,550
[Bonzi] I was jealous.
You know, being honest.
1216
01:00:38,551 --> 01:00:42,095
I'll keep it real. But I was happy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for him,
1217
01:00:42,096 --> 01:00:44,766
but when I saw him smiling
with teammates that wasn't me…
1218
01:00:46,017 --> 01:00:48,268
I felt like we should have
done that with him.
1219
01:00:48,269 --> 01:00:50,187
[announcer] Rasheed Wallace!
1220
01:00:50,188 --> 01:00:52,106
[crowd cheering]
1221
01:00:53,274 --> 01:00:59,197
[announcer] He put a little more swagger
into an already very confident team.
1222
01:01:03,159 --> 01:01:05,662
When I went back to Portland
after we won it,
1223
01:01:06,245 --> 01:01:08,246
I knew I was gonna get booed…
1224
01:01:08,247 --> 01:01:11,875
[laughing] …but I didn't think
I was gonna get booed like that.
1225
01:01:11,876 --> 01:01:13,502
I was like, "Damn."
1226
01:01:13,503 --> 01:01:15,629
And everybody on the Pistons,
we cracking up.
1227
01:01:15,630 --> 01:01:18,674
They like, "Man, damn, Sheed,
they really hated you out here, huh?"
1228
01:01:18,675 --> 01:01:22,052
This and that… I was like, "Dog,
I'm telling y'all, y'all just don't know
1229
01:01:22,053 --> 01:01:23,929
what I've been going through out here."
1230
01:01:23,930 --> 01:01:25,514
[soft instrumental continues]
1231
01:01:25,515 --> 01:01:28,600
[Canzano] This sociology
experiment did not work.
1232
01:01:28,601 --> 01:01:32,646
The message was, "We're going
back to our roots. We're pivoting."
1233
01:01:32,647 --> 01:01:34,648
"Character matters all of a sudden."
1234
01:01:34,649 --> 01:01:36,900
This is really about reclaiming the brand,
1235
01:01:36,901 --> 01:01:41,738
uh, and the Trail Blazers for Portland
and the great fans of this community.
1236
01:01:41,739 --> 01:01:44,324
[Arnold] You go from
Trail Blazers to Jail Blazers.
1237
01:01:44,325 --> 01:01:47,536
That moniker was very catchy.
1238
01:01:47,537 --> 01:01:52,041
But Damon, Bonzi, and Rasheed,
1239
01:01:52,792 --> 01:01:54,376
they didn't go to jail.
1240
01:01:54,377 --> 01:01:59,047
And most of these things, they were…
fined or released or there was no charges.
1241
01:01:59,048 --> 01:02:01,341
Basically, to me,
it came down to conformity.
1242
01:02:01,342 --> 01:02:02,676
[music intensifies]
1243
01:02:02,677 --> 01:02:05,722
Why aren't they doing
what we want them to do?
1244
01:02:06,889 --> 01:02:09,015
Now, if they had won a championship,
1245
01:02:09,016 --> 01:02:15,105
maybe the fans would say, "Well,
we'll hold our nose and clap for them,
1246
01:02:15,106 --> 01:02:18,150
but we can't forget
all the things that they did."
1247
01:02:18,151 --> 01:02:19,526
But they didn't win it.
1248
01:02:19,527 --> 01:02:20,778
So that's why
1249
01:02:21,612 --> 01:02:24,489
none of them have come back
to the Rose Garden.
1250
01:02:24,490 --> 01:02:26,575
[music fades]
1251
01:02:26,576 --> 01:02:30,078
[director] Do you think they'll ever get
to a point where they'll invite them back?
1252
01:02:30,079 --> 01:02:31,913
- [Arnold] Nope.
- [director] Why?
1253
01:02:31,914 --> 01:02:34,708
They'd rather forget that era altogether.
1254
01:02:34,709 --> 01:02:36,711
[slow sentimental music playing]
1255
01:02:41,340 --> 01:02:43,759
[host 1] Good morning.
Happy Tuesday, everybody. Hello.
1256
01:02:43,760 --> 01:02:46,303
- [host 2] We had big breaking Blazer news.
- [host 1] What is it?
1257
01:02:46,304 --> 01:02:49,556
[host 2] The Blazers have announced
a Rip City reunion
1258
01:02:49,557 --> 01:02:55,020
with members of the 1999-2000
Portland Trail Blazers.
1259
01:02:55,021 --> 01:02:57,105
[host 1] Dude, that team
could've won a title.
1260
01:02:57,106 --> 01:02:59,107
[host 2] The last time
a Blazer team made me cry…
1261
01:02:59,108 --> 01:03:01,068
[Bonzi] This place looks
so different to me now.
1262
01:03:02,195 --> 01:03:05,363
It used to look like home to me.
Now it looks like I'm such a visitor here.
1263
01:03:05,364 --> 01:03:08,950
I used to know these streets front,
back, side to side. Knew where to go.
1264
01:03:08,951 --> 01:03:10,203
I knew where to eat.
1265
01:03:12,079 --> 01:03:15,208
Now it's just like,
"Man, this looks so weird to me."
1266
01:03:16,042 --> 01:03:19,377
[host 1] Are we cool with Bonzi?
Is there water under that bridge?
1267
01:03:19,378 --> 01:03:21,797
[host 2] We hated him at the end
when he was a Blazer.
1268
01:03:21,798 --> 01:03:24,633
- [host 1] Yeah, he flipped us off.
- [host 2] Yeah. It didn't end well.
1269
01:03:24,634 --> 01:03:26,969
[host 1] It didn't really end well
for any of them.
1270
01:03:31,057 --> 01:03:33,225
{\an8}[Rasheed] To the people
who didn't support me
1271
01:03:33,226 --> 01:03:34,685
and wanted me gone…
1272
01:03:35,311 --> 01:03:36,645
Fuck 'em.
1273
01:03:36,646 --> 01:03:37,813
I left.
1274
01:03:37,814 --> 01:03:39,940
Yeah, and you're still mad.
1275
01:03:39,941 --> 01:03:41,566
You know, I'm not mad.
1276
01:03:41,567 --> 01:03:43,026
You're still mad.
1277
01:03:43,027 --> 01:03:45,279
So… sleep on that one.
1278
01:03:46,823 --> 01:03:49,366
- [Damon exclaims]
- Hey, my boy. What's up, family?
1279
01:03:49,367 --> 01:03:51,118
- Chillin'. Chillin'.
- Man, we back.
1280
01:03:51,702 --> 01:03:55,038
- What's up? What you up here doing?
- Aw, man. Just getting my mind right.
1281
01:03:55,039 --> 01:03:56,039
I'm getting ready.
1282
01:03:56,040 --> 01:03:58,417
Here I am, man. Coaching college.
1283
01:03:59,252 --> 01:04:01,963
Coaching kids, on the highest level.
1284
01:04:05,258 --> 01:04:07,051
I've been through some shit.
1285
01:04:07,802 --> 01:04:11,096
And so it makes it a lot easier for them
to understand me
1286
01:04:11,097 --> 01:04:14,057
because it's not cookie cutter for me,
you know?
1287
01:04:14,058 --> 01:04:15,934
Because I wasn't perfect.
1288
01:04:15,935 --> 01:04:18,478
And as I tell them,
"I wasn't perfect. Just Google me."
1289
01:04:18,479 --> 01:04:20,231
"I wasn't perfect. You can Google me."
1290
01:04:21,107 --> 01:04:24,318
I don't know, man. I'm getting older.
I get all nostalgic.
1291
01:04:24,902 --> 01:04:26,695
I be thinking back to a lot of stuff,
1292
01:04:26,696 --> 01:04:30,699
and it's going to be interesting to see
how them people receive us over there
1293
01:04:30,700 --> 01:04:31,659
at the arena tonight.
1294
01:04:33,619 --> 01:04:36,621
I'm excited, but I hope
that we're received the right way.
1295
01:04:36,622 --> 01:04:39,500
That's my biggest thing.
I hope we're received the right way.
1296
01:04:49,385 --> 01:04:52,554
Fans, it's a Rip City Reunion
here at the Moda tonight,
1297
01:04:52,555 --> 01:04:56,850
as we celebrate
the 1999-2000 Trail Blazers team.
1298
01:04:56,851 --> 01:05:00,645
We're honored to have representatives from
the front office and team here tonight.
1299
01:05:00,646 --> 01:05:03,441
So let's reintroduce them to you now.
1300
01:05:04,734 --> 01:05:06,943
So, Bob Whitsitt.
1301
01:05:06,944 --> 01:05:10,072
I think most people in Portland
would consider him the black sheep.
1302
01:05:10,907 --> 01:05:12,991
I see Bob a little different.
1303
01:05:12,992 --> 01:05:16,912
He had an open checkbook and he did
what he thought he needed to do
1304
01:05:16,913 --> 01:05:18,622
to bring a championship.
1305
01:05:18,623 --> 01:05:21,042
General manager, Bob Whitsitt!
1306
01:05:23,794 --> 01:05:25,963
There's a human element to everybody.
1307
01:05:26,631 --> 01:05:30,592
I'll be honest,
I haven't shared this to you,
1308
01:05:30,593 --> 01:05:33,304
but I only did this for you.
1309
01:05:35,723 --> 01:05:39,936
And the reason I did it for you
is because you grew up here.
1310
01:05:40,811 --> 01:05:43,022
You learned a lot of your firsts here.
1311
01:05:44,315 --> 01:05:47,484
You know, I think that this…
this meant a lot to you.
1312
01:05:47,485 --> 01:05:50,780
Man, you almost got me in tears
over here, bro, because, you know,
1313
01:05:51,697 --> 01:05:53,990
that Sports Illustrated thing
killed my career.
1314
01:05:53,991 --> 01:05:56,952
It's been 20 years I've been
trying to change my narrative on it
1315
01:05:56,953 --> 01:05:58,245
one person at a time.
1316
01:05:59,121 --> 01:06:02,540
Bonzi was misunderstood
his whole time in Portland.
1317
01:06:02,541 --> 01:06:04,501
The man never got in trouble.
1318
01:06:04,502 --> 01:06:06,837
He got a couple quotes
that they hung onto.
1319
01:06:08,005 --> 01:06:10,799
For whatever reason, they lumped him in.
1320
01:06:10,800 --> 01:06:14,719
[announcer] Number 6, Bonzi Wells!
1321
01:06:14,720 --> 01:06:16,889
[crowd cheering and applauding]
1322
01:06:19,100 --> 01:06:22,477
[Bonzi] It's just almost like…
not closure, but it just makes you like,
1323
01:06:22,478 --> 01:06:24,312
"Okay. Let me let go and move forward."
1324
01:06:24,313 --> 01:06:27,649
"Let me let go of the past hurts
and all that stuff that we went through."
1325
01:06:27,650 --> 01:06:30,527
We didn't have the personalities
of the teams that came before us.
1326
01:06:30,528 --> 01:06:33,029
We had our own personalities
and our own identity.
1327
01:06:33,030 --> 01:06:35,490
And I think that made us
the group that we were.
1328
01:06:35,491 --> 01:06:37,450
[announcer] Number 3,
1329
01:06:37,451 --> 01:06:43,373
Damon Stoudamire!
1330
01:06:43,374 --> 01:06:46,167
[Damon] It wasn't easy
coaching this group back here.
1331
01:06:46,168 --> 01:06:47,293
[crowd laughs]
1332
01:06:47,294 --> 01:06:51,923
We had… We had a lot… We had a lot
of egos that we had to put to the side
1333
01:06:51,924 --> 01:06:53,800
to come together for one common goal.
1334
01:06:53,801 --> 01:06:56,553
And that was to ultimately
try to win a championship.
1335
01:06:56,554 --> 01:06:58,638
We did not succeed in that.
1336
01:06:58,639 --> 01:07:02,684
But some of the best years
that this franchise has had
1337
01:07:02,685 --> 01:07:05,061
was with this group
of gentlemen right here.
1338
01:07:05,062 --> 01:07:07,064
[cheering crowd fades out]
1339
01:07:12,111 --> 01:07:14,195
[sentimental music fades out]
1340
01:07:14,196 --> 01:07:17,199
{\an8}[bright instrumental music plays]
1341
01:08:28,771 --> 01:08:30,106
[music fades]