Terry Porter...Honored

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^^ that’s the lone tear currently running down my cheek

also, this was one of the funniest moments of 2008 for me. action photograph skills FTW

Wouldn’t it be nice if Comcast broadcast Porter’s entire #30 retirement ceremony Tuesday instead of its usual waste-of-time half time show? The game Thursday is on TNT so we won’t get to see any of the Bob Gross #30 ceremony on TV.

I was at Portland City Grill for happy hour a few years ago when the Pistons were in town and I saw Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter enjoying a beer at a small table. I didn’t want to bother them but as a couple drinks entered my system so I had to go say something. I went up to two of my childhood idols and said “Thank you for the great years the two of yous were on the team. I miss the kind of players that were on those 90’s teams. I grew up watching you two and you are both idols of mine” Kersey said “You couldn’t have been that young watching us” as he put his hand on my shoulder with a huge smile on his face. Porter said “Thank you, those were some great years weren’t they?” I was dumbfounded by how kind they were to me. I mean I thought I was nothing more than a bother.

We continued to have a brief conversation for maybe 4 or 5 minutes but never once did I feel like I was bothering them. I might have been, but they never made me feel that way. Kersey and Porter both continued to converse with me asking me questions like “how old were you when you saw us play?” and what not. Total class, and this was during some rough times as a blazer fan. I ended the conversation saying “I hope we get some players that are as classy as the teams I grew up watching.” They both just smiled and said “thank you.”

Terry Porter and the rest of those early 90’s teams were not only great, they represented our city so well. I am very excited to see his jersey rise into the rafters tomorrow night.

This probably isn’t my fondest memory of Porter, I’d have to take many of his tough steely game changing, winning moments, which are hard to pick because with Porter it was just the way he played. Truth is we dominated the N.B.A for a time with a backcourt of Porter and Drexler. Porter was a great player in his own right and I always thought the perfect PG to put next to Drexler.

It makes me feel old, but I remember as a kid going to a free “rookie” game with my Dad. Porter was our rookie. At the time we had drafted Porter and also had Valentine and Steve Coulter so there was some “Who’s our PG controversy” and debate in the air. I have to say what I remember was watching the rookie game and NOT being that impressed with Porter….hey I was a kid and I remember actually being a Steve Coulter fan at the time. However my Dad was far more farsighted, I also remember him telling me he thought Porter was great, that we had gotten a real steal in the draft. Well Porters career was surely illustrative of my Dad’s basketball IQ and as The Blazers grew, and I grew older I was never so happy to have been totally wrong about my first impression. In my opinion there were 3 players that really gave that 90’s team a “don’t mess with us” attitude, Porter, Buck and Kersey. It’s not a coincidence that today those are 3 of my favorite Blazer of yesterday. Congratulations Terry, you deserve it, my Dad told me so.

it was always Porter, not Clyde who I wanted to have the ball at crunch time. He would always try to drive and if fouled you knew the free throws would be good. Or if the inside was plugged up, he would shoot his 3 ball that was so dependable late in games If Clyde had the ball, I’d just hold my breath. The only move he had to get to the rim in a half court set was a spin move. He’d more likely cast off from deep and too often I remember the ball clanging off the front of rim. Fortunately, the ball was usually put in Terry’s hands during those last crucial seconds.

Incidentally, that’s one of the reasons why I assess BRoy to be a much better player than Clyde. Drexler was outstanding on the break, but IMO, that is the about the only area where he was better.

Even though most people in the early 90’s were saying Clyde Drexler was their favorite Blazer, I always said Porter was my favorite. He had a quality about him which I felt was even more endearing than Clyde. Also, when I first became a Blazer fan, it was durring their 10 game winning streak. Porter was instrumental in making that streak happen, and he became my favorite.

Was when he was the coach of the Blazers and he sang the national anthem with that young girl prior to the game against the Dallas Mavericks. Terry Porter really showed some class that day.

Terry Porter is a great example of what a true basketball player is: he is mentally and physically tough, a student of the game, an inspiration to teammates, and a fierce competitor. When he played for the Blazers, he made his teammates better with his smart and skillful play. He did not grandstand, badmouth, or hog the ball. I always thought the biggest mistake the Blazers made was to cast him off, and I’m glad the organization is duly honoring him.

TP- you made my life better and I thank you!

does the league really not let us retire terry porters number when he is in town. I have tickets for the suns game and was pumped for the porter stuff. Any explanation??