‘They just believed they could win’
From left, Buck Williams, Rick Adelman, Terry Porter, John Wetzel on celebration night at Moda Center for the 1990 and ’92 Trail Blazer teams (courtesy Kathy Adelman Naro)
Reunions are generally fun events. Reunions of great athletic teams can be exponentially so.
The Trail Blazers’ celebration of their 1990 and ’92 teams that reached the NBA Finals, culminating with an appearance during Portland’s 128-109 victory over Denver Friday night at Moda Center, was well-received by the participants.
“It was really nice of the organization to do this,” said Rick Adelman, the head coach of the extraordinary Blazer teams of the early ‘90s. “I haven’t seen a lot of these guys in a long time. It brings back a lot of memories. I really appreciate it. Nice they would do it the night my son is here, too.”
Rick Adelman and son David, lead assistant for the Denver Nuggets (courtesy Kathy Adelman Naro)
That is David Adelman, lead assistant for the Nuggets, who was knee-high to a grasshopper as a youngster watching the likes of Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and friends playing for the Blazers. And yes, David’s presence probably played a part in the Blazers’ decision to toast his father’s team on this weekend.
Adelman and lead assistant John Wetzel were on hand, along with players Porter, Buck Williams, Robert Pack, Ennis Whatley and Byron Irvin. Also attending were general manager Bucky Buckwalter and relatives of players Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth, Cliff Robinson, Wayne Cooper and Drazen Petrovic, all deceased. (Walter Davis, who played part of the 1992 season with Portland, has also died.)
The other surviving members of the teams from 1989-92 — Drexler, Danny Ainge, Mark Bryant, Alaa Abdelnaby and Danny Young — did not attend.
The Blazers went to some expense for the event, flying in a number of those present and significant others and putting everyone up in the Ritz Carlton. (Porter has moved to Naples, Fla., though he has “a living space” in Portland and continues in his role as the Blazers’ ambassador. The only player now living in the area is Whatley, who lives in Oregon City).
“It is great that they are recognizing our teams,” said Williams, who came from his home in Potomac, Md. “There is a lot of history there. I am excited to be back in Portland. My son was born here. We won a lot of games. Good to see some of my old friends.”
There was a team-sponsored dinner Thursday night at Portland City Grill, and the participants watched Friday’s game from the comforts of a suite and were introduced courtside at halftime.
“It was really nice,” Porter said. “It was good to reconnect with everybody, talk about old times, tell some fun stories.”
“They gave us a lot of swag, too,” Buckwalter said. Everyone got golf caps and Blazer jackets, among other items.
The party continued after Friday’s game in the Ritz Carlton bar.
“The guys genuinely liked each other during their playing days,” Wetzel said, “and that is still the case. We sat and had a glass of wine together, and Buck and Terry were joshing back and forth. There was great respect among everybody in our group.”
It is a shame that Kersey, Duckworth, Robinson, Cooper and Petrovic couldn’t have been there to enjoy it. Another who missed the celebration was Geoff Petrie, who took over for Buckwalter as GM after the 1989-90 season.
“I think I have made it to all of the other celebrations the Blazers have put on through the years,” said Petrie, who turns 77 next month, is retired and living in Loomis, Calif. “I applaud them for continuing to acknowledge legacy moments for teams over 55 years of history. My greatest memories both as a player and executive came while I was in Portland. I will always be a Blazer.”
Petrie lamented the players who are gone.
“And so many other people I worked with and was close to — Harry Glickman, Berlyn Hodges, Bill Schonely — have passed on,” Petrie said “I miss those people. It’s all about the people and the memories.”
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The genesis of those Blazer teams began with the expertise of Buckwalter and Stu Inman — who preceded Bucky as the Blazers’ GM — in the draft. In 1983, they selected Drexler with the 14th pick. The next season, they swung and missed when they took Sam Bowie at No. 2 — ahead of Michael Jordan — but they plucked Kersey in the second round with the 46th selection. In 1985 came Porter, another great pick at No. 24 in the first round.
In 1986, Buckwalter used his international connections to take Arvydas Sabonis with the 24th pick in the first round and Drazen Petrovic in the third round. Petro would arrive as a rookie for the 1989-90 season; Sabonis didn’t make it to Portland until 1995-96.
The Blazers made another shrewd trade in December 1986 when they sent little-used forward Walter Berry to San Antonio for center Kevin Duckworth. Duck would become a two-time All-Star and was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1987-88.
With Drexler, Porter, Kersey and Duckworth leading the way, the 1987-88 Blazers had an excellent regular season, going 53-29. But they lost 3-1 in the first-round of the playoffs to Utah. And midway through the 1988-89 campaign, with the Blazers at 25-22, coach Mike Schuler was fired, and assistant Adelman was elevated to head coach on an interim basis.
The Blazers went only 14-21 the rest of the way and were swept 3-0 by the Lakers in the playoffs. But new owner Paul Allen, persuaded by Glickman and Buckwalter, saw enough in Adelman to give him a one-year contract and full-time status as head coach.
Adelman’s chances for success rose immediately when Buckwalter pulled off the deal that sent Bowie and a first-round pick to New Jersey for Williams, a three-time all-star and in his prime at the age of 29. Buckwalter fleeced Nets GM Harry Weltman; after they went 17-65 during the 1989-90 season, he resigned.
“It took several months to get that completed,” said Buckwalter, now 93, retired and living in Portland. “We needed an enforcer. Buck was the prime guy we wanted to get. I think it was a steal — one of the better trades we ever made.”
The 6-8, 215-pound Williams was small for a power forward, but he was a perfect fit for the 1989-90 Blazers.
“We had built a bond during the Schuler years, and then it really took off when we got Buck,” Porter said. “Buck was the last piece that solidified that starting group.”
Said Williams: “They had a lot of talent. Bucky and Harry Glickman did a great job putting together that team. I was the only ingredient that was missing.”
“Buck anchored our defense,” Buckwalter said. “We had somebody to defend (opponents’) big people. He was a great rebounder and a team leader, a no-nonsense guy. Buck became the voice of the locker room. He was all business. Everybody was doing the job the way Buck told them to do it.”
Said Porter: “We needed someone to guard Karl Malone and all the good power forwards in the West. We struggled to match up with those guys. Buck brought a toughness and commitment and work ethic that fit the rest of the group.”
It wasn’t just Malone. It was Tom Chambers and James Worthy and Shawn Kemp and Terry Cummings and Otis Thorpe and, later, Charles Barkley in the West. Williams took on all of them with gusto, earning first team NBA All-Defense in 1989-90 and ’90-91 and second team in 1991-92.
“Buck could defend the heck out of people and rebound like crazy, and he brought the intangibles,” Wetzel said. “Clyde respected Buck. He saw what we could be with him, and he got with the program.”
Williams, incidentally, will find out late this month whether he will join Adelman in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “I am cautiously optimistic,” Buck said with a smile.
The 1989-90 team also had Robinson, a versatile 6-10 string bean who expected to go in the first round but fell to No. 37 in the second round. He served as the Blazers sixth man as a rookie and would be the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1992-93. Robinson would go on to an 18-year NBA career.
“Getting drafted in the second round helped make Cliff a heck of player,” Wetzel said. “He had a chip on his shoulder. He was upset, and rightly so.
“In his mind, he was going to be the starting small forward as a rookie. Jerome was having none of it. Jerome worked his tail off in practice every day. That competition made Cliff a better player. He had to fight Jerome for everything. And he turned out to be an integral part of our team.”
Kersey was beginning his prime years, and Porter — who would be a two-time All-Star — was, too. Then there was Drexler, who had averaged more than 27 points the previous two seasons and was becoming a perennial All-Star. He teamed with Porter to give the Blazers the NBA’s best backcourt for three straight seasons.
“Clyde was a unique player,” Porter said. “I had never played with anybody with his talent. He made me better. I had to learn to shoot the 3-ball. That helped me tremendously. He was such a great rebounder that he became a one-man fast break.
“This is where Rick played a huge factor. We talked about it during our first offseason (with Adelman as head coach). He said, ‘You have to figure out a skill set that is going to complement Clyde when he gets the rebound and takes off. You have to figure out how to spot up and knock down a 3.’ That was a key to our backcourt success — his ability to rebound and my ability to run out. Countless times he took off and I filled in behind. He knew where I was and found me, and I knocked down a 3 in transition when the defense was collapsed. Clyde loved going to his right, so I had to be on the right side.”
Said Wetzel: “Clyde was a terrific athlete. From elbow to the hands, he was stronger than any player I was ever around. If he got his hands on the ball, he had it. Big, strong hands. If he got into the open court, don’t get in front of him.”
Drexler had clashed some with his first Blazer coach, Jack Ramsay, and a lot with Schuler.
“Rick learned from his time with Schuler how to manage players — seeing what worked for Mike and what didn’t, what got Mike pushback and what players embraced,” Porter said. “It was a huge factor in Rick having success managing Clyde. There were days when he would give Clyde most of practice off, but he would say, ‘We need you for 30 minutes here, working 5-on-5 execution.’ Clyde respected Rick, and it worked.”
Said Wetzel: “Clyde’s practice habits were OK, but after we got Buck, they got better. We didn’t practice extremely long, but Rick would say, ‘I have to have you guys ready for the game.’ The players appreciated that. Rick would talk to Clyde and say, ‘We need you for 30.’ ”
It wasn’t just Drexler.
“Rick was a former player, so he understood when to push guys in practice,” Porter said. “He knew he had guys who would play hard and would be competitive. When they took the court they would be committed to doing anything they could to win. In return, he thought about what was best for the players to keep them sharp but also give them rest when they needed it. He knew how to manage guys individually and collectively.”
Williams, who played 17 years in the NBA, considers Adelman his favorite coach.
“Rick was the greatest,” Buck said. “A players coach. One of the greatest offensive minds ever. Had a good demeanor and did well in dealing with players. He was incredible to play for. I love Rick.”
Wetzel, now 80, would coach 14 years with Adelman — six in Portland, two at Golden State and six in Sacramento.
“Rick understood the mentality of being a player,” Wetzel said. “He made a statement one time: ‘I want to coach my team like I wanted to be coached.’ Some ex-players go into coaching and they turn into a hard-ass. That wasn’t Rick. He coached to his personality. He didn’t do anything he wasn’t comfortable with.
“The main thing I liked, he let the players have the credit. I never saw anything in print where he bad-mouthed one of his players. If we won, he gave them credit. If we lost, he didn’t call out individuals.”
Those three seasons under Adelman, the Blazers were among the best teams in the league at both ends of the court.
“Those were great teams defensively,” Buckwalter said. “We were good in the open court because we were so aggressive and unpredictable defensively. Particularly Jerome, who was all over the place. You never knew what he was going to do. We were hard to prepare for. And our open-court game, when Clyde and Jerome and Terry got out in transition, was about as good as any of the Lakers’ Showtime teams were.”
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The 1989-90 Blazers caught the league by surprise, jumping out quickly and never letting up. They went 21-5 over their final 26 games to finish 59-23, including 35-6 at Memorial Coliseum. It was the second-best record in the West behind the Lakers’ 63-19. The Lakers, however, were upset by Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals.
Portland, meanwhile, swept Dallas 3-0 in the first round, won a scintillating seven-game series with the high-flying San Antonio Spurs and then knocked off the Suns in six games in the West finals to advance to their first NBA Finals since the 1977 season.
The Finals matchup with the defending champion Detroit Pistons — the “Bad Boys” — was disappointing. The Blazers had great chances to win the opener and Game 5, leading in the fourth quarter in both games. After winning Game 2 in Detroit, the Blazers had the next three games at home. “We’re not coming back to Detroit” was the cry, and they were right. The Pistons swept the final three, coming from behind to steal Game 5 92-90 to end the series.
In the offseason, the Blazers traded for Ainge, sending Byron Irvin, a first- and second-round pick and cash to Sacramento. Ainge immediately fit in as part of a three-guard rotation, playing both point and shooting guard behind Drexler and Porter.
“Danny made a difference for us,” Wetzel said. “At the beginning of the season, in particular, he was terrific. He had a competitive nature. It was great having him. He did all the things we needed.”
Ainge’s presence meant there was little playing time available for Petrovic, who asked for a trade. Against Adelman’s better judgment he was sent to New Jersey in a three-team trade that brought the veteran Davis to Portland. Davis, 36, had averaged 18.7 points in 39 games for Denver but never fit in with the Blazers.
“I regret that we did that because Drazen ended up being an All-Star with the Nets,” Adelman said. “We had so many guys (in the backcourt), there was no place to play him.”
Portland started the 1990-91 regular season 19-1, finished it on a 16-1 tear and ended up with an NBA-best record of 63-19 — 36-5 at home. The Blazers were second in the league in offensive rating and third in defensive rating.
The Blazers got by Seattle in a tough five-game first-round series, then disposed of Utah 4-1 in the West semifinals. In the West finals, the Lakers stole the opener at Memorial Coliseum and won the series in six games. “The damn Lakers,” Wetzel said, shaking his head.
Portland nearly forced a Game 7. Trailing 90-89 in Game 6, Robinson forced a steal and the Blazers went out on a four-on-one break with a chance to go ahead inside the final minute. But Kersey’s pass was dropped by Robinson at the basket, and the ball skirted out of bounds. Moments later, Portland had a final opportunity after Kersey blocked a Vlade Divac shot and the Blazers rebounded with 12 seconds left, down 91-90. Porter got an open jumper but it bounced off the back rim, and the Lakers were on to meet Chicago in the NBA Finals.
“We all talk about that as the year we should have won it,” Porter said. “If we could replay anything, it would be that series against the Lakers. In the summertime before the season, everybody was committed to getting back to the Finals and winning a championship. We got off to a great start. We thought no one was going to deny us. That was an amazing journey we took that year, until we got (to the West finals).”
Said Adelman: “We had a great season. It just happens sometimes. You have to be very good, and you have to be very lucky. We were unlucky in that Laker series.”
In 1991-92, the Blazers added only rookie Robert Pack, an undrafted 6-2 guard out of Southern Cal. He beat out Davis for a roster spot and won a rotation spot as the team’s fourth guard.
“I don’t think I could have gone to a better team, a team projected to go to the Finals, a team full of veterans,” Pack said. “I worked hard to be able to play for a coach like Rick, who understood my game and allowed me to play and show what I could do. And I had a lot of veterans take me under their wings and show me the way.
“Clyde helped set me up with my first bank account, my first apartment, took me around the city. Terry would talk to me, tell me things about the league as a point guard. They were definitely guys who were pivotal. So was Jerome, who was like a big brother. Buck was great, too. Cliff had been in the league a couple of years, but was still a young guy. They all really had their hands on me that year.
“It was a perfect situation for me, to see what it took to go from training camp and get to the finals my first year. It set the tone for the rest of my career. “
Pack played only one season in Portland. The Blazers signed free agent Rod Strickland and sent Robert packing to Denver for a second-round pick. He would go on to a solid 13-year NBA career, but appreciates Portland as one of the best places in which he had the chance to play.
“The fans were amazing that season,” Pack said. “They appreciated my game and the way I played from the jump, welcomed me with open arms. Everywhere you went in town, people were speaking to you and friendly and letting you know they were supporting you.”
Drexler had the greatest season of his career, finishing runner-up to Jordan for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award and securing his spot on the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team.” Portland finished the regular season 57-25, including 33-8 at the MC. The players beat the Lakers 3-1 in first round; the Suns 4-1 in the West semis and the Jazz 4-2 in West finals.
That set up a showdown with the defending champion Bulls. In the opener, Jordan bombed in six 3-pointers and 35 points in the first half of Chicago’s 122-89 rout of Portland.
“Clyde was an absolute superstar that year,” Wetzel said. “They were comparing him and Jordan. But when Jordan went off like that (in the opener), it deflated not only Clyde, but the whole team.”
Portland won Game 2 115-104 in overtime in Chicago Stadium, however, with Drexler contributing 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds before fouling out and Ainge coming up big in the extra session. The Blazers evened the series at 2-2 in Portland, but lost Game 5 to return to Chicago trailing 3-2. In Game 6, the Blazers led by 15 points heading into the final period. Coach Phil Jackson took all of his starters but Scottie Pippen out for a rest, and the Bulls reserve led a comeback that resulted in a 97-93 Chicago win to end the series.
“I thought we were ready to win that series, but they had Jordan and it wasn’t to be,” Wetzel said. “Chicago was such a great defensive team. They could consciously make a decision coming out of a timeout to shut you down. The next three or four minutes, you might not score a basket and if the game is tied, they’re up eight or 10. With Horace Grant, Pippen and Jordan out there — whew.”
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Adelman, now 78, would go on to win 1,042 games in his 23 years as an NBA head coach en route to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
“My first three years, we got to the Finals twice,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is easy stuff.’ I never got there again.”
In 1992-93, the Blazers went 51-31 in what was an injury-riddled campaign for Drexler. They lost in four games to San Antonio in the playoffs. The next season, they fell to 47-35 and lost in four games to Houston. Petrie, seeing the handwriting on the wall, resigned as GM and, a few days later, Adelman was fired. It was the end of an era.
Over a three-year span from 1989-92, the Blazers averaged nearly 60 wins a regular season and won eight playoff series.
“We went on stretches where we dominated opponents,” Porter said “We played with an edge and a chippiness, had some toughness, and loved to compete. Collectively, it worked. The group played with grit and energy. There was always a commitment to each other. It was a three-year run for the ages.”
“I have fond memories of those years,” Adelman said. “The players, they all did so much. They just believed they could win.”
Those Blazers did — a lot. They didn’t win an NBA championship, but they won the hearts of their fans, who still remember them with reverence. Friday night provided a deserving salute.
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