tlongII
10-30-2014, 09:06 AM
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2014/10/canzano_from_miami_murder_to_a.html#incart_2box
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/uncledavejpg-902cfbad7064afc2.jpg
Uncle Dave, Chris Kaman's uncle, pre-game at Moda Center.
This was Dave Clay's maiden voyage as a Trail Blazers fan, and so he fired up the pick-up truck in his driveway on Wednesday evening in Tigard and headed toward the Moda Center.
Portland opened the season against Oklahoma City, a 106-89 victory. Clay wore a Blazers baseball cap, and a team T-shirt. He brought his neighbors with him. And you should know, even as Clay has lived in Oregon for eight years, until a few months ago he was a Pistons fan, and a Clippers fan, and he's rooted for New Orleans, and the Mavericks and Lakers, too.
"I always told people, 'I'll be a Blazers fan when Chris plays for 'em,'" he said.
Meet "Uncle Dave," as Chris Kaman calls him.
---
Jacklyn Clay, Chris Kaman's grandmother, had seven children --- five of them girls. The oldest, Pam, is Chris' mother. Uncle Dave is No. 2. He said, "My mother raised us all by herself. Dad left after the youngest was born. Mom raised all seven of us."
There was always food, and clothes. And a warm house filled with close family. Uncle Dave remembers holidays, in particular.
"Dinner was always late," he said. "The women were in charge."
Uncle Dave stood near his seat in the 100-level before the tip-off of the season opener. "Chris gets these seats," he said. He also recalled that after Chris grew up a little, the youngster's favorite food became grandma's pickle wraps.
"That kid loved a slice of ham wrapped around cream cheese and a pickle."
There were family basketball games in the driveway when Chris was a kid. The Clay family called the physically bruising basketball contests, "Miami Murder." Uncle Dave didn't explain why, initially. He just said so and looked around letting it soak in like everyone should understand.
"You know," he continued, "unless you were bleeding the foul didn't count."
Who did Chris root for growing up?
"He loved the Bulls and always wanted to be Michael Jordan," Uncle Dave reports. "It's probably why he developed his skills even as a big guy. You know, though, I wouldn't let him come in our house with a Chicago T-shirt on. I'd make him take it off.
"We were Pistons fans in our house."
---
Grandma Jacklyn died in 2012. Brain cancer. When you tell Uncle Dave that she must have done something right, raising seven successful children, pulling her family close together, and making them feel as if there was always enough, he smiles.
"She kept us close."
Uncle Dave is looking for work now. He came to Portland all those years ago for a job in building and construction. Work dried up last year. It just happened that this summer Blazers GM Neil Olshey decided to send some family his way by signing his 32-year old nephew to a $9.8-million, two-year contract (with $1 million guaranteed in the second year).
The Blazers didn't know it, but they got Uncle Dave in the transaction, too.
"Do you watch 'Exploring Kaman'?" Uncle Dave blurts, talking about the reality television show featured around Chris' life. "It's really good. You should."
Also, Uncle Dave reports that Chris' wife, Emily, is pregnant. A boy, due Dec. 18. "You know what they're going to name him?" he asks.
"Barrett --- like the gun manufacturer. At least that's what Chris says."
Uncle Dave likes this.
---
Kaman played 13 minutes in the first half of the season opener. He made 4 of 7 shots, scored eight points, had a couple of nice passes and had three rebounds. Nobody on either team shed blood, like those "Miami Murder" games in the driveway. Uncle Dave stood in front of his seat at halftime, arms folded, looking up at the statistics on the giant board with approval.
"Chris got me this T-shirt," he said earlier.
Nobody can be sure if the Blazers are going to duplicate their 2013-14 season. They won 54 regular-season games, beat the Rockets with that dramatic Game 6 game-winner from Damian Lillard, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. Down the way on Wednesday night, Kevin Durant of the Thunder scooted around with a boot on his fractured right foot. An NBA season can be that fragile.
Are the Blazers better than last season?
Are they deeper?
Are they more experienced?
Yes times three.
Kaman, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds, and fellow free-agent signee Steve Blake, who had five assists, are a part of that. But the West is better, and I'm not convinced the Blazers can duplicate the red-hot start to last NBA season that set the table for their finish. And if they don't, can they duplicate the playoff-series effort they had against the Rockets? It might very well be that this team is more talented, and deeper, and more experienced, but not able to get out of the first round.
Those are thoughts for another day. Because on opening night, everything was new again. The Blazers had a new design on the court. Olshey had a fresh haircut. And on the first night of the season the Trail Blazers had already added one more Blazers fan. This felt like a franchise victory already, no?
Uncle Dave happens to think the Blazers are going all the way.
He said: "It's either us or the Pistons."
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/29/uncledavejpg-902cfbad7064afc2.jpg
Uncle Dave, Chris Kaman's uncle, pre-game at Moda Center.
This was Dave Clay's maiden voyage as a Trail Blazers fan, and so he fired up the pick-up truck in his driveway on Wednesday evening in Tigard and headed toward the Moda Center.
Portland opened the season against Oklahoma City, a 106-89 victory. Clay wore a Blazers baseball cap, and a team T-shirt. He brought his neighbors with him. And you should know, even as Clay has lived in Oregon for eight years, until a few months ago he was a Pistons fan, and a Clippers fan, and he's rooted for New Orleans, and the Mavericks and Lakers, too.
"I always told people, 'I'll be a Blazers fan when Chris plays for 'em,'" he said.
Meet "Uncle Dave," as Chris Kaman calls him.
---
Jacklyn Clay, Chris Kaman's grandmother, had seven children --- five of them girls. The oldest, Pam, is Chris' mother. Uncle Dave is No. 2. He said, "My mother raised us all by herself. Dad left after the youngest was born. Mom raised all seven of us."
There was always food, and clothes. And a warm house filled with close family. Uncle Dave remembers holidays, in particular.
"Dinner was always late," he said. "The women were in charge."
Uncle Dave stood near his seat in the 100-level before the tip-off of the season opener. "Chris gets these seats," he said. He also recalled that after Chris grew up a little, the youngster's favorite food became grandma's pickle wraps.
"That kid loved a slice of ham wrapped around cream cheese and a pickle."
There were family basketball games in the driveway when Chris was a kid. The Clay family called the physically bruising basketball contests, "Miami Murder." Uncle Dave didn't explain why, initially. He just said so and looked around letting it soak in like everyone should understand.
"You know," he continued, "unless you were bleeding the foul didn't count."
Who did Chris root for growing up?
"He loved the Bulls and always wanted to be Michael Jordan," Uncle Dave reports. "It's probably why he developed his skills even as a big guy. You know, though, I wouldn't let him come in our house with a Chicago T-shirt on. I'd make him take it off.
"We were Pistons fans in our house."
---
Grandma Jacklyn died in 2012. Brain cancer. When you tell Uncle Dave that she must have done something right, raising seven successful children, pulling her family close together, and making them feel as if there was always enough, he smiles.
"She kept us close."
Uncle Dave is looking for work now. He came to Portland all those years ago for a job in building and construction. Work dried up last year. It just happened that this summer Blazers GM Neil Olshey decided to send some family his way by signing his 32-year old nephew to a $9.8-million, two-year contract (with $1 million guaranteed in the second year).
The Blazers didn't know it, but they got Uncle Dave in the transaction, too.
"Do you watch 'Exploring Kaman'?" Uncle Dave blurts, talking about the reality television show featured around Chris' life. "It's really good. You should."
Also, Uncle Dave reports that Chris' wife, Emily, is pregnant. A boy, due Dec. 18. "You know what they're going to name him?" he asks.
"Barrett --- like the gun manufacturer. At least that's what Chris says."
Uncle Dave likes this.
---
Kaman played 13 minutes in the first half of the season opener. He made 4 of 7 shots, scored eight points, had a couple of nice passes and had three rebounds. Nobody on either team shed blood, like those "Miami Murder" games in the driveway. Uncle Dave stood in front of his seat at halftime, arms folded, looking up at the statistics on the giant board with approval.
"Chris got me this T-shirt," he said earlier.
Nobody can be sure if the Blazers are going to duplicate their 2013-14 season. They won 54 regular-season games, beat the Rockets with that dramatic Game 6 game-winner from Damian Lillard, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. Down the way on Wednesday night, Kevin Durant of the Thunder scooted around with a boot on his fractured right foot. An NBA season can be that fragile.
Are the Blazers better than last season?
Are they deeper?
Are they more experienced?
Yes times three.
Kaman, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds, and fellow free-agent signee Steve Blake, who had five assists, are a part of that. But the West is better, and I'm not convinced the Blazers can duplicate the red-hot start to last NBA season that set the table for their finish. And if they don't, can they duplicate the playoff-series effort they had against the Rockets? It might very well be that this team is more talented, and deeper, and more experienced, but not able to get out of the first round.
Those are thoughts for another day. Because on opening night, everything was new again. The Blazers had a new design on the court. Olshey had a fresh haircut. And on the first night of the season the Trail Blazers had already added one more Blazers fan. This felt like a franchise victory already, no?
Uncle Dave happens to think the Blazers are going all the way.
He said: "It's either us or the Pistons."