Jerome Kersey by Kerry Eggers

Author:Kerry Eggers
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781736898949
Publisher: Dementi Milestone Publishing
Published: 2021-07-29T00:00:00+00:00

ONE OF THE AMENITIES provided by owner Paul Allen was concierge air travel. In January, the Blazers began to lease a private jet through Louisiana-Pacific for road trips. Radio play-by-play man Bill Schonely dubbed it “Blazer One.” Portland became the third team, joining the Detroit Pistons and L.A. Lakers, to either own its plane or lease one.

The aircraft, once used by New York hotel magnate Leona Helmsley and built to carry 84 passengers, was reconfigured to seat 21. It was equipped with captain’s chairs, a buffet table and wet bar. Flight attendants passed out food and drink. Instead of getting up early for commercial flights the day after games, the team generally flew out of a town and on to the next city immediately after a game.

“It makes a big difference,” Adelman said. “We always worried about the players not eating well after games. Now we know they’ll get a good meal. No one falls asleep until after midnight anyway, and now we’re usually in the next city by then and the players can go to bed at their usual time and sleep in the next morning.”

It also eliminated the possibility that a player might stay out late and get himself into trouble after a game. The Blazers were generally off to another city 90 minutes after the final buzzer.

The Blazers flew out of suburban Hillsboro Airport rather than Portland International Airport. Players avoided lines at security and at check-in and didn’t have to deal with crowds anymore.

“If I were a free agent, I’d definitely take this into consideration,” Kersey said. “If it means traveling like this for the rest of your career, it could make a big difference for you.”

The Blazers were doing a lot of winning. After going 12-1 in a 13-game stretch from late December to the end of January, they held a Western Conference-best 31-11 record just past the midway point of the regular season. In a 115-100 romp past Charlotte, Kersey totaled 26 points and 13 rebounds, knocking down 12 of 18 shots from the field. He hit his first four shots — three from the perimeter — and kept banging them home against the Hornets’ Kelly Tripucka.

“Kelly’s not known as one of the greatest defenders in the league,” Kersey said afterward. “I just kept working hard and moving without the ball, and the guys did a great job of finding me.”

Kersey contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and six steals as the Blazers outclassed Milwaukee — which had won 13 of its last 16 games — 119-90.

“They played a magnificent game,” Bucks coach Del Harris said. “If Portland is not the most athletic team in the league, it’s right up there in the top echelon.”

Kersey was one of the leaders as the Blazers totaled 46 fast-break points. “It looked like the way the Lakers used to run on us,” he said.

On January 31, Portland fell 135-130 to Golden State, but Kersey collected 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, sinking 7 of 12 shots from the field.

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