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Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball
Kerry Eggers, who covered the Trail Blazers, goes back twenty years for the stories from the players, coaches, management, and those in Portland—during an era when the local NBA stars were in the headlines for both their play and their off-court behavior.
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Portland Trail Blazers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA. For almost a decade, they won 60 percent of their games while making it to the Western Conference Finals twice. However, what happened off-court was just as unforgettable as what they did on the court.
When someone asked Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt about his team’s chemistry, he replied that he’d “never studied chemistry in college.” And with that, the “Jail Blazers” were born. Built in a similar fashion to a fantasy team, the team had skills, but their issues ended up being their undoing. In fact, many consider it the darkest period in franchise history.
While fans across the country were watching the skills of Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, and Zach Randolph, those in Portland couldn’t have been more disappointed in the players’ off-court actions. This, many have mentioned, included a very racial element—which carried over to the players as well. As forward Rasheed Wallace said, “We’re not really going to worry about what the hell [the fans] think about us. They really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That’s why they’re fans and we’re NBA players.”
While people think of the Detroit Pistons of the eighties as the elite “Bad Boys,” the “Jail Blazers” were actually bad. Author Kerry Eggers, who covered the Trail Blazers during this controversial era, goes back to share the stories from the players, coaches, management, and those in Portland when the players were in the headlines as much for their play as for their legal issues.
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Portland Trail Blazers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA. For almost a decade, they won 60 percent of their games while making it to the Western Conference Finals twice. However, what happened off-court was just as unforgettable as what they did on the court.
When someone asked Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt about his team’s chemistry, he replied that he’d “never studied chemistry in college.” And with that, the “Jail Blazers” were born. Built in a similar fashion to a fantasy team, the team had skills, but their issues ended up being their undoing. In fact, many consider it the darkest period in franchise history.
While fans across the country were watching the skills of Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, and Zach Randolph, those in Portland couldn’t have been more disappointed in the players’ off-court actions. This, many have mentioned, included a very racial element—which carried over to the players as well. As forward Rasheed Wallace said, “We’re not really going to worry about what the hell [the fans] think about us. They really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That’s why they’re fans and we’re NBA players.”
While people think of the Detroit Pistons of the eighties as the elite “Bad Boys,” the “Jail Blazers” were actually bad. Author Kerry Eggers, who covered the Trail Blazers during this controversial era, goes back to share the stories from the players, coaches, management, and those in Portland when the players were in the headlines as much for their play as for their legal issues.
546 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2021
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July 15, 2020
Ако вам при помену имена као што су Рашид Валас, Бонзи Велс, Арвидас Сабонис, Стив Смит, Скоти Пипен, Брајан Грант и сл. очи одмах засијају и сјетите се оног епског мелтдауна Портланда против Лејкерса у четвртој четвртини седме утакмице финала Западне конференције у НБА сезони 2019-2020, онда вам препоручујем да оставите читање овог текста и моментално се латите новчаника, јер ви сте публика за ову књигу. Ако, с друге стране, појма немате шта сам ово управо изблебетао и ко су дођавола ти људи, то још увијек не значи да нисте, јер исто као што не морате да знате ништа о америчком фудбалу да бисте уживали у одличном филму Тхе Реплацементс са Кијануом Ривсом, тако не морате да будете познавалац кошарке да бисте пратили ову занимљиву причу о успону и паду једног кошаркашког тима. Али вјероватно ће већина оваквих људи процијенити да то ипак није за њих и моментално ће одустати од даљег читања текста. Окрени-обрни, вјероватно све што даље слиједи џаба пишем, али шта да се ради.
Ко је барем мало пратио НБА у то вријеме прије 15ак до 20ак година, зна макар површно о чему је ријеч. Портланд је сакупио изузетно талентовану генерацију кошаркаша која је била један од главних фаворита за освајање шампионског прстена. Проблем (за тим, наравно, не за нас из публике) јесте што је у тој генерацији мало ко био скроз добар с главом. Обично у успјешним тимовима буде највише по једна или двије будале (нпр. Денис Родман у Чикагу), чију будаластост амортизује остатак тима, док је код Портланда било обрнуто. Они су у то вријеме имали Стива Смита и Скотија Пипена (и можда још једног или двојицу играча) који су били озбиљни професионалци, док су остали сви потицали из разорених породица, од дјетињства се дружили са разноразним бандама и сл., тако да је скоро па сваке седмице неког од њих хапсила полиција, било због марихуане, било због посједовања оружја, тучњава, борби паса (!) и разних других ствари. Најбољи играч тима, Рашид Валас, није имао проблема са полицијом, али јесте са судијама. Имао је изузетно кратак фитиљ и врло често је мечеве завршавао избачен због двије техничке. Рекордер је НБА лиге по броју техничких грешака у једној сезони (имао их је тада више од комплетног тима Кливленда) и на трећем мјесту по укупном броју.
Ово вјероватно звучи као сценарио неког осредњег спортског филма. Ту онда на сцену ступа харизматични тренер у виду Џина Хекмена или Мишел Фајфер, успијева да усклади различите темпераменте, ријеши све проблеме и тако симпатичну банду отпадника доведе до шампионске титуле. Нажалост, стварни живот је мало другачији и много досаднији од филма. Портланд је покушао са разним тренерима и сви су добили отказ. Најближе што су стигли освајању шампионске титуле била је поменута 2000 година, када су против Лејкерса у седмој (одлучујућој) утакмици имали у посљедњој четвртини 15 разлике, а онда је наступила потпуно бизарна серија промашаја и Лејкерси су успјели да преокрену резултат (ово можете да погледате на ЈуТјубу), добију утакмицу, онда се у финалу без већих проблема обрачунају са Реџијем Милером и његовом Индијаном (иначе сигурно много слабијим тимом од Портланда) и тако је почела доминација Кобија (РИП) и Шака. Портландов тим, с друге стране, одмах након тога је почео да се распада и наредне двије сезоне испали су у првој рунди плеј-офа, оба пута опет од Лејкерса и оба пута са неславних 3-0.
Ја се јасно сјећам те посљедње четвртине те седме утакмице. Претходне утакмице нисам гледао, чак ни први дио те утакмице, зато што нисам знао за кога да навијам. Кобија и Шакила нисам подносио, нарочито овог посљедњег, сматрајући да је потпуно нефер да неко буде толико огроман и истовремено толико окретан и да само његово присуство доноси његовом тиму огромну предност (наравно, то је било далеко од истине - иако су Брајант и О'Нил били најбољи играчи тима, Лејкерси су били тим у коме је свако знао своју улогу и имали су врхунске играче на свим позицијама, плус као тренера Фила Џексона, једног од највећих у историји). Природно би било да сам навијао за Портланд, али нисам, зато што су они избацили Јута Џез, за који сам тада навијао. Одлучио сам да испратим само ту посљедњу четвртину, видио да је 15 разлике и већ прогласио Портланд за побједника, а онда је почело да се дешава... Негдје током испуштања те огромне предности почео сам да навијам за њих и вјероватно их је то до краја и укопало. Тад сам био врло несретан, као да сам знао шта се у будућности спрема (наиме, нехумана доминација Лејкерса током три године). Онда сам се послије навикао јер се тек отприлике сваке седме године дешава да тим за који навијам побиједи.
Малецка утјеха за мене и остале антинавијаче Лејкерса и оне којима су "криминалци" из Портланда ипак били симпатична јесте да је поменуте Лејкерсе коначно докрајчио управо један члан те генерације Портланда - додуше у другом дресу. Био је то управо Рашид Валас (за оне који не знају - човјек на насловној страни ове књиге), који је 2004. трејдован из Портланда у Детроит и стигао таман на вријеме да учествује у шампионском походу те екипе, који се завршио апсолутно бруталним касапљењем Лејкерса, који су чак били и појачани довођењем Герија Пејтона и Карла Мелоуна. Међутим, тад се десило потпуно супротно него прије четири године - Лејкерси су имали гомилу слабо усклађених звијезда, док је Детроит био скуп нећу рећи анонимуса, али свакако не кошаркашких легенди. Међутим, играли су паклену одбрану и демолирали Лејкерсе 4-1, при чему је и та једна побједа прилично висила у ваздуху. Након тога Брајант и О'Нил су се разишли, али је сваки од њих освојио поново титулу (О'Нил једну са Мајамијем, Брајант двије са Лејкерсима).
Да се вратимо на Портланд. Шта је заправо чучало у позадини свега? Када је једна од њихових најбољих генерација (са Клајдом Дрекслером и Теријем Портером) почела да се повлачи, власник Пол Ален (да, онај из Мицрософта) ангажовао је као генералног менаџера свог друга Боба Витсита, е не би ли овај направио нову, потенцијално шампионску, генерацију. Витсит је имао прилично интересантне погледе на формирање тима. Био му је битан само таленат, док је карактер потпуно игнорисао. Тако је почео да сакупља све проблематичне ликове, који нису били скупи јер их скоро нико други није хтио, а онда је оставио тренерима да се сналазе с тим. Или, како би то рекао продекан за научно-истраживачки рад на мом факултету - "Види ти то некако...". Наравно, нико од њих није успио да се избори с тим. У једној од најбриљантнијих изјава ЕВЕР, кад си Витсита питали о недостатку хемије међу играчима његовог тима, он је рекао "Нисам студирао хемију, студирао сам спорт".
Какве су све неприлике правили играчи Портланда и како је заједница реаговала на то и шта се дешавало прије и након описане утакмице са Лејкерсима можете да прочитате у овој врло занимљивој књизи, за коју су интервјуисани бројни тадашњи играчи, тренери, чланови руководства и разни други људи. Видим да овде многи критикују књигу због разних ствари, нпр. преопширних описа и непотребних детаља учинака играча на утакмицама, али мени ништа од тога није засметало. Књигу сам прочитао врло брзо (у односу на вријеме које сам имао на располагању за читање, наравно) и драго ми је што се аутор толико потрудио да пренесе и детаљне информације и утиске људи који су у свему томе учествовали.
Ко је барем мало пратио НБА у то вријеме прије 15ак до 20ак година, зна макар површно о чему је ријеч. Портланд је сакупио изузетно талентовану генерацију кошаркаша која је била један од главних фаворита за освајање шампионског прстена. Проблем (за тим, наравно, не за нас из публике) јесте што је у тој генерацији мало ко био скроз добар с главом. Обично у успјешним тимовима буде највише по једна или двије будале (нпр. Денис Родман у Чикагу), чију будаластост амортизује остатак тима, док је код Портланда било обрнуто. Они су у то вријеме имали Стива Смита и Скотија Пипена (и можда још једног или двојицу играча) који су били озбиљни професионалци, док су остали сви потицали из разорених породица, од дјетињства се дружили са разноразним бандама и сл., тако да је скоро па сваке седмице неког од њих хапсила полиција, било због марихуане, било због посједовања оружја, тучњава, борби паса (!) и разних других ствари. Најбољи играч тима, Рашид Валас, није имао проблема са полицијом, али јесте са судијама. Имао је изузетно кратак фитиљ и врло често је мечеве завршавао избачен због двије техничке. Рекордер је НБА лиге по броју техничких грешака у једној сезони (имао их је тада више од комплетног тима Кливленда) и на трећем мјесту по укупном броју.
Ово вјероватно звучи као сценарио неког осредњег спортског филма. Ту онда на сцену ступа харизматични тренер у виду Џина Хекмена или Мишел Фајфер, успијева да усклади различите темпераменте, ријеши све проблеме и тако симпатичну банду отпадника доведе до шампионске титуле. Нажалост, стварни живот је мало другачији и много досаднији од филма. Портланд је покушао са разним тренерима и сви су добили отказ. Најближе што су стигли освајању шампионске титуле била је поменута 2000 година, када су против Лејкерса у седмој (одлучујућој) утакмици имали у посљедњој четвртини 15 разлике, а онда је наступила потпуно бизарна серија промашаја и Лејкерси су успјели да преокрену резултат (ово можете да погледате на ЈуТјубу), добију утакмицу, онда се у финалу без већих проблема обрачунају са Реџијем Милером и његовом Индијаном (иначе сигурно много слабијим тимом од Портланда) и тако је почела доминација Кобија (РИП) и Шака. Портландов тим, с друге стране, одмах након тога је почео да се распада и наредне двије сезоне испали су у првој рунди плеј-офа, оба пута опет од Лејкерса и оба пута са неславних 3-0.
Ја се јасно сјећам те посљедње четвртине те седме утакмице. Претходне утакмице нисам гледао, чак ни први дио те утакмице, зато што нисам знао за кога да навијам. Кобија и Шакила нисам подносио, нарочито овог посљедњег, сматрајући да је потпуно нефер да неко буде толико огроман и истовремено толико окретан и да само његово присуство доноси његовом тиму огромну предност (наравно, то је било далеко од истине - иако су Брајант и О'Нил били најбољи играчи тима, Лејкерси су били тим у коме је свако знао своју улогу и имали су врхунске играче на свим позицијама, плус као тренера Фила Џексона, једног од највећих у историји). Природно би било да сам навијао за Портланд, али нисам, зато што су они избацили Јута Џез, за који сам тада навијао. Одлучио сам да испратим само ту посљедњу четвртину, видио да је 15 разлике и већ прогласио Портланд за побједника, а онда је почело да се дешава... Негдје током испуштања те огромне предности почео сам да навијам за њих и вјероватно их је то до краја и укопало. Тад сам био врло несретан, као да сам знао шта се у будућности спрема (наиме, нехумана доминација Лејкерса током три године). Онда сам се послије навикао јер се тек отприлике сваке седме године дешава да тим за који навијам побиједи.
Малецка утјеха за мене и остале антинавијаче Лејкерса и оне којима су "криминалци" из Портланда ипак били симпатична јесте да је поменуте Лејкерсе коначно докрајчио управо један члан те генерације Портланда - додуше у другом дресу. Био је то управо Рашид Валас (за оне који не знају - човјек на насловној страни ове књиге), који је 2004. трејдован из Портланда у Детроит и стигао таман на вријеме да учествује у шампионском походу те екипе, који се завршио апсолутно бруталним касапљењем Лејкерса, који су чак били и појачани довођењем Герија Пејтона и Карла Мелоуна. Међутим, тад се десило потпуно супротно него прије четири године - Лејкерси су имали гомилу слабо усклађених звијезда, док је Детроит био скуп нећу рећи анонимуса, али свакако не кошаркашких легенди. Међутим, играли су паклену одбрану и демолирали Лејкерсе 4-1, при чему је и та једна побједа прилично висила у ваздуху. Након тога Брајант и О'Нил су се разишли, али је сваки од њих освојио поново титулу (О'Нил једну са Мајамијем, Брајант двије са Лејкерсима).
Да се вратимо на Портланд. Шта је заправо чучало у позадини свега? Када је једна од њихових најбољих генерација (са Клајдом Дрекслером и Теријем Портером) почела да се повлачи, власник Пол Ален (да, онај из Мицрософта) ангажовао је као генералног менаџера свог друга Боба Витсита, е не би ли овај направио нову, потенцијално шампионску, генерацију. Витсит је имао прилично интересантне погледе на формирање тима. Био му је битан само таленат, док је карактер потпуно игнорисао. Тако је почео да сакупља све проблематичне ликове, који нису били скупи јер их скоро нико други није хтио, а онда је оставио тренерима да се сналазе с тим. Или, како би то рекао продекан за научно-истраживачки рад на мом факултету - "Види ти то некако...". Наравно, нико од њих није успио да се избори с тим. У једној од најбриљантнијих изјава ЕВЕР, кад си Витсита питали о недостатку хемије међу играчима његовог тима, он је рекао "Нисам студирао хемију, студирао сам спорт".
Какве су све неприлике правили играчи Портланда и како је заједница реаговала на то и шта се дешавало прије и након описане утакмице са Лејкерсима можете да прочитате у овој врло занимљивој књизи, за коју су интервјуисани бројни тадашњи играчи, тренери, чланови руководства и разни други људи. Видим да овде многи критикују књигу због разних ствари, нпр. преопширних описа и непотребних детаља учинака играча на утакмицама, али мени ништа од тога није засметало. Књигу сам прочитао врло брзо (у односу на вријеме које сам имао на располагању за читање, наравно) и драго ми је што се аутор толико потрудио да пренесе и детаљне информације и утиске људи који су у свему томе учествовали.
December 18, 2018
This book was extraordinarily disappointing. Rather than offering some perspective on how fine-happy teams and the league were at this time or treating the players as human beings who were going through some shit, Eggers regurgitates game summaries from his prior reporting and seeks reflections of old white dudes who had no connection to the team (thanks for your input Scott Brooks!). There's a lot of truth to the racism mentioned by players (which they were fined/shamed for talking about) and A LOT of blame to heap on the media covering the team. I was really hoping this book would coalesce some of the thoughts that the Willamette Week threw out in early 2018, but this is definitely a step back. I'm not hoping the author would ignore some players' assaults and other serious charges, but there's room to reconsider whether drug laws and suspicious traffic stops might have lumped more of these players into the "criminal" category than deserved it. (Also, probably don't put Sheed on your cover if he refused to talk to you)
December 15, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book as this chronicled the times of the Blazers when I was in high school and one of my good friend's sister worked in the Blazer ticket office. We went to a ton of games for free with the quadruple overtime against Phoenix sticking out.
Like others have said, the book does drag with too many details and unless you a super Blazer fan it is a tough read.
Like others have said, the book does drag with too many details and unless you a super Blazer fan it is a tough read.
October 15, 2019
This book was below average especially if you are a lifelong Trailblazer fan where basketball is the only big league game in town. The Jailblazer era essentially began shortly after Clyde Drexler and the really good Blazer teams of the early 90's were broken up. I always thought Paul Allen was a good guy and I still do think he is a good guy but the reality is he was a filthy rich tech genius who had some very extravagant hobbies, one being owning professional sports teams. He was looking to rebound right away from not winning it all with the Drexler teams of of the early 90's and bagging a championship by hiring Bob Whitsitt who did not give a dam about character players, he went out and got the best players he could find. He proceeded to let management and coaches do the rest and everyone knows some of those characters had more on their minds than just winning basketball games. Whitsitt happened to be very good at wheeling and dealing to get big talent even though there were some blunders and players that weren't even around long enough to become a Jailblazer. I believe Paul Allen became greedy in his quest for an NBA championship and showee a lot of social ineptness in letting the Portland fans down and bringing a lot of empbarrasment to the Portland Trail/blazer franchise. I happen to remember just about all the big incidents, some making national news in Sports Illustrated, ESPN Sports Center Etc. and the smaller ones that did not escape the local news broadcasts. The last 90 or so pages of the book are the best and actually made it worth reading because players, coaches, management people and other blazer employees such as the lead stewardess on Paul Allen's Blazer One are interviewed and reflect on their time working for Paul Allen and the Blazer's.
December 29, 2018
Too much of a retrospective. For its length, it lacked stories that kept me locked in on characters. Felt like the author went through game logs and told the season story from there with minor character analysis on players sprinkled in.
January 6, 2025
There is a great book to be written about the “jailblazer” period of Portland basketball. To me, such a book would explore how an astoundingly talented but poorly-constructed team of mostly black players from impoverished circumstances (like most NBA teams) came to represent a small, mostly white city whose progressive self-conceptions rarely match its reality, during the era of peak mass incarceration. This is not that book. This book is instead a large collection of game recaps and press conferences cribbed from Eggers’ decades of covering the trailblazers. Had he chosen to weave these into a discernible narrative, or perhaps gone autobiographical and looked at his personal experiences covering such a newsworthy team, the book may have been good even if it failed to explore the broader social context, but that’s not what he did.
An example - most of the illegal player misbehavior was just smoking weed, a pastime widely acknowledged to be common amongst NBA players and which is now legal in Oregon. Eggers briefly acknowledges this, but then blows past examining what that might mean for the role local journalists like him played in propagating the “jailblazer” concept two decades ago. These days respectable local businessmen (including former players from those teams!) make millions off legal marijuana, but two decades ago the same activity was called disgraceful and used to denigrate otherwise beloved players. A little introspection on Eggers’ part could go a long way, both in making the book more compelling, as well as perhaps righting some wrongs. None of this would deny that there were some genuine bad characters playing for the Blazers in those days either.
Among the needlessly long recitations of game outcomes that mostly fill this big book, Eggers does have some enjoyable stories and anecdotes, but these do not compensate for the shortcomings. I would say this book is worth your time if you grew up watching those teams like me and want to be reminded of some stuff, but probably not for anyone else, and the opportunity for a truly great book (like a contemporary “Breaks of the Game”) was unfortunately missed
An example - most of the illegal player misbehavior was just smoking weed, a pastime widely acknowledged to be common amongst NBA players and which is now legal in Oregon. Eggers briefly acknowledges this, but then blows past examining what that might mean for the role local journalists like him played in propagating the “jailblazer” concept two decades ago. These days respectable local businessmen (including former players from those teams!) make millions off legal marijuana, but two decades ago the same activity was called disgraceful and used to denigrate otherwise beloved players. A little introspection on Eggers’ part could go a long way, both in making the book more compelling, as well as perhaps righting some wrongs. None of this would deny that there were some genuine bad characters playing for the Blazers in those days either.
Among the needlessly long recitations of game outcomes that mostly fill this big book, Eggers does have some enjoyable stories and anecdotes, but these do not compensate for the shortcomings. I would say this book is worth your time if you grew up watching those teams like me and want to be reminded of some stuff, but probably not for anyone else, and the opportunity for a truly great book (like a contemporary “Breaks of the Game”) was unfortunately missed
November 25, 2020
Super entertaining and a fun read.
December 18, 2018
This book was extraordinarily disappointing. Rather than offering some perspective on how fine-happy teams and the league were at this time or treating the players as human beings who were going through some shit, Eggers regurgitates game summaries from his prior reporting and seeks reflections of old white dudes who had no connection to the team (thanks for your input Scott Brooks!). There's a lot of truth to the racism mentioned by players (which they were fined/shamed for talking about) and A LOT of blame to heap on the media covering the team. I was really hoping this book would coalesce some of the thoughts that the Willamette Week threw out in early 2018, but this is definitely a step back. I'm not hoping the author would ignore some players' assaults and other serious charges, but there's room to reconsider whether drug laws and suspicious traffic stops might have lumped more of these players into the "criminal" category than deserved it. (Also, probably don't put Sheed on your cover if he refused to talk to you)
December 5, 2018
“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent!” This quote from Bronx Tale can be applied to The Jail Blazers! Good read, worth checking out for any basketball/sports fan!
August 13, 2019
Blazer fan loves Blazer book. Surprise!
June 4, 2025
4.5 rounded up. Fascinating team with a lot of great stories, love hearing about JR Rider and Sheed and didn't know all the details of Pippen/Kerr joining the team
April 7, 2023
I WENT FROM ONE EXTREME TO ANOTHER… I WENT FROM THE MILK-&-COOKIES- GANG TO THE TRAIL GANGSTERS
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Imagine how heartbreaking it is… when you order a book you want to read 6-7 months before it’s to be officially released… then for some unknown reason it is delayed… without explanation… for weeks upon weeks… upon weeks. Then when you finally receive the book… you can’t even make it to the “beginning”… of the first chapter without there being a major mistake. On the fourth page of the INTRODUCTION… the author in referencing the Los Angeles Lakers team facing the Portland Jail Blazers (i.e. Trail Blazers) in the 2000 Western Conference NBA finals… states “The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals, where they disposed of the Indiana Pacers in six games to claim their first championship since 1991.” The last time the Lakers had won the NBA Championship was 1988… not 1991! And that’s just the beginning of a seeming endless avalanche of mistakes and typos. Way too many to list here. But another one of note was on page 170… when the author states: “… high and mighty Lakers, led by unanimous league MVP Shaquille O’Neal”. That is incorrect! Though “SHAQ” should have been the unanimous choice… one wayward vote went to Allen Iverson. I don’t know who’s more to blame for the unprofessional editing… the writer or the publisher.
Either way… it’s a shame… because many of the portions of this detailed reporting on the disastrous era of the Jail Blazer’s assault on human decency… along with the reputation of the city and the very NBA itself… is pretty interesting… in streaks… that is. Much of the book is reminiscent of old-time sports broadcasting before TV and cable… where an announcer is simply reading ticker tape and box scores. Much of the history is done in this manner… which is not artistically exhilarating in the least. The strongest parts of the book are where the author interviews the many subjects… a decade or more after the fact… after time… and maturity… have both passed and increased. As a lifetime NBA fan I was very aware of the nauseating behavior time… after time… and yes… after time… AND… again… of many members of the Jail Blazers… but not in such detail as is provided here. I also wasn’t aware of how far over the salary cap… and over the luxury caps… the Blazers were… all while never winning a championship during this portion of their existence. It is amazing how they just inhaled millions upon millions of dollars out of billionaire Paul Allen’s wallet.
Of the many Jail Blazer… players… coaches… executives… and owners…. who were rightfully thrown under the bus… the one who was thrown under the bus… under the train… under the steamroller… under the La Brea tar pits… and under the ocean with cement shoes… was Bob Whitsitt…
“For a decade, Whitsitt had made changes every season, using owner Paul Allen’s considerable wealth to stockpile talent and chase the elusive NBA Finals berth he had never attained in 18 seasons as a general manager. Much of that talent had exuded questionable character, casting a shadow on the franchise in the eyes of the community.”
(This next statement of fact is so unbelievable… and to me summarizes the whole embarrassment and insult on the word integrity… that to me is synonymous… with the stain on basketball that was known as the “The Jail Blazers”… that I must put it all in capitals!)
“THROUGH THE 2002-03 SEASON, THE LONGEST STRETCH WHERE A PLAYER WASN’T ARRESTED, SUSPENDED BY THE LEAGUE OR TEAM, OR THE POLICE WEREN’T CALLED TO SOMEONE’S HOME WAS 17 DAYS.”
Let me ask you a question… have you ever watched a movie where every single person smoked the whole movie… and it was so disgusting that by the end of the movie you didn’t even want to be in the same country as someone that smokes… have you ever watched a movie where the main characters… never stopped drinking and getting drunk… without ever stopping for a second… and even if you normally like to drink a few beers… you don’t even want to see a beer commercial for a month after watching the movie???
Well… after reading this book… you are nauseated beyond description when it comes to Rasheed Wallace and technical fouls… when it comes to J.R. Rider… and stupid insane life decisions… non-managerial logic by Dunleavy and Cheeks… and Carlesimo… asinine drug maneuvers and arrests by Stoudamire and Wallace… and half the roster… boorish actions and words by Bonzi Wells… criminal behavior by Ruben Patterson… and 2/3 of the other Jail Blazers… and more missed practices than any team… in any sport… in history…
I could go on and on… but I’ve had enough… 500 pages of this… in descriptions mimicking a teletype report… and yet I wanted to give this a four star rating… just because of the after-the-fact interviews… but then as sure as the sun rises in the morning… trickling down like salt from a spilled shaker… more typos.
P.S. Bob Whitsitt “never studied chemistry in college.”
P.S.S. The quote in my review title is from Steve Kerr.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imagine how heartbreaking it is… when you order a book you want to read 6-7 months before it’s to be officially released… then for some unknown reason it is delayed… without explanation… for weeks upon weeks… upon weeks. Then when you finally receive the book… you can’t even make it to the “beginning”… of the first chapter without there being a major mistake. On the fourth page of the INTRODUCTION… the author in referencing the Los Angeles Lakers team facing the Portland Jail Blazers (i.e. Trail Blazers) in the 2000 Western Conference NBA finals… states “The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals, where they disposed of the Indiana Pacers in six games to claim their first championship since 1991.” The last time the Lakers had won the NBA Championship was 1988… not 1991! And that’s just the beginning of a seeming endless avalanche of mistakes and typos. Way too many to list here. But another one of note was on page 170… when the author states: “… high and mighty Lakers, led by unanimous league MVP Shaquille O’Neal”. That is incorrect! Though “SHAQ” should have been the unanimous choice… one wayward vote went to Allen Iverson. I don’t know who’s more to blame for the unprofessional editing… the writer or the publisher.
Either way… it’s a shame… because many of the portions of this detailed reporting on the disastrous era of the Jail Blazer’s assault on human decency… along with the reputation of the city and the very NBA itself… is pretty interesting… in streaks… that is. Much of the book is reminiscent of old-time sports broadcasting before TV and cable… where an announcer is simply reading ticker tape and box scores. Much of the history is done in this manner… which is not artistically exhilarating in the least. The strongest parts of the book are where the author interviews the many subjects… a decade or more after the fact… after time… and maturity… have both passed and increased. As a lifetime NBA fan I was very aware of the nauseating behavior time… after time… and yes… after time… AND… again… of many members of the Jail Blazers… but not in such detail as is provided here. I also wasn’t aware of how far over the salary cap… and over the luxury caps… the Blazers were… all while never winning a championship during this portion of their existence. It is amazing how they just inhaled millions upon millions of dollars out of billionaire Paul Allen’s wallet.
Of the many Jail Blazer… players… coaches… executives… and owners…. who were rightfully thrown under the bus… the one who was thrown under the bus… under the train… under the steamroller… under the La Brea tar pits… and under the ocean with cement shoes… was Bob Whitsitt…
“For a decade, Whitsitt had made changes every season, using owner Paul Allen’s considerable wealth to stockpile talent and chase the elusive NBA Finals berth he had never attained in 18 seasons as a general manager. Much of that talent had exuded questionable character, casting a shadow on the franchise in the eyes of the community.”
(This next statement of fact is so unbelievable… and to me summarizes the whole embarrassment and insult on the word integrity… that to me is synonymous… with the stain on basketball that was known as the “The Jail Blazers”… that I must put it all in capitals!)
“THROUGH THE 2002-03 SEASON, THE LONGEST STRETCH WHERE A PLAYER WASN’T ARRESTED, SUSPENDED BY THE LEAGUE OR TEAM, OR THE POLICE WEREN’T CALLED TO SOMEONE’S HOME WAS 17 DAYS.”
Let me ask you a question… have you ever watched a movie where every single person smoked the whole movie… and it was so disgusting that by the end of the movie you didn’t even want to be in the same country as someone that smokes… have you ever watched a movie where the main characters… never stopped drinking and getting drunk… without ever stopping for a second… and even if you normally like to drink a few beers… you don’t even want to see a beer commercial for a month after watching the movie???
Well… after reading this book… you are nauseated beyond description when it comes to Rasheed Wallace and technical fouls… when it comes to J.R. Rider… and stupid insane life decisions… non-managerial logic by Dunleavy and Cheeks… and Carlesimo… asinine drug maneuvers and arrests by Stoudamire and Wallace… and half the roster… boorish actions and words by Bonzi Wells… criminal behavior by Ruben Patterson… and 2/3 of the other Jail Blazers… and more missed practices than any team… in any sport… in history…
I could go on and on… but I’ve had enough… 500 pages of this… in descriptions mimicking a teletype report… and yet I wanted to give this a four star rating… just because of the after-the-fact interviews… but then as sure as the sun rises in the morning… trickling down like salt from a spilled shaker… more typos.
P.S. Bob Whitsitt “never studied chemistry in college.”
P.S.S. The quote in my review title is from Steve Kerr.
February 11, 2019
As a long time NBA Portland Trail Blazers fan, I am well versed on the team’s struggles with attaining adulthood, not to mention championships. Kerry Eggers, in his exhaustive account of the team’s futile fight to attain respectability, “Jail Blazers,” pretty much covers the behavior and attitude of a group of men who have refused to grow up.
Eggers, a sports writer for over forty years, most of the time spent in rainy Portland surroundings, has covered the team extensively and is intimately familiar with the behind the scenes events. In his graphic, gloom-filled account, he identifies the miscreants, both on the court and behind executive desks, with not many personages escaping his microscope. Players with monstrous egos and too much money, management executives with either too much involvement or too little personal engagement, an owner, gone now, with tons of money and little understanding of human dynamics, and fans with rabid attachment that fades with disgust are all addressed, in suffocating detail using the vile language of the streets.
Eggers writes with a reporter’s zeal for the sensational. The same incidents are restated repeatedly until the reader can almost quote the details verbatim as they appear chapter after chapter. The vile language, poor grammar, and sordid behavior reflect poorly on all the participants from player to coaches to management to fans. No one escapes from the spotlight that brings focus to turmoil and dysfunction. The overlong discussion brings an infamous plea to mind: Can’t we all get along?
This is a revelatory book, although a real fan knows most of it already. The insufferable behavior of spoiled millionaire athletes clashing with executives who are more interested in the economic side of the business make for a never-ending battle of wills and behavioral lapses. I’ve seen an improvement of late, an occurrence that must continue for the good of a sport that requires unbelievable talent. Everyone must improve their deportment.
February 3, 2022
П��мъдрявайки бавно и търпеливо чакайки ( поздрав с 50 Cent & Eminem - Patiently Waiting ) да се сдобия с биографиите на Скоти Пипън и Кармело Антъни ( които вече имам след обир над дребно издателство за книги ) в тези зимни месеци, реших да си задоволя НБА глада с книга за отбор, за който имам чувството ,че не познавам нито един техен фен в БГ , въпреки чара им през годините. И това го твърдя като човек имал фен страница на НБА във ФБ в продължение на 5 години - вмъквам специален поздрав за човек обаче ,който е известен с прякора си и техен потник с номера 22, но е фен на Маями :) ...
Та автора Кери Егърс се е заел с нелеката задача да изследва събитията около ерата на Портланд Трейл Блейзърс, когато са известни с прякора Джейл Блейзърс ( напушва на смях всеки път ) в периода на 90-те и ранните 00 години, и мога да кажа ,че се е справил блестящо, дори леко досадно подробно. Една ера отличаваща се с това ,че е преди появата на социалните мрежи и с това ,че много неща остават извън очите на дебнещите всекидневни очи ( gsm-и ) за сензации и скандали. Книгата е отлично четиво от любопитна гледна точка и разказва за много от изцепките на имена като Джей Ар Райдър ( основоположника така да се каже ) , Клиф Робинсън, Деймън Студемайър, Рашийд Уолъс, Бонзи Уелс, Род Стрикланд, Рубен Патерсън, Шон Кемп, Зак Рандълф, Дариус Майлс и др. Паралелно с това обаче книгата представя и отлична хронология на развитието на отбора през това време - какви треньори са били начело и техния начин на ръководене, какви сделки са се правили, каква е била химията в отбора, както и много резултати и леки статистики . Егърс е взел интервюта от над 70 човека - играчи или близки на отбора хора, и се е постарал да поднесе чудесно блюдо с пикантерийки за гладните фенове като мен. В един момент е възможно да стане леко досадна книгата със статистика на резултати и играчи и сухи цитати хвърлени тук и там, но този дребен недостатък се преглъща предвид цялото ястие.
Та автора Кери Егърс се е заел с нелеката задача да изследва събитията около ерата на Портланд Трейл Блейзърс, когато са известни с прякора Джейл Блейзърс ( напушва на смях всеки път ) в периода на 90-те и ранните 00 години, и мога да кажа ,че се е справил блестящо, дори леко досадно подробно. Една ера отличаваща се с това ,че е преди появата на социалните мрежи и с това ,че много неща остават извън очите на дебнещите всекидневни очи ( gsm-и ) за сензации и скандали. Книгата е отлично четиво от любопитна гледна точка и разказва за много от изцепките на имена като Джей Ар Райдър ( основоположника така да се каже ) , Клиф Робинсън, Деймън Студемайър, Рашийд Уолъс, Бонзи Уелс, Род Стрикланд, Рубен Патерсън, Шон Кемп, Зак Рандълф, Дариус Майлс и др. Паралелно с това обаче книгата представя и отлична хронология на развитието на отбора през това време - какви треньори са били начело и техния начин на ръководене, какви сделки са се правили, каква е била химията в отбора, както и много резултати и леки статистики . Егърс е взел интервюта от над 70 човека - играчи или близки на отбора хора, и се е постарал да поднесе чудесно блюдо с пикантерийки за гладните фенове като мен. В един момент е възможно да стане леко досадна книгата със статистика на резултати и играчи и сухи цитати хвърлени тук и там, но този дребен недостатък се преглъща предвид цялото ястие.
December 11, 2020
The first half of this book was really good. It was well reported and written and a fun trip down memory lane. As a Lakers fan I mostly think of the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs being the main teams that gave LA fits during its three-peat from 2000-2002. But I forgot just how talented the Blazers were from 1997 or so to 2003. The problem was the Blazers had too many players that were major problems both on and off the court, mostly off the court. Isiah Rider, Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Ruben Patterson, Rod Strickland and many more were just a constant problem only to say, "Nobody understands me, blah blah blah, every excuse in the book,, blah blah blah." At first as a reader I tried to tell myself, well, they're young and going to make mistakes like anyone that age. But they just kept doing it over and over and over. It's too bad because there were some good characters and players on the team such as Pippen, Steve Smith, Sabonis, Steve Kerr, Brian Grant and most of the times, Damon Stoudimire. The teams were so loaded with talent, but had too many players that HAD to play that all played the same position. There were hardly any role players on this team. As I kept reading the book it got more and more depressing because after a while there has to be SOME players you like or identify with and I just couldn't. This book kind of dragged in the end because it was the same stuff, different season with different players. I'm not even sure if Blazer fans will want to read, as they will just remember how close they came, especially in two years (99, 00) to winning it all. Still it was fun to remember some of the classic games during the period between 1997 and 2004.
February 15, 2019
I am an avid NBA book reader and will watch all and any NBA games. I was too young for the Jail Blazers era so I wanted to learn more about the team and what events created the Jail Blazers.
This book summarizes each season within the Jail Blazersz era and will highlight specific player events that would augment the Jail Blazers label and game overviews in the season. After about 4 seasons, the same type of things happen and the themes of the book are obvious.
The last chapter was commentary from players and other personnel closely related to the team or working for the team. I enjoyed that the most because of some of the stories or first hand knowledge.
Overall, the main chapters were mundane towards the end but if you want to learn about the Jail Blazers I would recommend this book!
This book summarizes each season within the Jail Blazersz era and will highlight specific player events that would augment the Jail Blazers label and game overviews in the season. After about 4 seasons, the same type of things happen and the themes of the book are obvious.
The last chapter was commentary from players and other personnel closely related to the team or working for the team. I enjoyed that the most because of some of the stories or first hand knowledge.
Overall, the main chapters were mundane towards the end but if you want to learn about the Jail Blazers I would recommend this book!
March 29, 2024
Since my Trail Blazers fandom began with the 1999-2000 team, I was very excited about this book. The best part of it was reliving all the moments and players that I remember as an adolescent. I recognized several games I was in attendance for. Kerry Eggers gives a thorough recounting of the events leading up to his up to and out of the Jail Blazers era.
However, a recounting is all you will get. It’s a strange read in 2024 with our relaxed attitude towards recreational drugs and celebrity, especially young black athletes. Eggers does not give any commentary as to the cultural and racial biases/attitude that led to the Jail Blazers. My biggest gripe with his recounting is that all crimes committed by the players were treated with equal weight. So, Sheed’s technicals and Damon’s weed arrests were treated as if they were just as bad as Qyntel’s dog fighting or Patterson’s felony domestic violence. This as well as his reliance on known curmudgeon Dwight Jaynes quotes (a beat writer who even today mostly writes negative things about the team and is disliked by many local fans) proves that Eggers wrote this with an agenda in mind. It is especially apparent when you reach the final chapter “Reflections” where every single member of the “Jail Blazers” has nothing but good and kind things to say about the team. Every member of the team feels that the “Jail Blazers” moniker was unwarranted.
You will not get a well-rounded perspective from this book.
However, a recounting is all you will get. It’s a strange read in 2024 with our relaxed attitude towards recreational drugs and celebrity, especially young black athletes. Eggers does not give any commentary as to the cultural and racial biases/attitude that led to the Jail Blazers. My biggest gripe with his recounting is that all crimes committed by the players were treated with equal weight. So, Sheed’s technicals and Damon’s weed arrests were treated as if they were just as bad as Qyntel’s dog fighting or Patterson’s felony domestic violence. This as well as his reliance on known curmudgeon Dwight Jaynes quotes (a beat writer who even today mostly writes negative things about the team and is disliked by many local fans) proves that Eggers wrote this with an agenda in mind. It is especially apparent when you reach the final chapter “Reflections” where every single member of the “Jail Blazers” has nothing but good and kind things to say about the team. Every member of the team feels that the “Jail Blazers” moniker was unwarranted.
You will not get a well-rounded perspective from this book.
August 19, 2024
Didn’t finish. Disappointed. Growing up in NE Portland during the Jail Blazers era, I was deeply curious to revisit the players on those teams and get a better perspective on how they stayed so mired in their issues while still being so close to supreme basketball success. Some players stories were more prominent than others (looking at you, Isaiah Rider) but the book never seemed interested in weaving a narrative story together that brought any to the forefront. It was just countless game logs one after another coupled with quotes and anecdotes adjacent to those wins and losses. Basically, what you end up with is a tower of Oregonian sports beat writer pull quotes in chronological order and box scores, and some hollowness where there should be human-ness.
August 25, 2019
A comprehensive telling of the era, the book recounts every incident the author could dig up. There isn't much analysis or an overarching narrative. It's mostly a chronicle of events. It would have been better with commentary from Rasheed, Bonzi, and Damon, but they didn't want to be interviewed since they are working on their own documentary. It's an interesting read for Trail Blazers fans, but there are a lot of stats and repition to get through. The book could have been significantly shorter.
January 1, 2024
Interesting but became too long
The 2000 Game 7 collapse (as a Lakers fan) got me onto this book, but not enough time was spent on the teams of that period.
Once the book got past the 2000 team it became a little repetitive describing each season with all the suspensions and playoff disappointment.
Chapters are too long and then toward the end of the book, the author seemed to mail it and just blast all his interviews with Blazers in to give the book length.
It was obviously very well researched and as a bball book junky had some cool parts, but ja, not my best.
The 2000 Game 7 collapse (as a Lakers fan) got me onto this book, but not enough time was spent on the teams of that period.
Once the book got past the 2000 team it became a little repetitive describing each season with all the suspensions and playoff disappointment.
Chapters are too long and then toward the end of the book, the author seemed to mail it and just blast all his interviews with Blazers in to give the book length.
It was obviously very well researched and as a bball book junky had some cool parts, but ja, not my best.
January 28, 2024
I enjoyed this books vast amounts of information, but also led to the faults I had with it. Many times the book gave a lot of descriptions of games that seemingly all ran together in the end. The Reflections chapter for me was the best part hearing people’s real opinions on the team. It baffles me that this team even existed especially in today’s social media world where all of these things would be caught on camera.
April 23, 2024
I loved this book! It's a very comprehensive book that recounts all the events during the "Jail Blazers era" of the Portland Trail Blazers. It was very well researched, and a straight forward chronicle of events that happened from 1996-2005. It was a very long read, but I was pretty engaged through most of the book. There was some repeating of events from interviews, and people's thoughts which could have possibly been left out to make it a shorter, but. overall I enjoyed it!
March 22, 2019
This book was very interesting for being a retelling of events and games. I learned a lot about the rough past and history of the Blazers. This is a time period I was not an expert in, and after reading this I know a lot about the Blazers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At times, the book was slightly boring and repetitive, but I would recommend it to anyone who is a basketball or Blazer fan.
March 30, 2020
Eggers needed a better editor. He crams the book full of things that really aren't necessary, like many game-by-game recaps through the seasons of the JB era. Still he got some good feedback through various and presented many of the players as more complicated than their bad-boy image would suggest. It's definitely a must-read for Trail Blazers fans, but it could have been significantly better.
June 25, 2022
Look, Eggers’ book is a pretty basic look at that infamous era, however, its an era worth re-examining. He’s a game first, personality second guy and in this book it works. Too much speculation and this would be tabloid. I think Eggers presents the era for what it was, lets the people speak for themselves and leaves it to the reader to decide. Bravo… and Rip City.
September 26, 2024
As a 30 for 30 type of nuanced look at the intersection of overly-pampered athletes, money, and race in the American basketball system, this could have been really interesting.
This was not that.
Instead, it was a bunch of grumpy, old white guys complaining about rich, young athletes smoking pot, and lots and lots of box score summaries.
This was not that.
Instead, it was a bunch of grumpy, old white guys complaining about rich, young athletes smoking pot, and lots and lots of box score summaries.
May 30, 2025
Reliving a time and a team that I loved watching was really great. If only they made a shot or two more in the 4th quarter of the 2000 conf finals who knows what the trajectory of this team as well as the Lakers would have been. However the book is too long and drawn out, too much recapping of box scores.
May 2, 2022
Some interesting stories about an interesting team. A little clinical, especially in the sections detailing the inseason action. A definite read if you are a Blazers fan, and still worth it if you are a fan of the NBA of that era (like me).
June 26, 2023
Love it. Portland and my Sacramento Kings share a lot of similarities. In this case though, the Blazers have way more felonies and arrests.
What a cool account of 90s-2000s NBA action with one of the most infamous and ego-first teams in NBA history.
What a cool account of 90s-2000s NBA action with one of the most infamous and ego-first teams in NBA history.
August 5, 2023
Great read. Chemistry & player roles matter very much on nba teams. You can’t just acquire tons of talent. Portland feels their players are an extension of their family, and don’t mess with Chris Mills.
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