Stories From The Jail Blazers Era Have Been Released And They Are As Magnificent As You'd Imagine
[SI] - “I’d ask them, ‘Why do you go out until 4 in the morning and know you have to be shootaround at 10?’ Once in New York, several of them had been at some famous strip club the night before the game. They all got back to the hotel at 6 or 7 (a.m.). Then they lost to the Knicks that night.
“I’m naive and kind of a Pollyanna. We’re checking into the Houston Galleria hotel at about 3 one morning, and I see a bunch of women in the lobby. I said to someone, ‘I don’t think there would be a wedding at this time of night.’ Scottie told me, ‘They’re hoochie mamas. They’re here for us.’ And I said, ‘But I don’t understand. If you’re going to do that, why are you married?’ I just couldn’t understand that aspect.
“Usually it was Scottie, Greg, Bonzi Wells, and Dale Davis—the same four guys. Everybody was getting off the airplane, and they’d have a heavy hand, and we’d be cleaning up around them. Finally, I’d have to say, ‘Guys, it’s 2 a.m., we still have to restock this airplane and fly to Seattle so we can get home to our families. Get off the airplane.’ And they were like, ‘Stebby, this is a $30,000 hand.’ I’d say, ‘Now you’re really out of here.’ They were betting hundreds of thousands of dollars sometimes. We’re talking big dough.”
These are just three excerpts from the upcoming book Jail Blazers: How Portland became the bad boys of basketball. And let me tell you something. I’ve never been more ready for a book in my entire life. I mean the Jail Blazers were awesome and because they happened before social media era, they tend to be a bit forgotten about. I mean think of some of the names during that era – Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp, Rasheed Wallace, etc. We’re talking about Hall of Famers and All-Stars.
So SI was able to put out some stories regarding what happened on Paul Allen’s private plane. I have to be honest. There’s nothing more terrifying and exciting than imaging being on that plane with this group.
I can’t stop laughing though at the woman who worked on the plane and for Paul Allen/the Blazers thinking it was a wedding in Houston. That’s just the perfect line.
