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Blazers Would Have Drafted Barkley, Not Jordan, In 84
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  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6475

    Posted 12/13/2012 10:08 AM



    As many of you know, Ball Don't Lie recently published a blog about Sam Bowie and how he misled the Portland medical staff about not feeling any pain in his leg before the 1984 NBA Draft. Here's what Bowie revealed to "Going Big" an ESPNU documentary:
     "I can still remember them taking a little mallet, and when they would hit me on my left tibia, and 'I don't feel anything' I would tell 'em. But deep down inside, it was hurting. If what I did was lying and what I did was wrong, at the end of the day, when you have loved ones that have some needs, I did what any of us would have done."
    Once this story had ran and made it's way through the internet, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman got in touch with Bowie over the telephone to see if there was another side to his story, to see if his words were taken out of context in the documentary. Here's what Bowie said to Freeman:
     “Anybody that knows me, from the hierarchy in the Portland Trail Blazers during my playing days to my teammates to my friends and family, knows I would never deceive or trick or lie to anybody,” Bowie told The Oregonian during a phone interview Wednesday. “I wasn’t raised that way. You can call me a lot of things, but don’t look at me as though I deceived or tricked (the organization).

    “I thought I would play 15 years and win a couple championships with the Blazers.”
    But those fans still wishing Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler would have been paired together on the wing can finally let that "what if" scenario go as Harry Glickman, said MJ wasn't even the Trail Blazers' No. 2 choice.
     “If you look back at the draft,” Glickman said, “if we hadn’t selected (Bowie), we wouldn’t have selected Jordan. We probably would have gone with Charles Barkley.”
    Obviously, MJ is the superior player to Barkley, but Portland still would have drafted a Hall of Fame caliber player and they had Drexler and All-Star Jim Paxson in the mix at the shooting guard. All I can say is a starting lineup of Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Charles Barkley and Kevin Duckworth would have won multiple rings. But Chuck in the red and black wasn't meant to be, especially considering the Trail Blazers had not one but TWO chances to add Sir Charles to the roster. One was back in 84 when they could have the selected him and the other being in 1992 when Charles wanted out of Philadelphia and made it clear he wanted. The rumored deal, if I remember correctly, would have sent Danny Ainge, Kevin Duckworth and either Buck Williams or Jerome Kersey to Philly for Barkely and fillers.
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  1. caseyholdahl
    caseyholdahl
    Posts: 246

    Posted 12/13/2012 10:27 AM

    I don't know Sam. If someone says "Does this hurt?" and you say "No" that still seems like deception to me. Water (and tears) under the bridge at this point.
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  1. riverman
    riverman
    Posts: 1098

    Posted 12/13/2012 11:05 AM

    You're absolutely right Casey. That being said, there have been many of these cases throughout the years. As revered as he was in Portland, BRoy came into training camp last season saying, I never felt better, only to change his position within 2 days. Greg Oden also had a history of fragile joints and probably said he never felt better more than once. People do whatever it takes to get a big paycheck sometimes and none of the above are Blazers anymore so it is water under the bridge. The Wolves had a complaint about our assessment of Martel Websters condition as well that may have not been entirely above the board. Joel Pryzbilla is a guy I always liked but also said he felt reborn last season but didn't look that way on the court after we signed him. Could probably write a book about survival in the NBA.

    I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night
  1. Curvychloe
    Curvychloe
    Posts: 505

    Posted 12/13/2012 1:26 PM

    Its all about cash!
    I am a fan of Sexy Blondes at courtside
  1. Curvychloe
    Curvychloe
    Posts: 505

    Posted 12/13/2012 2:13 PM

    He can say what he wants the guy is a liar and he can tell himself he's not so he can sleep better at night. Why in the hell does this come up now? He just wants to get his name out there,maybe get some interviews or what not,which just goes to show you that its basically all about cash

     

    I am a fan of Sexy Blondes at courtside
  1. DHawes22
    DHawes22
    Posts: 6475

    Posted 12/13/2012 3:16 PM

    It's not like we haven't had our chances to win titles. We could have won the coin flip and taken Olajuwon, draft Jordan or Barkley in 84, kept Petro and taken Durant in 07.
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  1. riverman
    riverman
    Posts: 1098

    Posted 12/13/2012 4:21 PM

    It's all about the future now, we've distanced ourselves from the past..new system, gm, coach, roster..let it unfold!

    I am a fan of A team that plays like Tower of Power on a big stage on a good night
  1. Curvychloe
    Curvychloe
    Posts: 505

    Posted 12/15/2012 10:51 AM

    Petrovic? That wouldn't have made much a difference,Imagie if Sabonis had come into the nba in 1988,now THAT woulda made a difference
    I am a fan of Sexy Blondes at courtside
  1. D_pickett
    D_pickett
    Posts: 608

    Posted 12/15/2012 2:32 PM

    If you were in a job interview and have a history of slipping disks, then someone asked "can you lift 50 pounds" you'd say "yes," knowing full well that you'd be risking injuring yourself again. If the team with the number one pick shows interest in you, you do everything you can to make sure they land on you as their final decision.


    I bet LeBron told Cleveland he wanted to stay with one team in his pre-draft interview. I bet Russell Westbrook told OKC he could easily turn into a distributor instead of a scorer. You say what you need to in order to get hired. If you're interviewing guys and don't expect them to bend the truth, you've got some kind of naive idealism that's not going to help you in a GM role.

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  1. Curvychloe
    Curvychloe
    Posts: 505

    Posted 12/16/2012 3:18 PM

    I agree pickett,but in life if we lie to our interviewers the penalties are normally thick, but Sam bowie will still be a millionare,in fact why does he bring this up now? Simply to book some more interviews and get more money. Lying is lying and again sports hero's get a free pass but still look what it cost the blazers
    I am a fan of Sexy Blondes at courtside
  1. D_pickett
    D_pickett
    Posts: 608

    Posted 12/16/2012 4:07 PM

    I guess what I mean is he was probably answering in the way you would assuming you could play/work through pain. We all would give the optimistic, hopeful answer in a job interview, and I think Sam Bowie truly believed his knee problems wouldn't end his career.


    If I really think he was flat-out lying, I probably wouldn't defend him.

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  1. BLASER
    BLASER
    Posts: 590

    Posted 12/19/2012 10:57 PM

    yea I agree with picket but anywayz jordan or barkley would of brang an extra ring or 2 to us 

    I am a fan of JJ Hickson Posterizing The Opposition
  1. schwabbii
    schwabbii
    Posts: 178

    Posted 12/20/2012 12:44 PM

    Well could you imagine what we could of done with John Stockton? Now that would of been really nice!

    I am a fan of
  1. D_pickett
    D_pickett
    Posts: 608

    Posted 12/21/2012 2:54 PM

    Barkley actually told a story about approaching a Blazers GM (can't remember which one) when he was about to be a FA after Philly. He wanted to play with the blazers and thought he could win a ring with us. Not sure what went wrong there.

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