Feb 08

Volunteers don’t give back for recognition, they do it because giving back warms their souls. It’s for this reason the Portland Trail Blazers and Hands On Greater Portland partner each year to present the Heart of the Community Awards. Started in 2002, the awards aim to give a deserving nod to those volunteers who carry the banner of volunteerism deep into the Portland community.

Feb 08

Nolan Smith has been in pressure situations before. After all, he headlined at a top-flight high school program at Oak Hill Academy before playing four years at Duke, the preeminent college hoops program in the world. He's won National Championships and has been named First Team All American, honors that are typically bestowed upon those who have the ability to remain cool and calm under stressful conditions. But the ability to deal with pressure in one situation doesn't necessarily transfer over to another, as Nolan experienced first-hand Monday night at the OnPoint Community Credit Union Celebrity Spelling Bee at the Portland Art Museum. On stage in front of a few hundred people, likely the smallest crowd he's performed in front of in years, Nolan stumbled while trying to spell "panzer," mistakenly spelling it with an "S" instead of a "Z."

Feb 02

The Trail Blazers will pay tribute to some of Portland’s African American leaders throughout February. Trail Blazers president Larry Miller will participate in the “Get in the Game” Barbershop Initiative. The event, created by former honoree Karanja Crews, promotes reading and educating youth about African American history. Miller will also be honored by SEI at its Black History Makers event on February 27.

Jan 23

On a January afternoon in Portland it was raining. No big surprise there as the wet and cold are trademarks of winter in the Pacific Northwest. The difference on this day came at the hands of Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews. Fresh off a six-game road trip, he spent the better part of the afternoon at a local Fred Meyer kicking off the second annual Fred Meyer

Dec 20

The holidays arrived a bit earlier than scheduled for the Albina Head Start students when the Trail Blazers descended their classrooms in mid December. Coach McMillan gave the team the afternoon off just halfway through training camp to spread holiday cheer and to visit some of their youngest and smallest fans.