Damon’s summer of discontent

Stoudamire wants out if Blazers don’t play him next year

By Kerry Eggers

The Portland Tribune, Jun 27, 2003, Updated Oct 30, 2009

There are plenty of reasons why Damon Stoudamire is spending his summer in the classroom, working toward a degree in media arts (with a minor in sports broadcasting) at the University of Arizona, for the first time since he left for the NBA in 1995.

Sportscasting is a potential career once his playing days end. He promised his mother, Liz Washington, that he would get his degree when he left school two terms short of graduation. And it was an excuse to get out of town.

A couple of weeks after the Trail Blazer season ended, Stoudamire arrived in Tucson. Once summer school ends in late July, he will head for Houston. A few days before training camp begins in October, he will fly home.

“I ain’t coming back to Portland till it’s time to play basketball,” the Wilson High graduate says. “I ain’t having no fun in Portland no more. I like Portland, I’m from Portland, but it’s best if I get out of there.

“It’s crazy, but I feel more embraced in other cities. They still got a lot of love for me down here in Tucson. They are the truest fans I’ve ever been around. Whether you do good or bad, they back you 110 percent.”

Stoudamire feels underappreciated by the fans, but the focus of his disdain lies in the way the team has used him since he came to Portland from Toronto in 1998. With the Raptors, he averaged nearly 20 points a game in 2 1/2 seasons as a water-bug-quick, volume-shooting point guard who won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award for 1995-96.

First Mike Dunleavy, then Maurice Cheeks wanted him to play the more traditional role of a setup guy for the Blazers, who had much more talent than Toronto.

Stoudamire struggled to find a balance but remained the starter, then hit rock bottom last season as Cheeks went full time with Scottie Pippen at the point. For the first time in his life, Stoudamire became a bench warmer, with 22 DNP-CDs (did not play/coach’s decision) and career lows in field goal percentage (.376) and scoring (6.9 points per game).

When Derek Anderson went out because of an ankle injury, Stoudamire returned to the starting lineup in the playoffs against Dallas, averaging 15.3 points while shooting .456 from the field and an outstanding .487 (15 of 31) from

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