PORTLAND — There were demonstrators waiving Palestinian flags, holding signs and handing out fliers to those who would take them.
The Israeli flags had more of a presence inside the arena.
There were more police cars and SUVs than normal in the Rose Quarter.
A couple sat courtside holding a sign that says “Boycott Israel.”
It was the type of atmosphere that Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum had seen many times before in games he has played in his career. He just was not used to seeing it in Portland going into his seventh year with the team.
“I played in Israel a couple of times. I played against Tel Aviv and Jerusalem twice. We know what happens in that country. It’s sad, I think, in those situations — in the Olympics, too. Every time we play Israel or teams from Israel, there is more security, so I’m used to it,” Batum said.
And there was a game. A 121-74 Blazers rout over the Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, whose presence brought the protesters to the Rose Quarter on Friday. All 17 Blazers who played scored in a game that was uncompetitive midway through the second quarter.
Security was clearly more visible — and on purpose, with the awareness that protests would likely be coming. The pre-game buildup inside the arena included the Israeli national anthem in addition to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Gifts were exchanged between players for each team.
Prior the game, the Blazers, in conjunction with the City of Portland, dedicated the street at the Rose Quarter known as “Winning Way” to “Ramsay Way,” after legendary coach Jack Ramsay. Blazers staff all wore the Dr. Jack plaid patches they adorned throughout the playoffs to honor the late coach.
Dr. Jack travelled abroad to teach in basketball clinics all over the World, including in Israel. Ramsay was known for being both fiercely competitive and was also something of a worldly character who had many interests outside basketball.
Basketball and sport can build bridges. Basketball’s growth over the last several decades can only be described, as former international player and current Blazers coach Terry Stotts said, as “exponential.” The NBA has only continued to expand its Global Games like Friday’s in Portland.
Friday’s game showed that even the simplest things, like a game or the dedication of a street for a local legend, can cause uproar in the context of a complex situation. One protester quietly gave a flier to All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who was the only current player to go to the event — and did so of his own accord — in the middle of the dedication.
“First of all, I thought it was disrespectful to Dr. Jack’s ceremony,” said Lillard. “His family was there. A lot of people that support this organization and understand what he brought to the organization was there in support of him. And I thought that was selfish for someone to come out and try to take the attention out of what we were there for.” Lillard added: “I think it’s a time and a place for everything, and that wasn’t the time or place.”
Haifa guard Brody Angley, who was born in Spokane and lived in Walla Walla, said that while the protests could be a distraction, it is not for him.
“All the NBA teams have been very welcoming and our organization has done a good job with what we’ve been doing. That stuff aside, hopefully it’s not going to affect what’s going on for NBA teams preparing for a season and ours as well. It is what it is.”
While things were different at the Rose Quarter, changes both temporary and permanent, for Batum, it was what’s stayed the same that stood out.
“Since I was 15, the first time I played against Israel, it’s the same thing,” he said. “I’ve seen the same thing for 10 years.”
