http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13752406p-14594119c.html
By Joe Davidson
Bonzi Wells returns to Portland tonight, his home for parts of six NBA seasons.
He'll be recognized - he's the one with the versatile game, the headband and varying facial expressions - but there will be no flowers offered to the Kings shooting guard at the Rose Garden. There will be no standing salute - though there may be a sea of salutes of an entirely different sort - to a former Trail Blazer who may be forever frowned upon in the Pacific Northwest.
Wells and about half the roster made plenty of news away from the arena during a troubled and turbulent Trail Blazers stint from 1998 to 2003.
Wells said then that Portland fans "don't matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they're still going to ask us for our autographs."
Management made him apologize. He had verbal run-ins with fans, and apologized. He had his co-captaincy stripped and was suspended two games for cursing then-coach Maurice Cheeks.
But Wells has been a model citizen with the Kings. He has been engaging in public appearances, candid with the media.
And that Portland stint? Still a bitter aftertaste.
"I'm from Indiana, baby, and Portland was a place I went to work," Wells said. "It was something I had to do when I was there. I'm happy to be away from there, because it got bad. I don't care (if I get booed). I don't know any of those people.
"As long as my kids tell me that they love me, I'm fine. My motto is, when people talk about me, I say, 'Who are they? They're not God.' If God was out there booing me, I'd be upset."
Wells said his Blazers' tenure was mixed. The good included playoffs and his coming-out party as a player from tiny Ball State. He averaged a career-best 17 points a game in 2001-02. But there was constant strife and media storms for off-court behavior, from marijuana possession to domestic abuse to locker-room tussles. And the fan base soured on the product.
Wells said fans became verbally abusive.
"When people come out and show respect, that's fine," he said. "When they just want to be (expletives) and want to boo you and talk bad about you. ...
"The fans made it sour; the media made it sour," Wells continued. "All the media wanted to do was write bad articles about us every single day, wanted to make us out to be thugs, like we were bad boys. All we did was fight for our team, fight for our city, and (media and fans) didn't respect that.
"I bet if you ask those people now - today - would they want us back there, I bet all of them would cut their arm off to get that team back."
Not necessarily.
Blazers management responded to the fans' backlash, implementing a 25-point pledge to customers that included a promise to hold players accountable for their actions both on and off the court.
And the Blazers changed the roster, moving Wells, Rasheed Wallace and others during the 2003-04 season. Wells and Wallace, in effect, stamped their exit papers after Wallace, accompanied by Wells, threw a ball at a teammate at practice, flooring him.
Blazers general manager John Nash said then that "Bonzi could no longer be successful here. Change was needed."
In a phone call Friday, Nash remained firm.
"I don't feel any differently now than I did then," Nash said. "The city had grown disconnected with that team, more with the non-basketball antics. I don't think the players involved understood how the fans felt. We were given the mandate to improve the character of the team, the image, and we did."
Wells said he felt liberated after his trade to Memphis. He's even happier to be in Sacramento. He sees a struggling Blazers team now and couldn't care less.
"I'm glad to be gone, to be in a better situation," Wells said. "I'm happy they have a down time because that's what they wanted. They wanted us all out of there, and see what happens?" Nash said they have a better overall product, though the club could endure some growing pains. The Wells era is over, but fans will surely offer some reminders tonight.
By Joe Davidson
Bonzi Wells returns to Portland tonight, his home for parts of six NBA seasons.
He'll be recognized - he's the one with the versatile game, the headband and varying facial expressions - but there will be no flowers offered to the Kings shooting guard at the Rose Garden. There will be no standing salute - though there may be a sea of salutes of an entirely different sort - to a former Trail Blazer who may be forever frowned upon in the Pacific Northwest.
Wells and about half the roster made plenty of news away from the arena during a troubled and turbulent Trail Blazers stint from 1998 to 2003.
Wells said then that Portland fans "don't matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they're still going to ask us for our autographs."
Management made him apologize. He had verbal run-ins with fans, and apologized. He had his co-captaincy stripped and was suspended two games for cursing then-coach Maurice Cheeks.
But Wells has been a model citizen with the Kings. He has been engaging in public appearances, candid with the media.
And that Portland stint? Still a bitter aftertaste.
"I'm from Indiana, baby, and Portland was a place I went to work," Wells said. "It was something I had to do when I was there. I'm happy to be away from there, because it got bad. I don't care (if I get booed). I don't know any of those people.
"As long as my kids tell me that they love me, I'm fine. My motto is, when people talk about me, I say, 'Who are they? They're not God.' If God was out there booing me, I'd be upset."
Wells said his Blazers' tenure was mixed. The good included playoffs and his coming-out party as a player from tiny Ball State. He averaged a career-best 17 points a game in 2001-02. But there was constant strife and media storms for off-court behavior, from marijuana possession to domestic abuse to locker-room tussles. And the fan base soured on the product.
Wells said fans became verbally abusive.
"When people come out and show respect, that's fine," he said. "When they just want to be (expletives) and want to boo you and talk bad about you. ...
"The fans made it sour; the media made it sour," Wells continued. "All the media wanted to do was write bad articles about us every single day, wanted to make us out to be thugs, like we were bad boys. All we did was fight for our team, fight for our city, and (media and fans) didn't respect that.
"I bet if you ask those people now - today - would they want us back there, I bet all of them would cut their arm off to get that team back."
Not necessarily.
Blazers management responded to the fans' backlash, implementing a 25-point pledge to customers that included a promise to hold players accountable for their actions both on and off the court.
And the Blazers changed the roster, moving Wells, Rasheed Wallace and others during the 2003-04 season. Wells and Wallace, in effect, stamped their exit papers after Wallace, accompanied by Wells, threw a ball at a teammate at practice, flooring him.
Blazers general manager John Nash said then that "Bonzi could no longer be successful here. Change was needed."
In a phone call Friday, Nash remained firm.
"I don't feel any differently now than I did then," Nash said. "The city had grown disconnected with that team, more with the non-basketball antics. I don't think the players involved understood how the fans felt. We were given the mandate to improve the character of the team, the image, and we did."
Wells said he felt liberated after his trade to Memphis. He's even happier to be in Sacramento. He sees a struggling Blazers team now and couldn't care less.
"I'm glad to be gone, to be in a better situation," Wells said. "I'm happy they have a down time because that's what they wanted. They wanted us all out of there, and see what happens?" Nash said they have a better overall product, though the club could endure some growing pains. The Wells era is over, but fans will surely offer some reminders tonight.
