Portland on a Cloud

I squeezed my way through the throng to get up on stage where the broadcasters were and for a better look back at the crowd. I couldn't hear or understand anything that was going on, I could just tell people were really happy and I just kept snapping pics. I looked up and saw Brandon Roy had an envelope in his hand and I thought, 'hey number three ain't too shabby, but these fans sure are going crazy for the third pick.' And then they flashed the draft order and there it was, the mother of all miracles. Portland had the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Arguably the deepest draft in history. Then everything switched to slow motion for me. Mike Barrett was high-fiving his fellow broadcasters. Bill Schonley getting hugs from everywhere. Blazers Broadcasting executive producer Scott Zachry with his fists pumped and raised in the air. Ime Udoka with even a bigger smile than he usually has. Freddy Jones grinning from ear to ear. Fans holding up their Blazers shirts and signs and yelling their heads off and chanting ODEN-ODEN-ODEN. It was like something out of movie."