Terry Stotts appreciation thread

In the interest of fairness I will say he had more success than I would have predicted for him when he was hired.

 

https://www.nba.com/blazers/story/2021/6/5/parting-message-from-coach-stotts

 

“All good things must come to an end”. An English Poet

In 2012, when I was hired as the Trail Blazers’ Head Coach, I could not have imagined the incredible ride this coaching journey would take. The extraordinary opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Blazers for the last nine years has been such an honor and privilege. It certainly has been far more than a “good thing”, and now it has come to an end.

There are SO many people to thank:

First and foremost, to the late Paul Allen and to Neil Olshey for giving me the opportunity to once again be an NBA Head Coach and for their partnership. Also, to Jody Allen for her trust and ongoing stewardship of this exceptional franchise.

Obviously, a special thank you must go to the Damian Lillard. These last nine years would not have been possible for me if it were not for the talent, leadership, and trust of Damian Lillard, a true MVP. I am immensely proud of the culture Neil, Damian and I created with the Blazers.

THANK YOU RIP CITY fans! You are incredibly special and unique. The passion and love you have for your Blazers are second to none. Every season, your support and overwhelming enthusiasm made Moda Center the most difficult arena for opponents and the best home court advantage in the NBA. I know of no more loyal fans than those of Blazer Nation. I cherished it and never took it for granted.

To the Players: Without a doubt, the NBA is a player’s league, and it is a team sport. So, thank you to the 71 talented players who played for us these past 9 seasons. I have many fond memories of each team and every player.

To my coaching staffs: I loved my coaching staffs through the years and thank them for their tireless work ethic, passion, and excellence. But mostly, I thank them for their friendship and humor. They made the work enjoyable, even when times were difficult. I often told them that our coaches’ meetings were the best part of my day.

To all the Blazer support staff, thank you! To everyone at the Practice Facility, Health and Performance, Basketball Operations, Media Relations, Social Media, and Blazers Broadcasting. They all do their jobs with such excellence and it was my honor working with them. A special thank you to our Athletic Trainer and Sommelier Geoff Clark, and my right-hand assistant Beth Hancock. Additionally, thank you to Chris McGowan and all the Blazers Business Operations at Moda Center.

Being the Head Coach of the Trail Blazers has been a life changing experience. There have been so many special memories that my wife, Jan, and I will always cherish; memories involving wonderful people and lasting friendships. We thoroughly enjoy living in Portland and all that Oregon has to offer. We are proud to call Portland home.

Thank you RIP CITY. Stay safe and be well

The good times and memories will last forever.

Keep Portland Weird.

Terry and Jan Stotts

 

I appreciate everything Coach Stotts brought to the team. It takes everyone in an pro sports organization preforming at the top of their collective game to win big. Terry got the best out of the players he coached. He helped nurture a very immature Nurk, before suffering that brutal leg injury, into one of the Leagues best. He allowed Dame the leeway to become an incredible force in the game. Many a coach has stunted a players course. Not Terry. Thank You for all you brought to the table. I wish you, and your family the VERY BEST, and much success in your future endeavors.

 

This team has plenty of talent. Especially when Zach is healthy.

 

Mad respect for Terry....sounds like he's still going to enjoy living in Portland by his letter. He made the Portland Trailblazers a team of class and togetherness. I will always thank him for that and for helping encouraging and allowing Dame to become the superstar he became.

 

A team with all PGs might have "plenty of talent" but it ain't winning anything.

 

I have read Boston as well. Though Boston has a number of coaches they are looking at already.

 

Bwahahaha good one! I pity any team that makes the mistake of hiring him. Unless they have a Dame Lillard on their team, they’re doomed to fail under Stotts’ “leadership”.

 

I guess we will see won’t we? He is going to coach again. Pretty sure of it.

 

I sincerely hope he does. That will almost guarantee Portland two wins every year.

 

Again. I guess we will see.

 

Stotts is very likable and I like him. But only a superstar should get an uninterrupted decade with the same team. That includes players.