<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazer forward Zach Randolph has been granted bereavement leave effective immediately, the team announced Monday. No details were given. "All we are saying is what was issued in the statement," Blazer spokeswoman Robyn Jamilosa said. The team announcement said Randolph, their leading scorer, will rejoin the Trail Blazers at some point during the team's upcoming four-game road trip. </div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2804950 What happened?
His baby's mother's cousin was murdered. I have no idea what their relationship was but when you are paying someone a near max contract I'd expect that you would only be granted a bereavement leave of absence if the person who died was family. Nice to see that the Blazers are showing compassion for Zach in hopes that they can get some more ping pong balls for Durant.
^Maybe they were close. Btw, where did you find that? Anyway, I hope this doesn't sound insensitive or anything, but I don't want him to come back for Thursday's game against the Knicks.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph is expected to miss at least the next two games after the team granted its leading scorer and rebounder a leave of absence on Monday to attend a funeral in his hometown of Marion, Ind. Before Sunday's home game against Seattle, Randolph learned that Lamar Cannon had been shot and killed at a motorcycle club early Sunday. Cannon, 23, is the first cousin of Faune Drake, Randolph's longtime girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter. Randolph's agent, Raymond Brothers, said Randolph knew Cannon and wanted to attend the funeral. Marion police said Otis Donald, 23, entered the Black Dragon Motorcycle Club around 5:45 a.m. EDT on Sunday and fired a gun multiple times. By Monday afternoon, police said their investigation had revealed that Donald entered the club to confront someone other than Cannon. Cannon tried to intervene and was shot once. He died at 6:25 a.m. at a local hospital. Donald also was shot and died. Blazers coach Nate McMillan said Randolph knew of Cannon's death when he arrived for the team's morning shootaround Sunday, but decided to play against the Sonics. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, both below his season averages, in 31 minutes and was lackluster at times on defense.</div> Link
