By Brian Wheeler
Trail Blazers Radio Play-By-Play Announcer
Courtesy of Rip City Magazine

Ruben Patterson Rip City Magazine: You came to the Blazers last off-season as a free agent, not knowing a whole lot about the team or the city of Portland. Has the move turned out to be everything you hoped it would be?

Ruben Patterson: Yes. I think coming to Portland was a great thing for my family and me. It's a wonderful city and we've got wonderful fans. Of course, being a Trail Blazer means you're always in the playoffs, and that's another reason I wanted to come here. We did have our ups and downs last year, but are very excited about this year. We're going to be better than we were last year. I know it was a learning year for coach Cheeks and he'll be even better than he was. He's learned what guys can do, and what his style is as a coach.

Rip City: What do you like most about Portland?

Patterson: It's a very family-friendly city. I love being here. I love getting out and talking to the fans and I've loved the way they've supported me. They always tell me they're happy that I'm here, and I appreciate that. It's really a wonderful thing living here.

Rip City: You quickly became a crowd favorite with your hustle and determination out on the court. Where do you get all the energy you play with?

Patterson: I think I have to credit my college coach at Cincinnati, Bob Huggins, with a lot of that. I played two years there with him and he is the kind of coach who just rides you to be better. He doesn't care about offense. If you don't play defense, and play hard, and dive on the floor, and give it everything you have, you don't play. I think that's where I got that mentality. It will continue for me because that's now my trademark.

Rip City: It seems like you become even more inspired when the Blazers are at home and the Rose Garden fans start to get behind you.

Patterson: That's one of the great things about playing at home. People know how much I feed off the fans. They really get my blood pumping. I love waving my arms and getting the crowd to rise to its feet. They really motivate me, and make me work harder.

Rip City: One of the great team rivalries in the NBA is the Blazers vs. the Lakers. One of the great personal rivalries has turned out to be Ruben vs. Kobe. You seem to relish the challenge of defending one of the game's great players.

Patterson: I definitely do. It goes a long way back for me. He knows I'm always going to be there and this will always be a rivalry. In fact, we start the season against them this year. Kobe is a great, great player. I took kind of personally his attitude towards me when I came in as a rookie and played with him. I'm going to always go out there and do whatever I can for my team. I don't take 30 shots a game, but I do whatever I can. He knows I'm always going to get up to play him.

Rip City: You've mentioned that you'd love to play Michael Jordan one-on-one someday and you didn't have the chance to go against him last season due to his knee injury. What would be your strategy against him in a one-on-one match-up?

Patterson: Well, this is Michael Jordan we're talking about. He is getting up there in age and can't do the things he used to be able to do. A couple of years ago I wouldn't have made that comment (laughing). I've adored Michael since I was a kid. I was disappointed when he retired just as soon as I got rolling in this league because I wanted to play against him. I wanted to play against him last season, but as you said, he was hurt for those two games. I've idolized him my whole life and just want to play against him. The guy is still great. He doesn't have the moves he used to have but he still knows what to do with that ball.

Rip City: Tell us about your nickname "Boo" and how that came about.

Patterson: That came from my family. My mom started calling me that and it kind of stuck. Everyone has called me Boo ever since. For whatever reason, that's my nickname. She never told me why she called me that, and to this day I don't know why.

Rip City: I know you had a chance recently to go visit some kids at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. From all the reports it sounds like you got as much out of that time as the kids you went to see.

Patterson: Yeah, I did. It's very hard to go see kids who are struggling. No kid deserves to go through the pain and suffering a lot of those kids are going through. I made their day, and that felt good. I gave them some hugs, some autographs, took some pictures, and just talked to them. Tomorrow is never a promise and these kids know that. I called my wife right after that. I just had to thank God that my kids are healthy. When I was there I had to tell our public relations staff that I had to go because I started crying and was very emotional. I didn't want the kids to see that and feel worse. But, I think I made their day and was very glad I went there and saw the real world. I was sad. I got a call recently and was told that one of the girls I spent time with was in very bad shape. It really hurts. I came home and prayed for everyone in that hospital and for all of the families.

Rip City: What do you tell those kids you visit to help brighten their day a little bit?

Patterson: I just tried to tell them to stay strong and have faith. God will help you get through all of this. They would always smile and shake their heads. That's really the only thing you can say. There's no reason why they're in this situation and really no answers I can give them. God is going to help you out, just hang in there.

Rip City: What was your off-season like in terms of preparing for your second year in Portland?

Patterson: I've been working out hard everyday. I've been going into the practice facility and lifting weights, shooting with the coaches, and running. I've told my family, and everyone near me, that I'm very serious about this year. Last year was devastating. Getting swept by the Lakers was brutal. Last year I had to miss the first five games of the season. This year I'm going to start off strong, and try and make up for that. I was hurt that I couldn't be there for my teammates. All the guys coming into training camp have to be in shape, and I hope they are. You can't wait until training camp to try and get into shape. I've just been busting my butt everyday. I'm in very good shape right now, and I feel good. I've been talking to Rasheed Wallace and Zach Randolph and all the young guys. I've been telling them that we've got to start off strong and ready. For us to get the home-court advantage and be one of the best teams in the NBA we've got to start right now. The time for relaxing is long past. Basketball has started.

Rip City: You had a successful first year as a Blazer. What would you like to improve on this season?

Patterson: Just really the same things I've talked about. I hope my play will give me an opportunity to be on the floor more. My shot is looking really good. My 15-foot stroke has really improved. I really want to concentrate on that going into this year. The rest of my game has always been there. I will always do the dirty work. I will always dive for loose balls, bang inside, and rebound hard. I told my wife in August that I'm ready for the season to start right now. I'm so sick and tired of hearing about the Lakers. We've got the talent right here to beat anybody. We're going to make some big statements this season.

Rip City: The Blazers of last season were playing some pretty good basketball going into the playoffs. Then, of course, you were eliminated by the Lakers. Is that a big motivating factor going into this season?

Patterson: Yes. It's still hurting me. After we lost that series I didn't watch basketball for a while. It took me weeks before I started watching the playoffs again. It hurt me real bad. I just hope all of our guys were hurting as bad as I was. I hope they realize how devastating that loss was. Coach Cheeks told me he still thinks about that series all the time. Hopefully all of our guys feel that way.

Rip City: You seemed to strike up a pretty close relationship with coach Maurice Cheeks as last season went on. He can be pretty hard on you at times, but it's clear he's always looking out for your best interests and is always trying to make you a better player.

Patterson: He just wants us to work hard. Everyone knows Mo Cheeks was a tireless worker when he played in the NBA. That's what he wants us to be. He doesn't care about a lot of the other stuff. Everything works out if you give the effort you should.

Rip City: Do you anticipate big things from you and your teammates this season?

Patterson: We've got a lot of new faces, so that will be a challenge at first. But we've added some great pieces. We've addressed a lot of needs. We've gotten bigger in the backcourt with Antonio Daniels and Jeff McInnis. Hopefully Arvydas Sabonis will help us. We've got a lot of talent on this team. I'm confident in saying we're going to be better than last year.

Rip City: You've already experienced how loyal and dedicated the fans here in Portland are. What do you have in store for them in the upcoming year?

Patterson: I know they'll keep supporting us and we're going to try our best to make them happy. Every time I'm out people come up to me and tell me how badly they want a championship. We have a great team here, and the fans are just wonderful. I'd like nothing more than to bring them everything they deserve. I do promise, this year will be different than last year.