Chapter 15 Unwelcome Visitor

[Basketball is about seeing who can intimidate who.] — "X-man" Xavier McDaniel

On October 31, 1986, the Portland Trail Blazers welcomed their new season opener at the Memorial Coliseum, facing off against their old rivals, the Seattle SuperSonics.

Because Portland and Seattle are in close proximity, the Trail Blazers and the SuperSonics were bound to clash within the first five matches of the season, and there had long been grievances between the two teams.

Over the summer, the SuperSonics underwent major changes. Jack Sikma was traded to the Bucks, Lenny Wilkens stepped down as manager and left for the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking the end of the '79 championship era, and the SuperSonics entered a new period.

However, after sending Sikma away, Seattle had no intention of completely throwing in the towel. On the contrary, a series of signings, trades, and management changes all indicated their ambition for the new season.