After holding practices at their facility in Tualatin nearly every day since the start of training camp, the Trail Blazers took last Friday and Sunday off. The off days presented a last chance for players to spend time with their families, take care of outstanding chores and errands around the house and enjoy some time on their own before the regular season begins Wednesday night.
Instead, they chose to spend more time with each other.
Despite having spent the better part of the last three weeks with each other and the fact that they’ll see each other nearly every single day for at least the next six months, the team, from players to coaches to front office staffers, met up in downtown Portland for a surprise party for Rodney Hood, who turned 27 on Sunday.