Skal Labissiere came to the Portland Trail Blazers last spring after the team traded Caleb Swanigan for him in February, and with him he brought a unique outlook on life, largely as a result of surviving the Haitian earthquake of 2010 combined with his Christian faith. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune recounted how Labissiere and his family struggled after the catastrophe, as Labissiere could not walk due to injuries sustained in the disaster.
“It’s fortunate we came out of it alive,” Labissiere said. “We were in the only spot in the house where we could have survived.