“This part of the job is always so enjoyable,” Lopez said. “Basketball is a game. It’s a lot of fun. But when it’s your job, it can be a little stressful and strenuous at times. It’s always a lot of fun to get out here with the fans.”
Besides, Lopez never knows what interesting things children will say to him. He got a kick out of one young fan Wednesday.
“One girl said I was her favorite person, which I take to mean I’m number one over even her parents, iCarly, Abraham Lincoln. I’ve got all those people beat.” he said.
One fan who had the others beat was Parker Ginn. The Vancouver 6-year old and his father, Tyler, were among the first in line, arriving about 30 minutes before the 1:30 p.m. event.
Among the fans waiting in line, many talked about one moment that still has Blazer fans buzzing — Damian Lillard’s game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the playoff series against Houston.
Parker said that shot is his favorite Blazers moment, even though he was in bed when it happened.
“Daddy was jumping around,” Parker said. “I came out and said ‘What’s going on?'”
Lopez says he has noticed an uptick in fan excitement since last season, when the Blazers won a playoff series for the first time in 14 years.
“People are coming up and thanking us for last season,” Lopez said. “Even though we’re looking toward this year, that’s something we can be proud of.”
Wednesday, fans took turns posing in front of a Rip City sign near the water feature on the park’s east end. Those “microclips” will be used to form a 30-second commercial that will end with a group shot of the fans and players.
The Vancouver shoot is one of four taking place in the Portland area.
Dewayne Hankins, Blazers vice president of marketing, says the team is trying to boost its presence in Clark County.
“Vancouver is a place where a lot of our fans come from,” Hankins said. “So for us to it’s important to include them in a lot of what we’re doing.”
The Blazers will return to Vancouver on Oct. 28 as part of the Rip City Relay, a seven-city tour that includes Blazers personalities and family activities.
Hankins said the Blazers are filling the void left by the departure of the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008.
“We definitely want to make a concerted effort to be Oregon’s team but I think why not be the Pacific Northwest’s team?” he said.
Columbian staff writer Erik Gunderson contributed to this report.
