Djordjevic, Sabonis shelve their rivalry

Their national teams are fierce rivals, like Chicago and New York in 
the NBA. But now, Sasha Djordjevic of Yugoslavia and Arvydas Sabonis 
of Lithuania are teammates.

"Rivalry stops when you play on the same teams," Djordjevic said at 
the Trail Blazers' training camp. "We talk and try to find each 
other on the court."

"We're not close friends, but we're friends," Sabonis said.

In the 1996 Olympics, Yugoslavia won the silver medal and Lithuania 
got the bronze.

In the 1995 European championships, Yugoslavia edged Lithuania in 
Athens in a game with so much emotion the frustrated Lithuanians 
walked off the court in the closing minutes and almost decided not 
to finish. Sabonis, who had fouled out and drawn a technical for 
throwing a towel on the court, was prepared to pay all the fines if 
his team quit in protest.

Point guard Djordjevic, who scored 41 points, said he and center 
Vlade Divac helped talk the Lithuanians into returning.

"I didn't want it to end that way," Djordjevic said. "And I told 
Sabas (Sabonis) that the same thing had happened to us in the first 
half. We had some calls and technicals go against us."

In Djordjevic's opinion, the game was not all that controversial.

"Sabas lost that game, so it was controversial for him," Djordjevic 
said. "Ask the people who saw the game, and you'll get other 
comments. There were American referees." 

NAGGING INJURIES: 

Djordjevic has missed a couple of practices with a strained left 
groin. He said he hopes to be back soon, but "you never know with 
those things."

Guard Reggie Jordan also was held out of practice with an ankle 
sprain that might jeopardize his participation in tonight's camp 
finale, a scrimmage at Linfield College. 

NO CONCERNS: 

Djordjevic is a top-notch shooter and solid playmaker. One drawback 
could be his lack of foot speed, but he doesn't see that as much of 
a problem.

"I'm not concerned," he said. "What's more, I have a lot of 
experience. I have been a leader on all the teams I have played for. 
I think I can play halfcourt or in the open court." 

LONGSHOT: 

Jimmy Carruth is this training camp's extra big body. Curruth, 
6-foot-10, blocked 10 shots for Grand Rapids in one Continental 
Basketball Association game last year. He ranked second in the CBA 
in blocks per game, even though he averaged only about 10 minutes.

You don't have to be a great leaper to reject a few shots, he said.
"Chris Dudley is not the best jumper out here, and he's already 
stuffed five or six of my shots," Carruth said. "It's timing, and 
blocking shots is just something that comes naturally to me. I was 
never a go-to guy, so I had to make up for it on the other end. And 
in the CBA, it was easier to be more of a dominating force because 
of my size."

Carruth, who will be 27 on Nov. 4, has never played in the NBA but 
thinks his game is getting better.

"I'm on the way up," he said. "It's like I'm on a mountain, and I'm 
nowhere near the top."

Coming from the CBA, Carruth said he appreciates just being in NBA 
summer leagues and camps.

"It's like somebody who hasn't eaten for a week. You give him a 
baloney sandwich and he's going to enjoy every bite." 

EITHER WAY IS OK: 

When guard J.R. Rider left Nevada-Las Vegas for the Minnesota 
Timberwolves, he decided to go mostly by his given name, Isaiah. 
Around the Blazers, though, everyone just calls him J.R. He said he 
doesn't have a preference. IF NOMINATED,

HE WILL RUN: 

Dudley, treasurer of the NBA Players Association's Executive
Committee, said he is willing to be the Blazers' player 
representative again this season, if his teammates want him.

Mitchell Butler, trying to make the team at guard, was Washington's 
player representative two years ago and the Bullets' alternate last 
season. 

THEY WANT YOU: 

The Blazer Booster Club, down to 176 members, is on the recruiting
trail.

"We used to have more than 1,000," president Dale Steininger said as 
he chatted with coaches and players. The club meets monthly during 
the season. It costs $18 to join. Steininger can be reached at 
650-3804.