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It’s hot out here in Blazers-ville, but not as hot as this Ed Davis story!

By Matt George Moore

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 27: Ed Davis #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 27, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 27: Ed Davis #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 27, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Portland is currently weathering a bit of a scorcher. It’s in the 90s, which for Blazers fans is uncomfortable and uncool. (See what I did there?)

A well-meaning critic of mine once told me that I didn’t have to write about something every single day.

Well, he was wrong.

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We’re the RCP, man, and we love both the Blazers and stories about the Blazers.

Or stories about people who were Blazers but aren’t anymore.

Stories that morph into a sweet sorta nostalgia about that player’s dad are especially excellent.

So here is one especially for you, dear well-meaning critic. Tell me your life isn’t made better by the information I’m about to impart.

Ed Davis: A Blazers Player No More

Ed Davis no longer plays for Portland.

You know this. I know this. Everybody knows this.

We’re still a bit heartsick over this fact. Even our super-cool franchise leader, Damian Lillard, is broken up about it.

But, much like Lillard, we’re professionals. We know that these things happen in the NBA.

So — rather than crying in our microbrews and getting salty tears all stuck up in our lumberjack-like facial hair — we’re going to wish “Shirt-Off Ed’ the best.

And we’ll continue to laugh when he sticks it to the man. Like he did Tuesday when he scoffed at the idea that he’d been posterized.

Never change, Ed.

Ed’s Dad

Personal note: I have a soft spot for Davis that extends beyond what he did as a player in Portland. His father, Terry Davis, was a member of the Miami Heat starting with that franchise’s second year of existence.

The Heat arrived in my hometown (that’s Miami for those of you a little slow on the uptake) when I was just a wee teen. And they were terrible. (They won just 18 games in Daddy Davis’ rookie season.) But since Miami had never had an NBA team, we loved them anyway.

Next: Blazers 10th in probably-way-too-early rankings

So that’s why I feel a personal connection to Terry’s son Ed. Maybe I even saw little Ed running around the ol’ (and now demolished) Miami Arena during warm-ups in 1991. You never know.

Anyway, stay cool, Rip City.