Blazers' Blake Wesley Recalls Giving Back to Portland

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Portland Trail Blazers guard Blake Wesley hasn't made a huge impact on the court because he's been dealing with a foot injury for most of the season. However, he has made a huge impact off of it.
Wesley shared a desire to give back to the Portland community in a recent video that he shot with the team.
"We're very fortunate to be in the NBA, some people are less fortunate than us, so I just try to treat everybody with respect. That's always my motto; that's always what my mom taught me and my dad told me: treat others the way you want to be treated, no matter the race, no matter the color, no matter where you come from," Wesley said.
Wesley Makes Impact Off The Court
Wesley shared a personal story from earlier in the season about a Portland citizen he ran into on the streets, hoping to give back to the community.
"A couple weeks ago, before Christmas, I went downtown, and a dude came by. I saw he had a Trail Blazers hat on, so I'm like, "Oh, so you watch the Trail Blazers?" He was like, "No, not really. I just got the hat." I play for them; he was like, "Really?" I'm like, "Alright, let's go get them donuts, save them a couple of shoes." I told him I was going to be back to see him. I just wanted to bless somebody in need," Wesley said.
While Wesley was hurt for three months earlier this season with a broken foot, he is hoping to do his best in an attempt to make up for lost time. Wesley has averaged six points per game for the Blazers since the All-Star break, which is higher than his scoring average from earlier in the season.
Wesley is a free agent at the end of the season, but the Blazers and the Portland community should hope to have him back for next year and beyond given the type of impact he is making both inside and outside of the locker room.

Wesley and the Trail Blazers are set to return to the court tomorrow as they take on Kevin Durant, Alperin Sengun and the Houston Rockets. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT inside the Toyota Center in Houston. Fans can watch the game on Rip City Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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