Remember Me: I'm Ennis Whatley?

By Joshua Sidis

This week’s throwback Blazer is Ennis Whatley.  I promise you that it is merely coincidental that for back-to-back weeks we have chosen the Portland player with the most ridiculous name.  But, I assure you this is it.  This is all the Blazers have.  We will have to wait 20 years until we can write Tanguy Ngombo’s “Remember Me.”  

Ennis (whose name rhymes with a body part, a male specific body part) was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the number 13 pick in the 1983 draft.  Would you believe me if I told you the next pick, number 14, was Clyde Drexler?  In the NBA draft that’s like a Tom Brady pick.   

Whatley bounced around the league for ten seasons playing for 9 teams including two stints with the Blazers.  His first stint was in 1992, the year the Blazers played the Bulls (his biological birth team) in the Finals.  Ennis played deep on the bench in ’92 only getting into 23 games and averaging three points when he did play.  In 1997 he signed a 10-day contract with Portland playing in 3 games before he took off to Lithuania to finish out his career.

Whatley is now an ordained minister and motivational speaker. Before we conclude, can we please rehash the fact that Clyde Drexler was taken 14^th overall?!?!  Seriously.