Gerald Wallace on Being Traded: ‘It Was Kind of Shocking’


Like most athletes who get traded, Gerald Wallace didn’t see it coming. He told the Oregonian that the move to New Jersey came as a shock: “Gerald Wallace returned to the Rose Garden as part of the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday, his first game in Portland since being traded on March 15. Before the game, Wallace met with Portland reporters in the visiting locker room and talked about the trade, his former team and other topic. Some of the highlights: On his reaction to the trade: ‘It was kind of shocking. I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t think I was on the trading block. It was kind of surprise to me. But at the same time, it’s a business, and you get used to it.’ On if the reaction was different from the one he had when Charlotte traded him to Portland last season: ‘The first one is undeniably the most painful because you don’t expect it, you don’t think it can happen to you. And then after that, it just becomes a part of the business. You get used to it, and you just move forward.’ If he was happy in Portland: ‘I was happy. I was disappointed I was traded. I was disappointed by the way the season played out, about the situation as far as the team. But at the same time, they decided to go in another direction, so you just take if from there and move forward.’ On what happened with the Blazers this season: ‘I don’t know. You gotta ask those guys.’ From his perspective, what happened on the court? ‘I don’t have a clue.’ On what he misses about Blazers? ‘The fans. This is one of the most amazing arenas to play in in front of the fans. The home crowd is the biggest thing I’m missing. And my teammates. You know, it was a tough season for us. Things didn’t go the way we wanted, the way we expected. We got off to a great start, and then kind of hit the wall there.’”