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When Zach Randolph went to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2001, all he knew were his Midwest roots of Marion, Indiana and Michigan State University. Now in the NBA, he was playing across the country in Oregon on a veteran team. 

Adjusting to life far away from home wasn’t the only new experience Randolph underwent either. He was barely playing, only appearing in 41 games on 5.8 MPG during his rookie year.

Despite the difficulties Zach faced with the Trail Blazers, he did learn a lot from his teammates. Portland’s roster consisted of many well-known names like Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp and Steve Kerr. Randolph remembers one day on a team flight when he asked Kerr about their schedule for the season.

(Via The Posecast):

“We get a break? Can we go home?” Randolph asked the current Warriors coach.

“Can’t go home.” Kerr answered.