10:49 AM PST on Wednesday, December 10, 2003

by TERESA BELL, kgw.com Staff

Portland Trail Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks has been fined $7,500 by the NBA.

The penalty is for a recent incident when Cheeks verbally abused officials and failed to leave the court in a timely manner after his ejection against Memphis.

Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks. (AP File Photo)

Cheeks was thrown out of Sunday's game after picking up his second technical foul with 1:12 remaining in the 93-79 loss. It was Portland's sixth straight road loss this season.

This comes at a time when the Blazers are already suffering from an image tarnished by several player arrests, team infighting and a diminishing fan base.

Just last week, the Blazers announced a move team management hoped would help improve public relations and boost the scoring strength of the team. They traded Bonzi Wells for Memphis’ Wesley Person, a 6-6 swingman expected to provide veteran leadership.

Person is a family man who has been married ten years and doesn't remember ever getting a technical foul.

In contrast, Wells was recently stripped of his job as team captain for cursing at coach Cheeks. He was also fined by the team for making an obscene gesture at a fan and last March, he was suspended for one game for Conduct Detrimental to the team.

This all led up to the team’s decision to trade Wells in early December.

Cheeks has not been shy about showing his frustration with players. When forward Zach Randolph was recently arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of marijuana, he said he tries to remind his often troubled team that they are responsible for their actions.

“To wake and always be hit by something, (of) some sort other than basketball, is just not healthy for me, it’s not healthy for the organization,” Cheeks said.

The Blazers' ongoing problems are impacting the team's bottom line. Many fans that used to pack the Rose Garden are staying home.

The 11 worst-attended games in the Rose Garden's nine-year history all have come among this year's first 12 home games. The arena that seats 20,000 is routinely getting crowds of 14,000-15,000.

Fans appear to be put off by drug use, fights, team squabbles and a new management still trying to make good on a promise to cleanup the team's act.

"You've got a broken brand that needs to be fixed," said Blazers President Steve Patterson, hired by team owner Paul Allen in June. In fatter times, the Trail Blazers would sell out virtually all season.

(AP also contributed to this article.)