Queen of Rip City Brooke Olzendam and her mom, Alison, took a break from holiday festivities to chat with us. We learned that Crab Louie was invented in Spokane, that Alison was Brooke’s first AAU Coach and how close Brooke came to becoming a pharmaceutical rep (a boon for us, a bummer for the pharmaceutical industry). We also hear the story of Brooke’s 7th grade citizenship award and get a picture of her dancing around with a hairbrush.Then we turn to Blazers talk. What was it like for Alison to meet the Blazers? What is Carmelo Anthony like? Brooke explains how Melo has helped on the floor as well as bringing a breath of fresh air to the team.

1:00 Signature Holiday Dish: Crab Louie which was invented in Spokane. Also, do pretzels belong in Jello?

5:00 Introducing Alison Olzendam, Brooke’s mom, teacher and coach. She was Brooke’s AAU coach. Her coaching mantra: “You just gotta shoot”. Sports are a great place for kids to test themselves.

8:00 Brooke’s mom supported her by always being there for her. She played all the sports and did tons of activities and her mom was always in the stands. From her mom she learned that it is important to take care of yourself, and be yourself. 

11:00 Her mom also helped her when she was at a crossroads in her career. Helping her keep focused on her dream. 

13:00 Alison is most proud of who Brooke is as a person, how she treats people. Was she always outgoing and comfortable around people? Yes, she was always kind to everyone.

14:00 One of her proudest moments was when Brooke won a 7th grade Citizenship Award.

16:15 NBA players Alison has met. She recently finally met Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum although she feels like she knows them through Brooke. Never got to meet Evan Turner. 

19:15 Thoughts on Carmelo Anthony. If is good to see him get a second chance. He has been a pleasure to work with and fun to watch the reception with the other players and other fan bases. 

24:15 Melo is just a star on a whole different level. 

27:00 Follow Alison on twitter because she might start tweeting #BrookesMomsHotTakes @aolzendam. And of course, follow @bolzendam for all kinds of Trail Blazers fun. 

Our friends at Incight.org are unlocking the potential of people and you can help by purchasing a raffle ticket for a chance to win a signed Trail Blazers basketball from the 2019-20 season. Use this link to purchase a ticket before the drawing on December 16 at 4pm https://incight.ejoinme.org/BlazerRaffleTickets

Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, Dan @dannymarang, this week’s guest is @bolzendam and @aolzendam

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