MILWAUKEE -- Terry Porter hasn't let his recent firing
diminish his hopes of coaching in the NBA.
Porter, fired by the Milwaukee Bucks this week, said Friday that
he intends to spend another 10 to 15 years in the league.
"This is the career path I've chosen," Porter said. "I do
know that I'm going to coach again in this league."
Porter was fired by general manager Larry Harris after two
seasons as coach of the Bucks. The former Trail Blazers guard
guided Milwaukee to a 30-52 record -- its worst in almost a decade --
after a 41-41 record in 2003-04.
Nevertheless, Porter said he was blindsided by Harris' decision
to fire him Wednesday.
"I had no clue," he said.
Porter said he got word of his dismissal at a meeting he set up
with Harris to discuss the team's No. 1 choice in the draft and
several assistant coaching vacancies. Harris did not give him a
reason for the decision other than to say the Bucks wanted to move
in another direction.
"I wish they had done it earlier," he said.
When the team told Porter last month he would return as coach,
the NBA had six or seven head coaching vacancies. Now, the only
open jobs are in Portland and New York.
"I was not given the three years I was told I'd be given to
turn this program around," he said.
Porter has already contacted Portland about taking over its head
coaching job, but the team is not scheduling interviews while it
focuses on Tuesday's draft.
The Blazers plan to resume their coaching search around July 1.
The Blazers fired coach Maurice Cheeks on March 2 and replaced him
with interim coach Kevin Pritchard, the team's director of player
personnel. Portland went on to finish with a 27-55 record.
Porter is the Trail Blazers' franchise leader in assists (5,319)
and three-pointers (773), and is second in points (11,330), steals
(1,182) and field goals (2,555).
Porter also said he hasn't ruled out the possibility of coaching
as an assistant or doing television work.