Commissioner Leonard had the honor of reading the proclamation declaring August 18th, 2011 Arvydas Sabonis Day to hundreds of enthusiastic Blazers fans in Pioneer Square with his eager grandson, Cole, by his side.
The following is KOIN 6's coverage of the event:
Blazers fans celebrate Arvydas Sabonis' Hall of Fame induction

When the 7-foot-3 center from Lithuania arrived in Portland in 1995, Blazers forward Brian Grant said he only got one phrase from the player whose touch and vision belied his size.
"No English," mimicked Grant in his deepest bass.
But after a few months and following a few successful games when Grant showed his ability on the court, he got approval from Arvydas Sabonis: "You OK," Grant mimicked again.
Grant, accompanied with a procession of other Blazers dignitaries, joined a few thousand fans Thursday afternoon at Pioneer Courthouse Square in honoring Sabonis for his induction last week into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Escorted in by a percussion marching band, his wife and 6-foot-5 daughter, the player known for his grimaces and taking out his mouth piece to moan at officials was all smiles and shoulder shrugs with the appreciative fan base.
"Thank you very much--I'm very surprised," said Sabonis.
Sabonis, who played seven season and 51 playoff games for the Blazers, came to the NBA when he was 31 years old, arguably past his prime but already a winner of an Olympics gold medal, world championship and European player of the year award.
At last week's induction in Springfield, Mass., Bill Walton introduced 'Sabas,' calling him a "7-foot-3 Larry Bird."
Former teammate Chris Dudley was also among those who spoke at Thursday's ceremony in Portland's Living Room, calling Sabonis "one of the greatest players ever."
"There was a time when Arvydas was considered the greatest player in the world," said Dudley.
With the dozens of varied No. 11 jerseys visible, Thursday's event was mainly an opportunity for Blazers fans to pay tribute to the center who wowed with his passes and endeared with his consistency.
Over his NBA career, Sabonis averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds, two assists and a block per game for Portland.
Israel Hill, a long-time Blazers fan who arrived early to get Sabonis' autograph on his Soviet Union jersey, said he loved the big man for his famous "bowling ball passes."
Portlander Jon Snyder, also adorned with Sabonis' gold medal jersey, couldn't help but marvel at memories of the center's outlet passing.
"He'd always catch it, like, one-handed, and without ever gathering it throw it all the way down court," recounted Snyder.
The memories continued when Sabas recounted a bitter loss to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, which elicited soft groans, but things picked up when he recalled a 3-pointer he hit to force triple overtime in a game the Blazers eventually won.
Of other notes, Sabonis said he always remembers the Rose Garden being full of fans.
At some point after that memory and after Aug. 17 was officially noted by Commissioner Randy Leonard as Arvydas Sabonis Day, the crowd began a spontaneous chant of "Sabas."
"I don't know what to say; I just appreciate for remember me," said the Hall of Fame player.