Robin Lopez at Powell’s Books.

Last week, the resurgent Portland Trail Blazers released a video featuring center Robin Lopez visiting his favorite place in the city, the great Powell’s Books. Lopez, a comic book-enthusiast, is charming throughout—he refers to the Science Fiction/Fantasy section as “the gateway to graphic novels,” which are “the real treasures;” nerds out over Pogo; and calls books “portals to other worlds.” He also sees Powell’s as being central to Portland’s identity: “The town kinda fits me like a club. I’m eccentric; it’s eccentric; [Powell’s] is one of my favorite places to be a little eccentric.”

Lopez, an elite mascot-hater, is in the midst of his first season with the Blazers. Though relatively unheralded, Lopez has been a key part of the Blazers’ success—they’re currently in third place in the Western Conference—and his presence has been essential to LaMarcus Aldridge‘s monster season. Lopez is the twin brother of injured Brooklyn Nets center (and Bergen Street Comics fan!) Brook Lopez. We miss you, Brook. Get well soon.

Some other basketball player/independent bookstore combinations I’d like to see:

• Nick “Swaggy P” Young and Skylight Books 
• Chandler Parsons and Brazos Bookstore
• Phil Pressey and Brookline Booksmith
• Kent Bazemore and Moe’s Books
• Jan Vesely and Politics & Prose