Story // Tari Lacy Photographer // Eric "Ptah" Herbert
On the court, he’s in the paint averaging at least 10 rebounds and over 23 points per game. He’s the third leading scorer at forward in the West and the eighth overall scorer at forward in the NBA; but basketball isn’t the only sport Portland Trail Blazer Zach Randolph is affiliated with. The 2001 first-round draft pick loves the sport of breeding pit bulls.
“I been in the dog game since I been young; you know, comin’ up in the hood,” he said. Growing up in Marion, Ind. he admits that as a youngster, (prior to entering the NBA) he was into fighting dogs. He has since matured and no longer associates himself with game dogs. “I’m older now and I got out of that [pit-style fighting]…I love the breed you know?” Zach stated.
Soon thereafter, Zach met Rick Ruhl of the notable Infamous Pits and he really made Zach more interested in the bullies. Zach knew Rick as a connoisseur of the breed and purchased two puppies from him. They now help each other out with their dogs.
When he’s not working, you may find Zach browsing the internet on the bully message boards, researching and reading how others in the game produce their dogs. Even when he’s had a bad day, being around his dogs calms him down. He’ll let them out to play and run around the yard. Where does one keep 13 dogs you may wonder? Well Zach has been such an avid fan of the breed, he has spent $100,000 on an inside /outside kennel equipped with heat, air conditioning, a separate bathing area and it can hold up to 40 dogs! “You know, I gotta nice house so I wanna make sure my kennel is nice too…you can’t just have anything out there,” he gloated.
Of his 13 dogs, the one that stands out is a male he calls X. “X is a monster,” he said. The dog has a lot of drive and energy and Zach knows he has potential. At 6 feet 9, Zach needs a dog with a little height and X measures up. At this present time, Zach doesn’t want to continue to purchase numerous dogs; he wants to eventually breed X and start a new bloodline like some of the big players in the dog-breeding industry like Fabian and Cruz. He likes dogs like Paco, Lil Ro, Viper, Remy, Heff, Legend and others and would love to one day produce a dog that would have the same...
