PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Rip City Forever, a new group formed by sports executives from the area, is concerned about the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The group issued a press release Wednesday morning calling for the community to rally to keep the team in the Rose City.
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Former Blazers’ Center Chris Dudley explicitly pointed to the Supersonics leaving Seattle in 2008 for Oklahoma City as a cause for concern, saying that “while the Blazers remain in Portland, there is no guarantee.”
“Bigger cities with newer and better arenas would love to steal our team. Seattle’s loss of the Sonics in 2008 is what happens when a community fails to prepare in advance of an ownership change to adapt, compete, and win.” Dudley said.
Marshall Glickman, son of former Blazers founder Harry Glickman, former Blazers COO Erin Hubert, and local business leaders are sounding the alarm.
“It’s vital we make Portland an attractive place for their investment to grow and succeed,” Hubert said.
Rip City Forever will meet with the media later this morning.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek also wrote a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver urging him not to allow the team to be moved.
The letter says in part, “That fan base runs deep, and win or lose, all eyes are on the Blazers.”
We heard you loud and clear earlier this summer when you said you wanted to keep the Blazers in Portland under new ownership and made it clear that our arena isn’t up to snuff.We fully support renovating the Moda Center to become a point of pride for the Blazers and for our city.