Tom Dundon on Thursday officially debuted as the new owner of the Trail Blazers during a press conference at the Moda Center, and he said that he purchased the team “simply because it was available,” according to Eve Peyser of the PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL. Dundon said, “They called me and said, ‘there’s an NBA team in Portland for sale.’ Luckily, I found a bunch of guys to help me do it. That’s how it happened.” Earlier this week, the NBA board of governors approved the sale, and Dundon and his investor group assumed control of the team. At the press conference, he was joined by Sheel Tyle, the “only local member of the Blazers’ new ownership group,” minority owner Andrew Cherng, GM Joe Cronin and President/Business Operations Dewayne Hankins. When asked if he had similar plans to the Hurricanes and the Lenovo Center for investing in redeveloping the area around the Moda Center, Dundon said, “I just don’t know yet, but I think those things are interesting to study and look at.” He added that he “hasn’t spent any time thinking about leaving Portland and is focused on making sure Moda Center renovations happen in a timely fashion.” When asked who would pay for the Moda Center renovations, Dundon “didn’t answer directly.” He said, “We’re gonna negotiate and do a market deal” (PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/2).
MIDDLE GROUND: When asked if he will be a hands-on owner or delegate responsibility, Dundon said, “It’s not that cut and dry.” He added, “You can be involved and delegate.” Dundon: “There’s a lot of people involved with running these businesses, making decisions. I don’t expect to be the decision-maker because the process creates obvious answers. But I’ll push really hard to go through a process that doesn’t leave anyone out and doesn’t miss any variables” (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/2).
ASSESSING THE FIELD: In Portland, Joe Freeman noted while Dundon admits that “I’m looking at everything,” he said that he “prefers not to make sweeping changes in Portland, noting that the Blazers are in a better place than Carolina was in 2018.” He added that he has “already discovered ‘there’s really good people’ guiding the organization.” Dundon: “I don’t seek out change for change sake. I seek out improvement.” Dundon said that he “plans to meet with every department at every level of the organization,” during which he will “share his vision and expectations for the future and learn more about what they do and how they do it.” Along the way, he will “look for inefficiencies and ways to enhance the fan experience.” That includes the “quality of food and the lines at bathrooms” as well as the “game operations and the TV broadcast.” It also includes “parking and how fans enter and exit the arena” (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/2). In Portland, Bill Oram wrote what “cannot be denied” now that the Blazers’ new leadership is officially on the ground is that the franchise “finally has direction and momentum toward something.” This week the Trail Blazers “crossed the Rubicon finally into something new.” After years spent “flirting with complacency and decay,” the change brought by Dundon, “even the small change, feels energizing” (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/2).
