Group launches effort keep the Blazers in Portland
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
There's no place like Rip City. Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images
A high-profile push to keep the Blazers from leaving town launched Wednesday.
Why it matters: The team went up for sale in May, and several cities — don't even think about it, Seattle — would love to tear Portland's most popular team away from us.
State of play: The group, calling itself Rip City Forever, published an open letter to Mayor Keith Wilson and Gov. Tina Kotek urging them to lead amid the looming threat of a move.
- Among NBA-hungry cities: Las Vegas, Nashville, Austin and Mexico City.
- The group noted NBA teams create revenue not just from tickets, but also from arenas with surrounding entertainment districts.
- The Moda Center badly needs renovation or replacement. The group is advocating for a new arena downtown, at the Lloyd Center or elsewhere in the central city.
What they're saying: Wilson and Kotek published their own open letter Wednesday, telling NBA commissioner Adam Silver that "we heard you loud and clear earlier this summer when you said you wanted to keep the Blazers in Portland."
- "We fully support renovating the Moda Center to become a point of pride for the Blazers and for our city," they wrote. "We are prepared to explore the public-private partnerships needed to make it happen."
Catch up quick: Before his 2018 death, former owner Paul Allen — Microsoft co-founder and owner of the Seattle Seahawks — directed his estate to sell his sports holdings with the proceeds going to philanthropic causes.
- Since then, Allen's sister, Jody Allen, has chaired the franchise. No Oregon-based buyers have emerged since she listed the team for sale.
Between the lines: The new push comes as the Blazers appear to be on the upswing after years of mediocrity.
- Young players showed growth last season, especially in the second half when they flirted with a playoff berth.
- Damian Lillard, the franchise icon, inked a deal to return to the team he led for 11 seasons.
- And Rip City Forever has a long list of powerful supporters from the sports world and the local business community.
The bottom line: "Portlanders and Oregonians can, and will, dunk on anyone who tries to steal the Blazers from the city where they were born 55 years ago," the Rip City Forever letter reads.