Jody Allen

Nike founder Phil Knight has made a $2 billion bid to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from owner Jody Allen, who has been embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment and bad behavior.

But Allen, 63, who is reportedly worth more than $20 billion, issued a defiant statement Tuesday, saying that she won’t sell the team her brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen left her after his 2018 death.

Former Trail Blazers president Larry Miller told The Post Jody is making a mistake: “I would say [to her], absolutely take the offer.”

Sources told The Post, there is growing disarray behind the scenes. A highly placed team staffer alleged that Jody’s “toxic behavior” — dating back to allegations of harassing bodyguards and violating US import laws — has spilled over into the management of the team.

In December 2021, Neil Olshey, President of Basketball Operations, was fired from the Trail Blazers for violating the team’s code of conduct after an investigation revealed a decade of workplace toxicity and sexual harassment.

In November, Blazers CEO/President Chris McGowan — who also served as CEO of Vulcan Sports & Entertainment, the company founded by the Allens — quit after nine years, allegedly because of frustration with Jody and Kolde.

“The Trail Blazers are not as successful as they could have been. Jody is deferring everything to Bert, and he is not the right guy for the team,” Miller said.

Kolde was Paul Allen’s college roommate and friend. “He always had these issues that didn’t make sense. Paul would consult [Kolde], but [Paul] would make the decisions,” Miller added. “Jody’s letting Bert make all the decisions now.

According to Miller, Jody even refused to take Knight’s call when the Nike founder, who has an estimated fortune of $54.5 billion, put his initial offer together: “She did not take Phil’s call. She deferred him to Bert.”

She has also refused to talk to Blazers star player Damian Lillard, who reportedly has had issues with the way the team is being run, the team source claimed.

“Damian wanted to sit down and have a conversation with Jody about the team and she didn’t return his call. Then he tried to email her. Eventually she just never responded and put him in touch with Bert,” the source alleged. “When you own a team, there are critical key decisions to make and you should be the one involved in making the decisions.”

Reps for Jody Allen as well as the Portland Trail Blazers did not respond to requests for comment.

Damian Lillard to Yahoo Sports on a report that Portland Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen refused to take his call: "l'm not sure where that story came from. Every time l've ever reached out to Jody, she has always taken time to speak with me. I never sent an email or none of that. I have a great relationship with management and ownership. My agent, Aaron Goodwin, speaks with ownership and management on a regular basis. This is a non story”

"She's been solid, behind closed doors, regardless. And I would never disrespect Jody in a way like that... It was... It was literally a... Mishap."

I'm really curious to know what happened behind closed doors once that liked tweet got out and made it's way to Blazers management and Jody Allen.

Asking Blazers broadcasters to call road games from home will absolutely gut the fan viewing experience. Jody Allen’s team needs to scrap this plan — now.

Context from Bill Oram’s :

The cost-cutting Portland Trail Blazers don’t think you’ll notice that their broadcasters won’t be on the road next season. It’s a decision, first brought to light by Dwight Jaynes and Chad Doing on their afternoon drive-time show on KPOJ-AM, that the team says is not final.

More fuel for the “Jody Allen should sell the team to Phil Knight” train.

Link to tweet:

Full tweet: Reliable sources have told me that if Jody Allen has her way, Becky Hammon will be the next Head Coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Allen would very much like to be a "trail blazer" by hiring the first woman Head Coach in @NBA history (as well as @NFL , @MLB , @NHL ). #NBA

In the fall of 2010, a new head of security arrived from the FBI and found the security team in disarray “because of Jody Allen’s sexual harassment of team members,” and—in some allegations—messing with the pay of those who rebuffed her advances.

One former military man said under oath he didn’t feel comfortable being alone with Jody Allen. Another former Vulcan bodyguard, also a retired Navy SEAL, said Jody Allen bought tight, revealing swimsuits for the security detail and asked the men to “do a fashion show.” Vulcan contends that any conduct resembling that described was entirely innocent and occured in the spirit of fun.

In 2012, one veteran testified, “I’d rather get shot at than do this.” One remembered telling a Vulcan attorney that Jody Allen’s behavior was “going to bring the company down.”

Wrapped up in those lawsuits and arbitration—some of which were settled—were several allegations about the bones of rare animals being smuggled for Jody Allen. The FDA reportedly collected and destroyed 78 pounds of Allen’s giraffe bones. And then there were the penguin parts.

In a memo, a security officer noted that they were able to make sure “the penguin bones that JA picked up in Antarctica were boxed and put on the plane without being scanned at customs.” Jody Allen emailed her nanny looking for a penguin skull that went missing during the return from Antarctica; a friend apparently wanted to make jewelry from it.

Deposed during the lawsuit, Jody Allen refused to say whether she took the bones or trespassed into a protected penguin nesting area.

Maybe the best news to emerge from all this, from a source who knows Allen: She doesn’t want to do anything that would hurt the value of the team, because one of these days she’s going to sell it.

In his piece about Lillard potentially requesting a trade out of Portland:

Now a source close to Lillard says that in the days to come, he plans to request a trade.

If this is a surprise, you haven’t been paying attention. As an organization, the Blazers have been melting since their playoff exit. Coach Terry Stotts was cut loose. Sources say billionaire Jody Allen plans to sell the team. The Blazers are prominent in trade rumors.

Source:

Nike founder Phil Knight has made a $2 billion bid to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from owner Jody Allen, who has been embroiled in allegations of sexual harassment and bad behavior.

But Allen, 63, who is reportedly worth more than $20 billion, issued a defiant statement Tuesday, saying that she won’t sell the team her brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen left her after his 2018 death.

Former Trail Blazers president Larry Miller told The Post Jody is making a mistake: “I would say [to her], absolutely take the offer.”

Sources told The Post, there is growing disarray behind the scenes. A highly placed team staffer alleged that Jody’s “toxic behavior” — dating back to allegations of harassing bodyguards and violating US import laws — has spilled over into the management of the team.

In December 2021, Neil Olshey, President of Basketball Operations, was fired from the Trail Blazers for violating the team’s code of conduct after an investigation revealed a decade of workplace toxicity and sexual harassment.

In November, Blazers CEO/President Chris McGowan — who also served as CEO of Vulcan Sports & Entertainment, the company founded by the Allens — quit after nine years, allegedly because of frustration with Jody and Kolde.

“The Trail Blazers are not as successful as they could have been. Jody is deferring everything to Bert, and he is not the right guy for the team,” Miller said.

Kolde was Paul Allen’s college roommate and friend. “He always had these issues that didn’t make sense. Paul would consult [Kolde], but [Paul] would make the decisions,” Miller added. “Jody’s letting Bert make all the decisions now.

According to Miller, Jody even refused to take Knight’s call when the Nike founder, who has an estimated fortune of $54.5 billion, put his initial offer together: “She did not take Phil’s call. She deferred him to Bert.”

She has also refused to talk to Blazers star player Damian Lillard, who reportedly has had issues with the way the team is being run, the team source claimed.

“Damian wanted to sit down and have a conversation with Jody about the team and she didn’t return his call. Then he tried to email her. Eventually she just never responded and put him in touch with Bert,” the source alleged. “When you own a team, there are critical key decisions to make and you should be the one involved in making the decisions.”

Reps for Jody Allen as well as the Portland Trail Blazers did not respond to requests for comment.

She had a majority of the fanbase on Russell Wilson’s side, the power of team 3, and Russ’s faith against her and somehow she was able to withstand Russell’s ultimatum of ‘me or them’ and make the smarter and better choice.

She unexpectedly and unfortunately inherited this franchise through tragedy a few years ago, but holy damn did she save it with this decision. I love Paul Allen, but I don’t know what he would have chosen because he most likely had a closer relationship with Russell. Could Paul see through Russell? Who knows

Neil Olshey is doing a post season presser

Neil Olshey on how he sees his job security:

"I'm running the coaching search. I have multiple years left on my contract... The first-round loss and the defensive rating at 29 was not a product of the roster."

Blazers GM Neil Olshey on his job security: "The defensive rating of 29th was not a product of the roster. I will tell you that all of us, myself included, serve at the pleasure of Jody Allen. We will all be here as long as she sees value in our contribution."

“I think we reached a ceiling with the team.”

Blazers GM Neil Olshey on the team’s decision to part ways with Terry Stotts.

The Blazers flamed out of the playoffs in 6 games against the Denver Nuggets that didn't have 2/3 best players.

Full Quote

In Portland, there is a growing belief that Jody Allen, the team’s owner, has a strong interest in Becky Hammon, who has been an assistant coach in San Antonio for seven seasons in her quest to become the first woman to serve as a head coach in any of North America’s four major men’s team sports. Neil Olshey, Portland’s general manager, continues to be relentlessly linked to Chauncey Billups, the former N.B.A. finals M.V.P. working as an assistant alongside Atkinson with the Clippers. As for the Portland star Damian Lillard, who initially voiced public support for Kidd before Kidd withdrew from consideration, we await an updated preference.