MY ACCOUNT
The chairwoman of both the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, Jody Allen, said in a statement on Tuesday that the teams are not for sale at this time.
There had been reports that an offer was made to buy the Trail Blazers, but Allen’s statement dispels any rumours a sale is imminent.
”As chair of both the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks, my long-term focus is building championship teams that our communities are proud of,” said Allen, who has overseen both teams since her brother Paul died in 2018.
”Like my brother Paul, I trust and expect our leaders and coaches to build winning teams that deliver results on and off the court and field. As we’ve stated before, neither of the teams is for sale and there are no sales discussions happening.”
Paul Allen’s will called for both teams to be sold and the proceeds be given to philanthropic efforts, and Jody acknowledged she plans to honour his wishes, though not at this time.
”A time will come when that changes given Paul’s plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, but estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,” Jody said.
Paul Allen purchased the Trail Blazers in 1988 and bought the Seahawks nine years later. Jody Allen has been the trustee for her brother’s estate since the Microsoft co-founder’s death.
