1:50pm: Portland has released a statement about the investigation into Olshey, acknowledging that law firm O’Melveny & Myers is working with the organization.
“We are committed to continuing to build an organization that positively impacts our colleagues, communities and the world in which we live in play,” the statement reads, in part (Twitter link).
6:21am: The Trail Blazers and team owner Jody Allen are opening an investigation into the behavior of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey and the work environment under him, according to Shams Charania and Jason Quick of The Athletic.
The Blazers, Allen, and Olshey all declined to comment to The Athletic on the matter, but Charania and Quick hear that at least one team employee reported potential misconduct.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports has more details, reporting that team employees are alleging staffers have been subjected to “intimidation and profanity-laced tirades, among other bullying tactics” under Olshey. The organization has hired the law firm O’Melveny & Myers to conduct an independent investigation.
According to Haynes, the firm started to interview Blazers front office employees this week. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that multiple staffers have expressed relief about getting an investigation into what they describe as a toxic and hostile work environment that has resulted in mental and physical stress.
One of the issues staff members expressed concerns about was the team’s “mishandling” of the aftermath of the death of former video coordinator Zach Cooper in April of 2020, per Haynes.
Olshey, who previously worked in the Clippers’ front office, joined the Blazers in 2010 and has been the club’s head of basketball operations since 2012. He has faced increased pressure to get Portland over the hump in recent years as the club was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.
Olshey also faced criticism this offseason when he declined to provide any specific details about the Blazers’ investigation into sexual assault allegations levied in 1997 against new head coach Chauncey Billups, calling into question how exhaustively the team actually looked into that incident before hiring Billups.
Once O’Melveny & Myers has completed its probe, the firm will submit its findings to Blazers ownership, with a decision on Olshey’s future made shortly thereafter, sources tell Haynes.
Oh good grief, just disband all sports
All of this is happening because of what is mentioned in the second to the last paragraph in this article: Chauncey Billups
Somebody mad, jealous and spiteful
SMH
Next is Dallas ..?
It was a shady hiring that only a shady executive could be capable of. It deserves an investigation.
And that doesn’t mean I think Billups is not a good coach. Two things can be true at once.
Disband all sports because employees are demanding fair treatment or because sex offenders have rights too?
What exactly is the reason you want to just give up and go home? Would it help if we had random players whipped at halftime?
or would you prefer a member of the concession staff?
Remember words hurt. No swearing allowed in America
Swearing is allowed, also businesses are also allowed to fire employees for not meeting their standards. Communism might be more your style.
Communism is not a political system, it’s economic. Why do so many Americans not understand this? If you want the perfect example of communism, look at Star Trek. That’s exactly what communism would look like. Nothing to do with totalitarianism.
Exactly! But what would you expect from a Hollywood script writer? He ain’t Krzysztof Kieślowski.
Real socialism has never been tried!
There was the equivalent of a poll tax in ancient Athens … no democracy there. There will never be any pure form of government. Pointless to eve consider it possible. Too many special interests … the rich and the poor have their own agendas and the middle class is .. WAIT! Why aren’t we talking more about Jungle Jim Luscutoff?!???
Using the word purity is pretty much always going to be a word game at best. Absolutely pure anything is almost impossible. Sharing costs is not even difficult. You’re literally buying in 100% to the intent with your whole post. It’s about sharing costs. Not abandoning agendas, goals or economic power.
The issue with communism and socialism is that they are almost always used in the same kind of word game where a dictator calls their system a socialist or communist system that they just manage” on behalf of the citizens.
The idea of pooling money for shared expenses instead of everyone having their own airplane is not a bad thing & it’s really the only viable option that gives most of the people access to anything.
It’s almost the opposite by definition but stupidity is cool.
Especially if you add some rage and a gun.
Let me guess. Based on your syntax, you wrote dialogue for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Not to mention they have to fire people to avoid lawsuits if those people do things that are illegal.
The idea that people don’t know and or don’t support this is bizarre. This is important if you ever want to own a company, have any money or simply want stay out of jail.
And there is zero advantage to preserving the right of one person to abuse another unless you like to abuse people or like to be abused so the whole goal of these people to preserve an environment that allows abuse is just creepy.
Proofreading my post it did dawn on me that maybe they do want to be in jail. It’s consistent with the desire to end democracy and pervert the legal system into a political payback tool. I guess freedom shouldn’t be forced on people who really don’t want it.
Swearing is endemic in America. The more individuals and groups talk about respect, the more childishly disrespectful behavior we see.
Some people just don’t like to be told or even suggested what to do, even when they would be in the wrong or when being completely unreasonable. Source: life experience with some insufferable individuals.
The idea that people are devastated by swear words has always puzzled me.
It’s a friggin sound & who cares what some mean jerk thinks anyway.
But the idea that people are getting mean because people are demanding respect is complete garbage.
I don’t think this is happening strictly because of Billups. There has been rumors of this for a while. Unfortunately I think it’s probably much more widespread in front offices and behind the scenes than many of us on internet message boards know
He gone
Praying.
Can anyone shed some light on the Zach Cooper situation? Not much info on how he passed or what the organization did or didn’t do.
Funny how a lot of comments speak so definitively on a topic in which details would currently be sparse. It’s almost as if we should wait for more of them.
Dead man walking. Witch hunt has commenced.
When did investigation become defined as witch hunt?
Is that how people declare whose side they’re on or just how they tell the world they’re really stupid?
Do you just choose to believe people or not believe them based on political party or is the concept of investigating an allegation really this confusing?
Or do you simply oppose finding the truth and prefer not to get into the hassle of finding out what really happened since you aren’t the one involved?
Have you ever heard of liability, corporate law or things like management or group dynamics?
You basically say he’ll be convicted but that he’s really innocent. People like you are what’s wrong today.