Portland Trail Blazers founder and longtime executive Harry Glickman has passed away at the age of 96. The team confirmed the news in a press release, accompanied with a video tribute:
Glickman, a native Oregonian, worked tirelessly to bring professional basketball to the Rose City, a dream that was ultimately realized in 1970. He served as the Trail Blazers’ inaugural General Manager and later as team President, officially retiring in 1994. He remained a team ambassador and President Emeritus for the franchise until his death.
In the book, Blazermania: This Is Our Story, author Wayne Thompson described the famous “raincoat story,” the unlikely series of events that led to Glickman sealing the deal to create the Trail Blazers franchise.