On October 15th, 2018, nearly 5 years ago, Microsoft Founder, American Businessman, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Pacific Northwest Icon, and as well as many other things, our beloved Trail Blazers Owner, Paul Allen, passed away due to complications of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. An aggressive form of cancer that compromises your immune system. In the wake of his death, he left his sister, Jo Lynn “Jody” Allen as his Executer of Estate. His wishes, which he clearly outlined, were to dissolve his estate and donate the vast majority of it to charitable causes. As executer, Jody Allen gets paid annually nearly $100M for as long as it takes to sell off Paul Allen’s remaining estate, part of which, our Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Team. Jody herself has come out and said that to sell off the remainder of her late brother’s estate could take 10-20 years. Since that comment, multiple estate lawyers have came out and said that even the most complicated estates wouldn’t come close to 10 years, several of which saying it should take no longer than 5, but almost 5 years since Mr. Allen’s passing, she has remained in charge, and has done very little to fulfill her duty as executor.

The best example of this is with the sale of our team, The Portland Trail Blazers. Since Mr. Allen’s passing, there has been multiple offers to purchase the team from none other than Nike Founder and Beaverton’s very own, Phil Knight, as well as his business partner, co-owner of the LA Dodgers, Alan Smolinisky. Phil Knight, much like Paul Allen, is well known for his philanthropy. Although while Paul Allen’s main focus was disease and cancer research, Phil has put community as the focus of his charitable acts. Over his lifetime, Phil has donated billions of his fortune to helping rebuild Portland and the surrounding communities. He has proven time and time again how much he cares about the city. Something we can not say the same for Jody. He’s sent in multiple offers to purchase the team over the course of a year, only to be shut down and told that the team is not available. He’s yet to even have a conversation with Jody about the transaction, only ever being forwarded to secretaries and assistants. 

It’s become abundantly clear, Jody Allen has no interest in building the Trail Blazers into a championship caliber team. She has no shared interest with the people of Portland. Instead, her interest remains in lining her pockets, but not only by way of her annual income as the executor of Paul’s estate.

The NBA is to enter new media rights negotiations in March of 2024. Once a deal concludes, team owners will get paid. What this means for Jody, the team owner, is that she will be able to forgo the Allen Trust, and collect directly herself. Already worth over $20B, she’s continuing to use her brother’s death as a way to make even more for herself. 

This is not what Paul wanted. Paul would’ve wanted a man like Phil to be at the helm of his prized Trail Blazers. Phil Knight, a man who made the Oregon Ducks athletic department one of the top departments in the nation. Phil Knight, a man who has already pledged hundred of millions of dollars just this year to the community that surrounds the adored Portland franchise. Phil Knight, a man who is admired by everyone in every sports community. Phil Knight, a man who is proven to make change happen with not only his wallet, but his presence. We can not let Jody Allen continue to line her pockets with her brother’s blood money. She was assigned to sell his estate and donate the proceeds to charity. Instead she has chosen to hold for as long as she can so that she can continue to profit off her brother for as long as she can. Something she was already doing long before his passing. Now is the time for us to speak up. Let everyone in Portland’s front office, especially Jody Allen, know how we feel. Jody Allen has a duty to sell this team, and the time to fulfill that duty is now. There is no greater man to leave the roll of enriching a community to. There is no greater man to right the ship that is our cherished franchise. There is no greater man to lead this team to a championship. No greater man, than Phil Knight. 

Please sign and share this petition and help spread our message. It is Jody’s duty to sell this team. There is no more time for delay. Make the team available, engage in negotiations, but do not continue to delay. Sell The Portland Trail Blazers to Phil Knight! 

-UPDATE- 

Damian Lillard himself, who recently requested a trade, recently liked a tweet implying that if Jody sold the team to Phil, he could likely be convinced to stay. It may already be too late, but it also might not be! The players clearly don’t like Jody as the owner of this team, and neither do the fans. Sell the team to Phil and give this franchise purpose again! You can still be the hero Jody! Cut your losses before it’s too late!!!