Since news broke yesterday that financier and businessman Tom Dundon was in line to buy the Portland Trail Blazers, speculation has abounded regarding his fitness, intentions, and governing style. Among those weighing in is Truehoop founder Henry Abbott, who penned an article [subscription required] on NBA billionaires and the difficulty of ascertaining the same kind of question Blazers fans are asking today.
While admitting that nothing is certain, Abbott generally found Dundon to be favorable, given his public track record.
I’m naturally skeptical of every billionaire, including Tom Dundon. But to get a sense of Dundon I just read several bios and listened to a 45-minute appearance Dundon made last year on the North Carolina-based David Glenn show. I wear two different hats here: Blazer fan and journalist.
As a Blazers fan, I came away feeling great, and not just because this means goodbye to Jody “penguin bones” Allen.
Abbott did note that Dundon has ties to Santander, a Spanish bank that has been in regulatory trouble. But other than that, his record seems blemish-free.
Thinking more in terms of sports, Abbott highlighted four characteristics that get franchise owners in trouble: being overbearing and meddlesome, impulsive and random, glory-seeking, or overconfident. Using Dundon’s tenure as head of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Abbott found little reason to quibble with the prospective new owner’s approach.
Abbott noted that Dundon did not spend huge amounts of time in Raleigh and that, although he visited the Hurricanes often, he has not bought a house in North Carolina. He also cited decision-making with the hockey franchise–smartly cutting contracts to avoid cap issues and slowly developing real estate around the arena–as potential positive signs.
As far as Dundon seeking glory and being overconfident, Abbott quotes Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, from an interview with David Glenn, talking about the owner’s approach:
According to Glenn, Brind’Amour says that he and Dundon disagree more than they agree—but that Brind’Amour thinks Dundon is the smartest person he has ever met. These kinds of conversations help nudge an organization toward smart choices, which seems to be Dundon’s mission. “Half the time I disagree with him,” Dundon explains, “he knows that I just disagree with him just so he hears another point of view.”
The article has plenty more on the potentially incoming head of the franchise. For now, mark it down as another observer finding the positive in Portland’s upcoming transition.