The Billion-Dollar Battle Over Portland’s Arena and a Famed Owner's Feud

Tom Dundon has become a polarizing figure in professional sports. He owns the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Recently, he shocked city leaders by canceling a meeting that was supposed to discuss the Blazers’ season opener. The reason? He learned that breaking the arena lease would cost more than $1 billion in settlement fees. Dundon wants the public to shoulder the expense of maintaining the 31‑year‑old Moda Center, even though the current lease makes the team responsible for upkeep. The agreement also blocks any move without city approval and hefty penalties.

After buying the Blazers for $4.2 billion in March, Dundon quickly started cutting costs. He let go of nearly 70 employees in May. He refused to let two‑way players and a team reporter travel for playoff games. He forced staff to check out of a Phoenix hotel early to avoid late fees. The Blazers were the only NBA team not to give fans free T‑shirts during the playoffs. He also hired the new head coach, Micah Nori, at a below‑market salary and lowballed former coach Tiago Splitter. All of these actions clash with his public promise to keep the team in Portland.

Dundon’s behavior with the Hurricanes has also drawn criticism. After the team won the Stanley Cup, he had his entire family’s names engraved on the trophy, placing them above the names of front‑office members, coaches, and players who actually contributed. Some fans were disappointed by the omission. In 2019, he invested $70 million in the Alliance of American Football, promising $250 million to keep the league alive. He pulled the plug two months later, was sued for allegedly tanking the league for tax benefits, but the case ended with only $1 in damages.

The dispute with Portland shows no sign of ending. Dundon must decide whether to keep the Blazers in the city by paying the lease obligations or to accept the penalties and move the franchise elsewhere. Meanwhile, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is looking at expansion bids, including one from Mexico City, which could raise Seattle’s offer and open the door for the Blazers to revive the old SuperSonics. Hurricanes fans are being warned that if Dundon’s Portland experiment fails, they could face a similar fate.