开拓者老板邓登：把球队留在波特兰是「优先事项」
位于俄勒冈州马尔特诺马县的波特兰市，波特兰开拓者队新老板汤姆·邓登（Tom Dundon）日前接受 The Athletic采访时明确表示，把球队留在波特兰是"优先事项"（"We are working to keep the team in Portland. That is the priority."），并否认了有关他私下与联盟官员讨论搬迁球队的报道。
邓登去年8月牵头财团以超过42亿美元从保罗·艾伦遗产手中收购开拓者队（交易待NBA批准），他同时拥有NHL卡罗来纳飓风队。针对此前有关他私下向联盟官员提及搬迁可能性的报道，邓登予以否认，称"不准确"，并强调租约还有四年才到期。目前球队与波特兰市政府正就 Moda Center球馆翻新及续租进行谈判，双方目标在12月31日前达成协议。NBA总裁亚当·萧华（Adam Silver）此前公开表态："如果不能把球队留在波特兰，我会视为失败。"
这一表态给波特兰球迷吃下定心丸。此前谈判一度艰难，球队商务运营总裁德韦恩·汉金斯（Dewayn e Hankins）在媒体日上也重申了球队对波特兰的承诺。
Trail Blazers Owner Dundon: Keeping the Team in Portland Is 'the Priority'
Portland is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon. New Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon said in a recent interview with The Athletic that keeping the team in Portland is "the priority" ("We are working to keep the team in Portland. That is the priority."), and denied reports that he had privately discussed relocating the team with league officials.
Dundon led a consortium last August that bought the Trail Blazers from the Paul Allen estate for more than $4.2 billion (the deal awaits NBA approval); he also owns the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. As for reports that he had privately raised relocation with league officials, Dundon denied them as "inaccurate" and emphasized that the lease still has four years to run. The team and the City of Portland are negotiating a Moda Center renovation and lease renewal, targeting an agreement by Dec. 31. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said publicly: "If we can't keep the team in Portland, I would view it as a failure."
The statement reassured Portland fans. Negotiations had been difficult at times, and team president of business operations Dewayne Hankins also reaffirmed the team's commitment to Portland on media day.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：图：波特兰Moda Center球馆（资料图）。照片：Michael Barera／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA）。Moda Center in Portland (file photo). Photo: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).
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