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Breakdown: Neil Olshey And Adrian Wojnarowski On The Vertical Podcast

A unique look at Olshey's history with basketball and how he became the savvy GM we see today.

By DavidMacKay
Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey joined Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports on The Vertical Podcast, Woj's latest NBA venture. The two of them spoke for over an hour about Olshey's past, the league's present, and the Blazers' future. If you do not have time to listen to the whole thing, check out the time stamps below to find sections that interest you. The full podcast can be found here, on Yahoo! Sports.

Time Stamps & Topics

  • 01:15 Living on the West Coast versus growing up in New York
  • 02:42 How Olshey feels about where the Blazers stand this season
  • 05:20 Free agent decisions and developing previously undervalued players
  • 08:40 How the Blazers handle player development
  • 12:22 Relationship between General Manager and Head Coach
  • 15:15 Advertisement (Actually a built in ad)
  • 16:32 Learning from Coach John Beilein at Le Moyne
  • 20:20 Playing lacrosse at Le Moyne
  • 22:31 Olshey’s days as a young actor that ended up in basketball
  • 26:01 Importance of chance meeting with Sonny Vaccaro
  • 28:03 Basketball as a relationship business and the ABCD Camp
  • 31:40 Why Sonny Vaccaro belongs in the Hall of Fame
  • 34:59 Olshey’s career history and trajectory
  • 40:40 Maximizing resources on a team in need
  • 44:47 Views on Donald Sterling
  • 48:38 Signing on with the Portland Trail Blazers
  • 52:17 Views on Paul Allen
  • 54:33 Being on top of scouting
  • 57:51 Watching CJ McCollum play live in college before drafting him
  • 01:01:10 Work hours required to ink free agency deals
  • 01:05:26 League business conducted based on relationships
  • 01:08:58 Navigating the impending cap spike as a mid-market team
  • 01:13:00 Another built in ad
  • 01:14:24 Insider segment with Bobby Marks

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