Could Neil Olshey Want To Be Fired?

The fallout after the hiring of new Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been widely covered by this publication and others. Now, Henry Abbott of TrueHoop makes the argument that Neil Olshey might be looking to get canned by the franchise he has worked for since 2012 following the disaster of a press conference.

It might have been the least successful press conference in NBA history. Sources said Olshey’s job was beyond secure before that day. (He IS the Trail Blazers. Almost no one in the building has been here since 2012. He has been running the Blazers longer than his boss, Jody Allen.)

Those same sources sound less certain now.

Another story from two people who know him is that Neil Olshey has been openly complaining about po-dunk Portland for years and—with a big guaranteed deal and eyes on bigger markets—would be happy to get fired right now.

In his piece titled, “Shenanigans,” Abbott delineates the criticism of the hire, including our own coverage here at Blazer’s Edge, as well as the questions Blazers fans were left with following the team’s decision to proceed with the Billups hire. After the press conference, fans were left with even more questions, as no one seemed to take accountability for anything.

But Olshey may yet dodge the need to be held accountable should he move on to another franchise.

You can read Abbott’s entire piece here.