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The diagnosis of Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer was one that shook the franchise to its core, making this the second time in nine years in which the longtime owner and successful entrepreneur has had to battle this fatal illness. Damian Lillard has shown his support.
āIt's the kind of news that you never want to hear,ā said Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. āAs players, you want to play for somebody who cares as much as you do, somebody that's equally as invested as you are. And we have that.ā
Lillard's teammates would also pitch in with prospective. Paul Allen has owned the Trail Blazers for 30 years, as the Microsoft co-founder purchased the franchise for $70 million back in 1988, and investment that has now grown more than tenfold since becoming the youngest ever sports owner (35) in all four major sports.
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āI literally got goose bumps when Coach told us,ā said Meyers LeonardĀ on Tuesday. āLife is fragile. And you grow accustomed to being around certain people and you think everything's OK and then, boom, something like this happens out of nowhere.ā
Head coach Terry Stotts has known Allen for the six years that he's been at the helm of the Blazers coaching staff and noted his concern through this difficult time for him and his family.
āObviously, it's very concerning,ā Stotts said. āIt was good to hear that he and the doctors are optimistic about the treatments that he's going to undergo. We'll be thinking of him. He kicked cancer's ass once; he'll do it again.ā
