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The cause of death was not included in the
team's announcement.
Glickman, with backing from Herman Sarkowsky, Larry Weinberg and
Robert Schmertz, paid the NBA a $3.7 million expansion fee to
get the Blazers into the league ahead of the 1970-71 season.
Glickman was still part of the ownership group that sold the
team to Paul Allen for $70 million in 1988.
In just their seventh season of existence -- all with Glickman
serving as the general manager -- Blazers won their lone NBA
championship in 1977. The team featured Bill Walton, Maurice
Lucas and Lionel Hollins.
Blazers president and CEO Chris McGowan said in a statement,
"Harry was the definition of a true Trail Blazer. Through his
dedication and persistence, Harry not only created a successful
sports franchise in a small western market, but has united
hundreds of thousands of people around the world through a
shared love of basketball. Rip City will forever be thankful to
Harry and his forgotten raincoat."
Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey
said in a statement, "Harry Glickman laid the foundation and
established the benchmark for small market success in the NBA.
He was the driving force that set the stage for the 1977 NBA
Championship, a seminal moment that elevated Portland and
allowed it to join the elite of professional sports franchises.
His contributions to the city of Portland and the Trail Blazers
are immense and for that we all owe him a great debt of
gratitude."
Before founding the Trail Blazers, Glickman grew up in Portland
and graduated from the University of Oregon. He started the
Portland Buckaroos minor league hockey team in 1960 and
organized exhibition games of the NFL, NBA and the Harlem
Globetrotters in his hometown.
He also nearly brought an NFL expansion team to Portland in
1964, but the city's voters narrowly rejected building a
proposed domed stadium.
--Field Level Media
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