Will Tom Dundon's NHL Reputation Transfer to the NBA?
· Yahoo Sports
Nearly three months after officially purchasing the Portland Trail Blazers, new owner Tom Dundon has gained quite the reputation. Dundon has already taken measures to cut costs, most notably by reportedly lowballing Tiago Splitter in negotiations to name him permanent head coach. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has already branded him as “El Cheapo." This is certainly not Dundon’s reputation around the NHL after eight years of owning the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Athletic’s senior NHL writer James Mirtle surveyed the league and the Carolina Hurricanes about how Dundon has impacted his hockey franchise.
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“The fact of the matter is, he doesn’t always do things in traditional ways,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “I think in some ways he’s a bit of a disruptor, but he’s extraordinarily creative and effective. And the results in Carolina — they’re both on and off the ice.”
“I give him tons of credit,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Dundon. “We’ve been pretty solid ever since he showed up on the scene.”
“He’s given everything he can to get us our best chance,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “(He) changed it right from the start.”
“He’s always looking for ways to chart an even better course,” general manager Eric Tulsky said. “You have somebody who’s coming in and asking in every area: ‘Why are you doing it this way? Are you sure that’s the right way?" said Tulsky. “And the answer is—'I've been doing this for 15 years. Trust me. I know.’ — didn’t fly with him. He wanted you to convince him. And that’s scary for someone who’s been doing it for 15 years and feels like they know it and they’re being challenged.”
It seems to be a culture shock for everyone involved. The NBA isn’t used to brand new owners coming in and immediately going against the status quo. The Blazers' fan base is used to former owner Paul Allen lavishly spending money in ways that few other owners did. There is already clear angst around the league about the unconventional ways of operating an NBA franchise, especially during the coaching search.
“The amount of disrespect (toward Splitter) that’s going on is beyond description,” a league source told The Athletic’s Jason Quick. “It’s like, every day a new name is coming up. It’s the most vicious thing I’ve encountered in 30-plus years.”
“This isn’t Russian hockey players who don’t speak English,” another league source told Quick. “In the NBA, everyone talks to everyone else. He says he didn’t make job offers … but it’s the narrative that is circulating … and it’s wrong. It’s bad business.”
Perhaps this is merely an uncomfortable transition into a new league, and his NHL reputation will eventually infiltrate NBA circles. He will need to learn that the NHL operates completely differently than the NBA—reputation matters. There is no question that Dundon’s motivation is optimizing every aspect of an organization’s operation to build a championship culture. He took the same cost-cutting approach when he bought the Carolina Hurricanes and turned them into Stanley Cup champions. Will he be able to replicate the same level of success with the Trail Blazers?