It was the leadership of Founder Harry Glickman that convinced the NBA in 1970 to grant Portland an expansion franchise that would eventually become the Trail Blazers. When the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recognizes new honorees next September, Glickman will receive the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award alongside former NBA coach Del Harris during annual enshrinement ceremonies in Springfield, Mass. Executives from the Hall of Fame made the announcement in Charlotte today during NBA All Star Weekend.
“I believe one of the most important reasons I was selected by the Hall of Fame is because Portland has proven it can support a small market franchise,” said Glickman, now President Emeritus of the organization. “For this, I thank the fans of Portland and everyone else responsible for what I consider to be the greatest honor I have ever received.”
The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is considered the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first Chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-64, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional and/or international game.
From the team’s founding in 1970 until his retirement in 1987, Glickman managed all basketball and business operations for the Trail Blazers, including winning the 1977 NBA Championship. Among his many accolades, Glickman was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.
Source: Portland Trail Blazers