Neil Olshey
{{Short description|American basketball executive}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Neil Olshey
| image =
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|1|10}}
| birth_place = Queens, New York, U.S.
| high_school = Xavier (New York City)
| college = Le Moyne College
| highlights =
}}
Neil Olshey (born January 10, 1965) is an American basketball executive who most recently served as the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to that, he was general manager and vice president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Early life and education
Olshey is a graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York where he played on the D3 lacrosse team. Neil grew up in Flushing, Queens, but attended Xavier High School in Manhattan.{{cite news| author =Kevin Arnovitz| title =The man behind Clippers' rise| newspaper =ESPN| date =May 11, 2012| url =https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/page/Evolution-120511/nba-playoffs-los-angeles-clippers-neil-olshey-rise| access-date =April 24, 2015}}{{cite news| author =Mark Heisler| title =Clippers Give N.B.A. a Jolt That Just Might Endure| quote = Another Clipper from left field, Olshey, 47, grew up in Flushing, Queens, and attended Xavier High School, 19 blocks from Madison Square Garden.| newspaper =The New York Times| date =February 4, 2012| url =https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/sports/basketball/clippers-give-nba-a-jolt-that-just-might-endure.html| access-date =April 24, 2015}}{{cite news| author = Jason Quick| title =Trail Blazers hire Neil Olshey as general manager after Olshey shuns Clippers| newspaper =The Oregonian| date = June 4, 2012| url =http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/06/trail_blazers_set_to_hire_neil_olshey_as_general_m.html| access-date =April 24, 2015}}
Career
Olshey originally sought to become a professional actor following his graduation from college, and moved to New York City to pursue this career. He appeared in television commercials and print advertisements, and had roles on All My Children, One Life to Live, and Loving before moving to Los Angeles.
Olshey later served as director of player development for SFX Sports Group, Inc., where he created, organized and conducted NBA pre-draft training camps that produced 15 lottery picks, 25 first-round selections and 57 current NBA players.{{cite web |url=http://www.eyeonsportsmedia.com/2009/12/career-choicessoap-opera-actor-or-nba.html |title=Olshey's Unconventional Journey |access-date=2010-03-10}} He was also an assistant coach at Artesia High School in Lakewood, California, where he coached future UCLA and NBA player Jason Kapono.
Prior to the start of the 2003–04 season, he joined the Los Angeles Clippers as director of player personnel and became an assistant coach at the beginning of the 2004–05 season. Prior to the start of the 2008–09 season, Olshey was elevated to the position of assistant general manager.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/09/clippers.dunleavy.split.ap/index.html |title=Clippers, general manager Dunleavy part ways |website=NBA.com |access-date=2010-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100321040859/http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/09/clippers.dunleavy.split.ap/index.html |archive-date=2010-03-21 |url-status=dead }} He was named general manager on March 9, 2010, upon the firing of Mike Dunleavy Sr.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-10-la-sp-clippers-20100311-story.html |title=Clippers' Neil Olshey worked his way up from bit parts to leading role |work= The Los Angeles Times|access-date=2010-03-10 | first=Lisa | last=Dillman | date=2010-03-10}} In June 2012, he became the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers.{{Cite web | url=http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/PressReleaseDisplay/tabid/297/itemId/3131/Default.aspx | title=Neil Olshey Named Trail Blazers General Manager | author=trailblazers | publisher=Portland Trail Blazers | date=n.d. | access-date=June 5, 2012 | quote=The Portland Trail Blazers have named Neil Olshey as a lund the team's general manager, Team President Larry Miller announced today. | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606010412/http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/PressReleaseDisplay/tabid/297/itemId/3131/Default.aspx | archive-date=June 6, 2012 }}
He appeared as himself on the IFC series Portlandia in episode 7 "Trail Blazers" of season 4.{{cite news| author = Christine N. Ziemba| title =Portlandia Review: "Trail Blazers"| quote =Expectations were raised even further with the casting of the Portland Trail Blazers' basketball team and general manager Neil Olshey to guest star opposite the dynamic duo.| newspaper =Paste| date = April 10, 2014| url =http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/04/portlandia-review-trail-blazers.html| access-date =April 23, 2015}}
After a month-long investigation into allegations of the Trail Blazers organization being a toxic environment created by Olshey, the team fired him on December 3, 2021.{{cite web |title=Statement From The Portland Trail Blazers |url=https://www.nba.com/blazers/statement-portland-trail-blazers-0 |website=NBA.com |access-date=December 6, 2021 |date=December 3, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32779100/portland-trail-blazers-fire-gm-president-basketball-operations-neil-olshey|title=Portland Trail Blazers fire GM, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey|website=ESPN.com|publisher=Associated Press|date=December 3, 2021|access-date=December 4, 2021}}
References
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{{succession box | before = Chad Buchanan (interim) | title = Portland Trail Blazers general manager | years = 2012–2021 | after = Joe Cronin (interim)}}
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{{Los Angeles Clippers general manager navbox}}
{{Portland Trail Blazers general manager navbox}}
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Category:American sports executives and administrators
Category:Le Moyne College alumni
Category:Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches
Category:Los Angeles Clippers executives
Category:People from Flushing, Queens