The Portland Trail Blazers were hoping to have fans in all seats for their season-opening game on Thursday night, with the exception of one chair.
The seat where team owner Paul Allen would sit was pulled down at the Moda Center in Portland. A Blazers hat saying “rip city” and a rose was left on the seat.
Paul Allen’s seat tonight at Moda Center pic.twitter.com/qaYy6Q37eo
— Dwight Jaynes (@dwightjaynes) October 19, 2018
Allen died on Monday at the age of 65. The Microsoft co-founder owned both the Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks. He bought the Trail Blazers in 1988 and played a big role in the development of the Moda Center, which was previously named the Rose Garden.
Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1982 and was successfully treated for it until it returned this month, leading to his death.
