[In my life, I have discovered that I excel in two areas:
Overcoming adversity and inspiring exceptional individuals to achieve their absolute best.
This was vividly demonstrated through the Portland Trail Blazers.
When I acquired the Trail Blazers at their peak in 1988, the team swiftly fell into turmoil by 1989.
Along with them, my businesses—casinos, hotels, and airlines—suffered devastating blows.
Suddenly, I was drowning in debt, and the banks and financial institutions that once revolved around me began avoiding me. They either withdrew loans or aimed to liquidate my assets.
Someone suggested selling the Portland Trail Blazers to pay off the debt, but I immediately declared that was impossible. I vowed to restore the Blazers to glory; temporary hardship would not defeat me.
