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Welcome into Neil Loche, the president of basketball operations with the Portland Trailblazers.

Starting his ninth season in Portland, does the change from eighth season to ninth season?

Does it feel like a blur, just one long blur of a year, Neil?

Well, I'm going to call it 10 seasons if we include the bubble.

That's true.

That was a whole other season.

But, yeah, it's been a great run.

I mean, my God, Terry, myself, and Dame have been together

since day one. So, you know, we're just holding our breath. We can make it to a decade.

Yeah, I don't think there's another coach general manager slash president tandem, except for

Pat Riley, Eric Spolstra, Dallas with Rick Carlisle. I don't know that there's been a tandem together as long as you two.

No, I think we're third behind, but behind the two you get, you mentioned. Donnie and Rick and

Spoh and Riles. So yeah, who would have thought? You know, three years ago, I signed a short-term

contract and kept my lease in Manhattan Beach

figuring I'd last about six months.

So it's worked out pretty well, but I think most of the credit for that goes to getting

lucky and having Damien Lillard slipped to sixth in the draft.

That kind of set the tone far more than my ability or Terry's.

He covers up a lot of mistakes. Well, you've helped him in this offseason.

There's no question. But you mentioned the bubble, Neil, and I think about, I actually went back

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