Portland Trail Blazers pay tribute to owner Paul Allen before the start of the season

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Before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, the Blazers' public address presenter remembered Allen after summarizing his extraordinary life as Microsoft's co-founder with his childhood friend, Bill Portes.

A white spotlight was then pointed at chevrons on Allen's seat, where the rose was accompanied by a white Blazers cap, similar to the one he often wore for games, while the crowd sold out honored Allen with a moment of silence.

"I've read a lot of tribute to Paul in recent days and what an extraordinary man he was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said before the game. "Not only in sport, but in the world in general, when we pay tribute to him, I will probably think about the impact he has had on the life he has had around the world." Beyond basketball, it was just a phenomenal life and hard to really think about it. "

Allen lost a long battle with cancer Monday at the age of 65.

Stotts said that he knew an Allen much more docile than the man who had bought the Blazers in 1988 and that he was chairing a team that went to two NBA Finals at during the first four years in which he owned the franchise.

"He was a different owner than he had when he trained the team," Stotts said. "When he joined the team, when I see some of his clips as a 35-year-old owner, it reminds me of Mark Cuban when he was passionate about this young man.

"I see that everyone has talked about his passion, you can really feel it.When I came here, he was a homeowner for 25 years and even he cared as much about the Blazers as of the time where he (his team), he was so fan, a different kind of fan at the time. "

The Blazers wore black stripes on their sweaters with the initials of Allen, PGA, embroidered in white with a red rose head. The same logo of the PGA was painted on the side of the field of Moda Center, near the bench of Blazers.

"All its achievements and its impact on millions and millions of people, as well as on the environment, the Earth and all the rest, I think these are things that are difficult to put into context, the magnitude everything, "added Stotts.

An impromptu memorial was created near the iconic "Rip City" outside the Moda Center to pay tribute to Allen, also owner of the Seattle Seahawks and co-owner of Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS.

The phrase, which has since become a nickname for Portland, was born during a furious return of the Blazers against the Lakers in 1971 when the former radio man, Bill Schonely, cried out: "Rip City, ok!" as Portland goalkeeper, Jim Barnett is connected on a long shot.

The team commemorates this sentence by making an installation of the Fountain of the Essential Forces outside the west side of the arena. "Rip City" took on a different meaning on Thursday when the red and black print characters were adorned with dozens of red roses as well as floral crowns, notes and other memories left by those who came pay tribute to Allen.

"It was devastating," said 59-year-old Ed Pulanco, who works for the Blazers serving guests. He arrived at the match early to take a picture of the monument. "Today, it really worries me, because it's the first day of opening. And it's not there. I do not know. I could have tears in my eyes for that, it's really sad, it's very sad. "

Pulanco, who inaugurated the Blazers' games since 2008, wore a black satin jacket with the player's logo at the mark on the flank.

"To tell you the truth, I am grateful because of him, I have a job, so I owe him that.That's why I'm here because of him," Pulanco said. "Otherwise, this arena would not be built or anything, being a rich person, you can finance these things and help people, so I have to … I've been doing it for 10 years, exactly 10 years. I owe him 10 years. "