Neil Olshey facts for kids

Neil Olshey (born January 10, 1965) is an American sports executive. He is well-known for his work in professional basketball. He used to be the general manager for two teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). These teams were the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Growing Up and School

Neil Olshey was born in Queens, New York. He grew up in a part of Queens called Flushing. For high school, he went to Xavier High School in Manhattan. After high school, Neil went to Le Moyne College. This college is in Syracuse, New York. While there, he played on the college's lacrosse team.

Neil's Career Journey

Neil Olshey first wanted to be an actor. After college, he moved to New York City to try acting. He appeared in TV commercials. He also had roles on some TV shows. These shows included All My Children and One Life to Live. Later, he moved to Los Angeles.

Working in Basketball

Neil then started working in sports. He helped young basketball players get ready for the NBA. He organized training camps for them. Many players from his camps became top picks in the NBA draft. He also coached high school basketball. One player he coached was Jason Kapono, who later played in the NBA.

In 2003, Neil joined the Los Angeles Clippers team. He started as the director of player personnel. This job meant he helped find and manage players. In 2004, he became an assistant coach. He worked his way up in the team. By 2008, he was the assistant general manager. On March 9, 2010, he became the general manager for the Clippers.

Moving to the Trail Blazers

In June 2012, Neil Olshey became the general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers. This is another team in the NBA. He worked for the Trail Blazers for many years. He even appeared as himself on the TV show Portlandia. This was in an episode called "Trail Blazers."

On December 3, 2021, the Trail Blazers team decided to let Neil Olshey go. This happened after an investigation into the team's workplace environment.