When is an Assist not Really That Helpful?

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post. #1)

Since 2013, the Portland Trailblazers NBA team and Moda Health Systems have promoted their Assist Program: “…using on-court assists to raise money for all-abilities playgrounds in Oregon where every BODY can play.”

It works like this. Each time a Trailblazer player records an assist, Moda and the Blazers each pony up a $10 donation to help a community in Oregon build a playground.

That goal sounds laudable, but I question whether our superb TV announcers, Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd, should be so effusive when they espouse it several times each game. (#2)

In my last blog post, I mentioned how two junior high teachers gave me a foundation to analyze figures. Earl Gipe in eighth-grade math and Don Gribble in ninth-grade algebra, taught me to dig below the surface when assessing numbers. Working with lawyers for thirty-five years also taught me to question assumptions.

Looking at NBA team statistics, the Blazers don’t fare well in assists. They ranked 27th out of 30 NBA teams in 2025 and have averaged just 25.4 assists per game over the last six seasons – 24.7 in 2025. If we assume 80 regular-season games, that accrues to a donation of $39,520 by the two corporations last year. (#3)

But what really irritates me is that the combined donation of $20 hasn’t risen since 2013. Let’s look at one inflation calculator:

“…$1 in 2013 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1.39 today (2026), an increase of $0.39 over 13 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.57% per year between 2013 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 39.13%.

This means that today’s prices are 1.39 times as high as average prices since 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index. A dollar today only buys 71.942% of what it could buy back then.”

When I first expressed my gripe in a Beerchaser post in 2021, being naïve, I suspected with inflationary trends, Moda and the Blazers would up the ante for the 2021-2 NBA season to at least $15 or $20 each per assist.  

No way! Evidently Moda’s slogan of “Be Better,” doesn’t spill over to its charitable endeavors even five years later. (#4 – #5)

Without trying to belabor the point, let’s look at the current cost of commercial playground equipment. According to Recreational.com, Large playgrounds – city parks, HOAs, rec centers – (the intent of the Moda and the Blazer program) cost: $90,000 – $150,000+. This includes essential play equipment, site prep, surface material and professional installation.

Other relevant statistics I found:

Recent Inflation Spikes: The highest inflationary pressure for playground equipment occurred recently, with year-over-year price changes of 3.47% in 2021, 10.86% in 2022, and 7.42% in 2023.

Key Cost Drivers: Prices have been driven up by tariffs (20–25%) on raw materials like steel, vinyl, and PVC, alongside increased demand post-pandemic.

So the Moda/Blazer annual donation of not quite $40,000 is not very praiseworthy. Perhaps they should have indexed the amount per assist to the increase in the cost of popcorn and other concession products from 2013…(#6)

One Final Irony

The Blazers have a new owner in 2026 and there is high-level and informed concern that he will move the team to Seattle or another city that could be more financially attractive. Billionaire Tom Dundon has leverage because the Moda Center is thirty years old.

Estimates for improvements to make it last structurally and be competitive with the amenities of other modern arenas for the next twenty years are at least $600 million.

The State of Oregon, City of Portland and Multnomah County realize that losing the Blazers would be another blow to the economics and credibility of Portland and the State. It would eliminate thousands of job and millions in loss revenue from taxes on player salaries, lodging and hospitality establishments, etc.

It’s been reported that discussions have tentatively developed a collective amount of $510 million in public funding. There is proposed State legislation to create “a new Oregon Arena Fund and give the state joint ownership of the building with the city of Portland.” (#7)

It’s ironic and almost comical to me that while the Blazers have gone cheap on the Moda Assist Program that they come to the Oregon Legislature “hat-in-hand” for over 1/2 billion dollars. Many taxpayers are not happy as there are many other critical priorities. (#8)

And I would love it if one of our Legislators would respond:

“Let’s see, Mr. Dundon, you’re asking for and are likely to receive about $510,000,000 of the 600 million it’s going to cost to retrofit and upgrade the Moda Center for the Blazers over the next twenty years of a lease.

Currently, you and Moda contribute $20 per assist for community playgrounds. Let’s make a comparison and see how our potential taxpayer largesse amortizes for your “playground” from 2030 to 2050.

Using the Blazer average of 25 assists per game over the 80 game NBA regular season for twenty years, that equates to about 40,000 assists.

If you divide $510 million by 40,000, it results in a payout of $12,750 per assist or 637.5 times the amount you and Moda have given since 2013. Maybe you should go back and rethink this!”

 

Ending on a More Positive Note

We love Lake Grove Presbyterian Church where we worship each Sunday.”

Our communities, nation and the world are going through some very challenging times that have a tendency to divide us. While it would be easy to refrain from addressing current events, the wonderful pastoral staff conveyed to the congregation about one month ago that bears repeating (even on a blog primarily about bars and breweries!).

Regardless of your faith or philosophy, the conceptual message is worth remembering and affirming. (#9 – #10)

“We worship today again with a lot on our hearts and minds. The events in the world around us, including the actions of some of our own governmental leaders, often leave us befuddled.

We recognize the cloud of confusion that the actions in Venezuela stir up. We are also aware of the need to begin this new year at LGPC in a strong and positive fashion. We have not had time to shape a well-thought-out response.

We can say this: We plead with leaders, especially those who claim to be Christians, to follow the teachings and example of Jesus, the Prince of peace, and to refrain from the use of violence to accomplish political goals—in this, and in every case.”

Cheers and Blessings

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Moda Center at night.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Parker Knight – Portland, Oregon, USA  – 11 November 2016.

#2. Lamar Hurd Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10102602558498898&set=pb.19706263.-2207520000&type=3) (cropped)

#3. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isolated_basketball.png) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Photography by User: MrX – 26 September 2004.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Playground_Square_Albert_Thomas_-_Talence_France_-_22_August_2020.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Such0012  22 August 2020.

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Childrens_Game_Park_01621.jpg) Lhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en.  Author: Nevit 2008.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Popcorn_in_bucket.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Corn cheese – 20 January 2023.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons  (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dollar_sign_capitalism_logo.svg) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: OwcaGierka – 13 November 2022.

#8.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Salem, OR – State Capitol State Park – Capitol Building (4).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Jrozwado – 2 September 2016.

#9.  Lake Grove Presbyterian Church Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=791647823001675&set=a.572288721604254).

#10.  Lake Grove Presbyterian Church Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=624641723035620&set=pb.100064693928590.-2207520000&type=3).