Bill Schonely hospitalized with COVID-19 but expects to be released Monday – OregonLive

Former Trail Blazers radio and television broadcaster Bill Schonely is set to be released Monday from a local hospital after being admitted with COVID-19.

“That’s the game plan,” Schonely told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Sunday. “If they don’t release me, I’ll walk out of here anyway.”

Schonely, 92, said he was in the hospital for a medical procedure when the doctors told him they wanted to test for COVID-19.

“And they found out that I have COVID,” Schonely said.

His wife, Dottie, 91, also tested positive. Schonely said she was doing fine and would soon be released from a different local hospital.

On April 10, the Blazers sent Schonely into retirement in style with a halftime ceremony at Moda Center during the final game of the season.

Schonely, the franchise’s founding play-by-play broadcaster, retired from the booth in 1998 and then served as franchise ambassador from 2003-22.

— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).

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