Portland Trail Blazers rumors and drama pushing Damian Lillard away

Portland Trail Blazers rumors and drama: The hiring of Chauncey Billups was controversial

It was obvious at the end of last season that the Blazers needed to do something big if they wished to make it further in the post-season.

After another disappointing exit in the playoffs, they decided to part ways with long-time head coach Terry Stotts. After his resignation, all eyes were on his possible replacements. Multiple names were tossed around, including Becky Harmon, who would have been the first female coach in NBA history.

In the end, Portland selected former player Chauncey Billups. Damian Lillard publicly approved of the move and all seemed well until controversy broke out.

Billups has been previously accused of rape in 1997. No criminal charges were ever filed against the former Pistons star, and he has denied all allegations. However, the selection of Billups immediately became a major problem for Portland. People called on Billups to step down or be fired, although the team stuck by his side.

Damian Lillard himself was mired in the controversy and was forced to comment on the allegations. He said he wasn’t aware of any of the claims against Billups. Considering he was very young at the time of the accusations, that’s likely.

Yet, his initial endorsement of Billups was the first time Blazers fans were unhappy with Lillard. He even received negative local press, something that has never happened before. The Billups hiring and subsequent backlash got the season off to a very rough start before the first game even started.