At the introductory press conference for new Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups on Tuesday, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey confirmed that the team conducted an independent investigation into the 1997 sexual assault allegations against Billups, and came away confident that he hadn’t engaged in any wrongdoing, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
Billups, meanwhile, said the ’97 incident had a major impact on him and shaped his decision-making going forward, per Jason Quick of The Athletic.
However, a Blazers PR person shut down further questions to Billups on how exactly the incident shaped him, and Olshey declined to provide any details on the team’s investigation, calling that information “proprietary” and asking reporters and fans to “take us at our word” that the investigation was thorough. As a result, there was no real sense of transparency in the presser, according to John Canzano of The Oregonian.
As Quick notes, Olshey and the franchise are essentially asking for trust and forgiveness for the way the coaching search played out and the decision the team made. While Quick believes Olshey has earned that trust to some extent, he adds that the veteran executive hasn’t made “a bigger ask” during his tenure with the team than this one, and that the clumsy hiring process has “created unrest for Billups, for (Damian) Lillard, and the fanbase.”
Here’s more out of Portland:
- During Billups’ introductory presser, Olshey downplayed the idea that Lillard’s frustration with how the 2020/21 season played out will lead to a trade request this offseason. “Dame and I talk all the time,” Olshey said, per Quick. “And Dame’s happiness revolves around winning, and having a chance to win at the highest level. Chauncey is going to inherit that now, but the ultimate responsibility for that falls on me and my staff to put a team together that we can walk into the beginning of the season and think it has a chance to compete for a championship. So the shorter answer is it’s on me to make Dame happy. And the way to make Dame happy is to put the pieces around him to where he feels like he can win a championship.”
- Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic said in an interview with a Bosnian outlet that he’d want to leave the team if Lillard is traded. Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, using a translation tool, has the details on Nurkic’s comments. The big man previously cast some uncertainty on his future in Portland following the team’s postseason elimination.
- Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype takes a look at which teams might be able to put together the strongest trade offers for Lillard should the All-NBA point guard decide he wants out of Portland.
- Following a Tuesday report indicating Zach Collins has suffered another injury setback, the Blazers announced in a press release that the big man has undergone a second revision surgery to repair a left medial malleolus stress fracture and has been ruled out indefinitely. As we noted yesterday, Collins is eligible for restricted free agency, but seems increasingly unlikely to get a qualifying offer.
Olshey- what a mess he has made. Place your trust in a guy that sounds like a slick used car salesman. Hes the very definition of insanity. His vision is flawed, why can all rip city see it but His boss Jody Allen. His actions are likely to push Dame out the Door- way to go Olshey/ Allen.
Why would Olsheys actions hiring a guy Dame suggested drive him out the door? Stop drinking the big market media koolaid. THEY want Dame in a big market and are inflating this BS with Billups/Olshey to drive that agenda, but that doesn’t mean Dame wants to leave (yet anyways).
Enjoy Dame while he’s still in Portland, which I expect will be for at least one more season if we are to assume that the roster is shaken up and improved. I’ve zero reason to believe that they won’t find some way to upgrade this roster.
No reason to assume the roster is shaken up and improved already. A typo or don’t follow BB much?
And you attribute the controversy to big market media? What a transparent blow-off. What about, say, decency.
I said I expect he’ll stick around if they improve the roster, which I fully expect they’ll try hard to do. That’s TBD for now.
I absolutely believe this is being driven by the big market media’s agenda to get star players out of small markets. That’s Big Market media 101.
They’re not required to be fully transparent about legal matters like this where a settlement was reached. It’s really not a matter of “decency”. I trust they did their due diligence prior to offering Billups the job. Simple as that.
It is odd that Lillard was able to get his dissatisfaction across publicly without having to announce anything, just that one tweet early on. That leaves all his options open; somebody in media likely did him a favor; major media would be more likely than local. I can see what you’re saying.
But.
The timeline I saw here had Hammon returning for a second interview with declarations that Blazers made her a firsttime female finalist. Supposedly THEN they did background and whoops, no sorry. Lillard was thrown under the bus there as well as Hammon.
Transparency is not required, no, but I found it cynical or worse. It could have been Allen’s idea.
I’m sorry but I just feel like this whole thing is being blown out of proportion.
A lot of folks obviously wanted Hammon and I can appreciate why, but the organization settled on someone else. It’s that simple. To believe they didn’t do their due diligence is VERY presumptuous. And as far as “transparency” goes, they’re not beholden to share private info, which this is, with the flipping media or anyone else.
Whatever is avail to public re: the 1997 allegations is what is available whether folks like it or not. A settlement was reached as well, like it or not.
Folks can dislike Olshey (I’m not a big fan per say) and they can dislike Billups too (I’m not a big fan per say). That’s their right. If this compels some fans to abandon ship and root for someone else, that’s their prerogative. But Chauncey Billups is the head coach and Olshey is still the GM.
I’m glad the hiring process is complete and look forward to seeing what kind of moves they make to improve this team so that I can enjoy Dame for at least another season.
If Billups doesn’t work out, so be it. If more allegations arise and he’s charged, I hope he’s held accountable, but as far as where things currently stand, I’m moving on to the next offseason phase.
Yes, very good, fact. Olshey, Billups and Lillard are employed as well as a bunch of players you want rid of. Any thoughts or are you just a minion?
Stop trying to put words in my mouth, son. The roster needs a shake up and there are def some players I’d love to see go if we can upgrade the team.
Nurk to Orlando for RJ Hampton, Mo Bamba & #33 overall pick… Dame & Kanter to GState for James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, #7 & #14 overall & a future 1st.. CJ, RoCo & #14 overall to Philly for Ben Simmons & #28 overall…. Blazers begin a new era w/ a young core of Ben Simmons, Ant Simons, RJ Hampton, Jordan Poole, Derrick Jones Jr, Andrew Wiggins, Nassir Little, James Wiseman & Mo Bamba. They’d also have the #7, #28 & #33 picks in the upcoming draft as well as a extra future 1st from the Ws. They’d also have enough space to add an impact very or 2. Plus they’d have the opportunity to resign Norman Powell & have 1 of the better defensive teams in the West
This trade is so crazy it might just work?!?!?
Leave Poole out of it and its sound for GSW.
Dame & Kanter for Wiseman, Wiggins, Paschall, #7, #14 & 2 future 1sts…
Better – GSW lack true playmakers who can get their own shots, currently Steph and Poole all they got, Wiggins has the capability but actually rarely does it, they need more than 2, even with Dame, especially if they aren’t picking in the draft (in your trade scenario), so Poole gotta stay. Paschall works because they can get a biggish EP type in free agency.
No thank you lmao why would you blow up this team and rebuild when you still have Dame under contract for 4 years. You’re trippin
And if you did rebuild the Blazers can do way better than what you’re proposing. Those are trash trades
The big thing that bothers me is the timing of this whole thing. The media people that made this blow up had to have known about this before the hiring was being finalized. They waited for the perfect moment to put Billups, Olshey, Dame, and the Blazers on blast when they could have published stories about it earlier on.
Do I think that Billups should be investigated and the Blazers get criticism? Yes. I also think the media needs to take some blame when they waited to leak this.
Or, we can just look at whats happened with the Mets the last 5 or so years, and teams should adhere to overall press reaction when making choices like these moving forward. The arrogance of this, hiring him AFTER it was blown up, is beyond the worst, much worse than the leak itself, I disagree with you there. The press giving a team massive reasons to not hire a guy, has 100% of the time been correct so far, and the Mets are proof.
Olshey has ruined that franchise, who will never win a title as long as he’s in charge.
Olshey long been “the problem” in Portland, this has been widely-known insider knowledge all this time.
Just think about all the other times (not on camera) where he’s had to make choices and have meetings, and he’s acted like this? It goes way deeper than just this one press conference…
This whole thing is ridiculous. Billups was on TV for years, a finalist for multiple positions, FO for CLE and HC jobs the past few cycles. Obv we have no idea what happened with the incident but to act like this is some revelation is just a lie. (Why was this not brought up publicly til now?)
To me this is clearly the wild Portland media melting down bc they didn’t hire their preferred candidate, Hammon. Clowns like that Canzano guy are doing whatever they can do blow this up and it very well could end up costing them the most loyal superstar in today’s NBA.
The media and press have missed PLENTY over the years due to oversight/corruption/etc, ultimately its on them for not doing their job properly in the past, but they are doing it correctly now – please dont confuse ineptitude with normal operating procedure.
I see what you’re saying but I don’t think this is normal operating procedure. I think this is a hit job bc the media wanted Hammon and the narrative of the first female coach so they could write endless stories on it.
Like I said, clearly we don’t know what happened with Billups but no charges were filed and it happened 25 years ago. I just don’t think the POR media have good intentions behind this. I think Billups has been in the public eye long enough if this story was substantial we would have heard it by now.
Agree, the Billups story was surfaced to either support Hammon or discredit Olshey… it depends on the timing. Maybe both. Otherwise, it would stay closed. There is a lack of direct involvement in the specific action by Billups, a rookie then not in charge. There could have been more but the case got paid shut.
Why are people making a big deal of 1997 incident now? It’s not like Billups hasnt worked since then in the industry…. Besides, people dont mention about Kobe Colorado case anymore.
Dame aint going anywhere. He doesnt like changes or surprises, and he’s very happy in Portland where he is calling the shots. He will soon be signing record extension.
It sucks cause that press conference was going well too, and they shut down a question from everyone’s favorite Blazers writer Jason Quick that wasn’t even a bad question. Chauncey looked ready to answer and elaborate and it’s just a terrible look to have a freaking signal to shut down a question that probably would’ve eased a lot of Blazers fans concerns if Billups had been allowed to answer. We also got robbed of a great J Quick article smj
Agree with you yoyo137… It was such a great opportunity that POR just ruined, the optics are terrible, I have always had a soft spot for POR from the days of The Glyde & havin’ been in that amazin’ city as well… but all of this just looks such a mess, even with me likin’ Dame I just can’t see myself rootin’ for them, not with Allen, Olshey & Billups in there, no way!
Sad state of affairs in beautiful Oregon!
Good report yo