Jason Kidd Withdraws From Consideration for Blazers Job
Damian Lillard didn't get his first choice. Even better for the Trail Blazers? Jason Kidd made that decision for them.
Kidd, rumored for days as the frontrunner to succeed Terry Stotts as Portland's head coach, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday he has withdrawn from consideration for the position.
"Portland's a first-class organization and will have great candidates for its head coaching job, but I've decided not to be one of them," Kidd said. "Whoever they choose will have big shoes to fill from Terry (Stotts)."
According to ESPN, Kidd made himself unavailable for the Blazers' coaching vacancy because he was "uncomfortable" with filling it after Lillard went on the record that he "wanted" the Hall-of-Fame point guard in Rip City.
The public nature of Lillard's endorsement -- telling Yahoo Sports that "Jason Kidd is the guy I want" -- left Kidd feeling he would put both Lillard and Portland's process in an awkward circumstance should he pursue the opening.
LA Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups – the other prospective candidate who has Lillard's public endorsement – Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D'Antoni, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy are among the coaches the Blazers are "expected to consider," per ESPN.
Lillard came out in support of Kidd's nascent candidacy on Friday night, less than two hours after Portland agreed to part ways with Stotts – his only head coach during his nine-year career.
While Kidd's dramatic, uneven history in the first chair with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks made many Blazers fans apprehensive about his potential hiring, it's his history of domestic violence that caused hordes of team followers to voice strong opposition to Lillard's preference. Kidd pleaded guilty in 2001 to spousal abuse for striking his then-wife, physical abuse she would later allege in a court briefing went on for "years" prior.
Billups also has a past of alleged violence against women. In 1997, he settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed she was raped by Billups, Boston Celtics teammate Ron Mercer and another man at the home of Antoine Walker.
Billups, who was in media before joining Ty Lue's bench in LA this season, has a strong relationship with Portland general manager Neil Olshey dating back to their time with the Clippers in 2011-12.