Report: Damian Lillard Sat In On Chauncey Billups' Interview With Blazers
Damian Lillard's preferred candidate to be the Trail Blazers' next head coach has been abundantly clear ever since Jason Kidd took himself out of the running. As Portland's search to replace Terry Stotts on the sidelines enters its final stages, Lillard is apparently taking a direct approach to his involvement—at least when it comes to Chauncey Billups' candidacy.
The Blazers' franchise player sat in on Billups' virtual interview with the Blazers, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday's edition of The Hoop Collective.
"Dame Lillard has been invested in the coaching search, I think there are certain candidates that he prefers," Windhorst said. "They’ve interviewed a number of candidates. I was told that he sat in on the interview for Chauncey Billups. It was virtual...He joined the Zoom, but it's not a normal thing for players to sit in on that."
ESPN's Tim MacMahon also chimed in as Windhorst mentioned that Lillard prefers "certain candidates," quipping, "That's one way to put it."
Lillard's public support of Billups dates back to the immediate aftermath of Stotts' departure on June 4. Though he immediately told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that Kidd was "the guy I want," it was also reported that Lillard had a "strong relationship" with Billups. A day later, he went on record with The Athletic as "liking" both Kidd and Billups as the Blazers' next coach.
Lillard's direct involvement in Portland's interview process isn't surprising, either. Multiple reports have indicated he plans to both receive and provide input on the biggest decisions facing the Blazers during this crucial offseason, and Neil Olshey comfortably admitted as much during his season-ending presser.
What's most notable here is further confirmation that Lillard indeed has personal favorites, as well as the likelihood he didn't feel compelled to participate in the Blazers' interviews with Becky Hammon, Mike D'Antoni and more.
It's no secret which candidates the powers that be in Portland favor. Lillard, it's more obvious than ever, wants Billups, and months of smoke suggest the five-time All-Star has always been Olshey's top choice. Blazers chair Jody Allen, on the other hand, reportedly hopes to hire Hammon.
D'Antoni, the other candidate confirmed to receive a second interview with Portland's brain trust, apparently has some momentum, too.
Still, just as they have for weeks, most signs continue pointing to Billups—including tidbits from The Athletic's Jason Quick about the Blazers' knowledge of the 1997 rape allegation made against him.
If ESPN and the LA Clippers, Billups' former and current employers, hired him in spite of that ugly incident, it would come as no surprise if Portland eventually does the same. The league at large has simply decided to believe Billups that he had consensual sex with his accuser.
How that dynamic factors into Lillard's thinking is unknown. But the deeper the Blazers get into their search, the more crystallized it becomes that Lillard is firmly in Billups' camp.
[h/t Adrian Bernecich, Blazers Edge]