Damian Lillard Responds to Criticism About the Hiring of Chauncey Billups as the Blazers Head Coach

It was reported on Friday night that the Blazers were hiring Chauncey Billips as their next head coach.  He's currently an assistant with the Clippers.

The Portland Trail Blazers are hiring Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups as their new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2021

Not everyone was excited by the news of the Billups hiring.  People voiced their concerns on Twitter, with one fan calling out Blazers star Damian Lillard for his endorsement of Billups and Jason Kidd.

Billups settled a sexual assault case out of court back in 2000.  Kidd, who was in consideration for the Blazers job but was ultimately hired by the Mavericks, had some domestic violence in his past.

To his credit, Lillard responded to the fan and admitted to not knowing about the two head coaching candidates' troubling past.

Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I “heard” and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old. I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less https://t.co/N1GPkX3Ohd

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 26, 2021

I said what I said family. https://t.co/uwgFRPS5zW

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 26, 2021

I give Lillard credit for admitting his mistake, but he's not 7 or 8 now and a simple Google search probably brings those things up.

At the same time the organization should have never presented those names to him, if sexual assault and domestic violence disqualifies them as candidates, clearly it doesn't.