A gambling scandal left NBA fans with their mouths agape and the Portland Trail Blazers without their head coach. Former NBA champion Tiago Splitter is taking the reins in the Pacific Northwest as the Blazers’ interim head coach, and his first game is Friday night.
His adversary is no easy foe, though. The Golden State Warriors are 2-0 on the season and are fresh off a 137-131 win over the Denver Nuggets Thursday night. Although Denver’s Aaron Gordon dropped 50 in that game, the Warriors were resilient, thanks in large part to Steph Curry dropping 42 points of his own.
Portland lost its first game of the season in what was set to be its fifth season with Billups as head coach. The team has not finished above .500 in any season under Billups.
Why is Tiago Splitter the Blazers’ interim head coach?
Splitter is in his first season with the Blazers, serving as an assistant coach. Though he is a new addition to the club, he has lots of experience as a coach.
He served as player development coach for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 and was respected enough to survive multiple coaching staff changes within the organization, staying on throughout the Steve Nash and Jacque Vaughn eras. He left the Nets in 2023.
Splitter joined the Houston Rockets as an assistant afterwards and took a one-year gap in Europe before coming back to the NBA in 2025.
Splitter was thrust into the interim head coaching role after Billups was arrested as part of an FBI investigation into illegal gambling. Billups was charged in connection with an illegal poker operation that allegedly had ties to the mafia.
The NBA placed Billups on ‘immediate leave’ after he was indicted, alongside guard Terry Rozier, who was also indicted in the investigation. Billups was in court in Portland Thursday afternoon.
Tiago Splitter’s comments on Chauncey Billups arrest
Ahead of Friday’s game, Splitter was asked his thoughts on the FBI investigation that resulted in Billups’ arrest. Splitter did not speak on the matter.
Splitter stressed that he is ‘focused on moving forward.’ He also noted that the mood in the Blazers’ facility Thursday was ‘not good,’ but he is ready for what comes next.
Tiago Splitter NBA stats
Splitter spent most of his seven NBA seasons as a role player for the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers. He was a key player on the Spurs’ 2014 championship team, though, starting 50 games for the team while averaging 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He averaged 7.9 points per game for his career while shooting a solid 55.5% from the field.
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