Tiago Splitter on Friday spoke publicly for the first time since he was named Portland Trail Blazers' interim coach in the wake of Chauncey Billups’ arrest and indictment.
Splitter, who joined the organization in June as an assistant coach, said the teams’ thoughts are with Billups and his family but that everyone is trying to focus on moving forward.
“These guys are human beings and we understand that,” Splitter said. “But (we’re) trying to focus on the basketball part for sure.
The NBA placed Billups on immediate leave Thursday after he was arrested by federal agents for allegedly laundering money and committing wire fraud conspiracy as part of a years-long poker scheme.
Splitter, who was named interim coach hours later, was the first person in the organization to speak publicly since the arrest. He addressed reporters during his pregame availability before the Blazers’ Friday night matchup against the Golden State Warriors at the Moda Center.
Here’s what he had to say:
Reaction to the news he would be the interim coach:
Honestly, a tough moment. But I’ve got to do my job. I’ve been in this position in a different level. But also, in a way, looking forward to show my skills and lead a team. So that was a positive part of it.
On his message to the team tonight:
Well, I think we’re going to talk about basketball. Just do what we do, play the way we like to play, with good pace. Be aggressive on defense, rebound. That’s going to be the identity of this team and I’m not going to change it. I mean, I’m part of the process of putting this together and we’ve been working for two months or more in our identity and how we’re going to play this season. So I’m just going to keep doing my job.
You won’t address what’s going on off the court?
Well, I spoke in the morning, but that’s it. I think it’s life, stuff that happened, and just go to the next step — basketball — and do our job.
Will it be hard to block everything out?
Trying to be honest, (we’ll) be focused on the basketball part. These guys are human beings and we understand that, but (we’re) trying to focus on the basketball part for sure.
Is there a way to describe what yesterday was like?
Not great. Not great. But, like I said, we’ve got to move forward, we’ve got a job to do. I’m not going to get tired of repeating this. We have great opportunity in front of us to (have) a great season with this team, and I’m excited about that.
Are you allowed to have any communication with Billups?
No.
How important is it to have veterans to rely on in the locker room?
Big time. Big time. Not just for that, but in general. Having guys like Dame (Lillard), Jrue (Holiday), Jerami (Grant), Matisse (Thybulle), all of them. I can keep going and say a bunch of names here with experience, guys that have been through a lot. Rings. Championships. Play all kinds of games and have life situation as well. So those guys are great in our locker room.
What like to go from assistant for just one game to being head coach in 12 hours?
I wasn’t expecting it, for sure. But, like I said, I have to be ready. I was ready. I am ready. I did (this) in advance in a different league, of course, in Europe. And I’m just going to move forward into my job. But it’s, in a way, a lot of responsibility.
On the youth on the team and keeping them focused:
Just keep pounding on the team, on what we got to do in the court. Try to stay away of what’s going on and just focus on the basketball, to be honest.
What does Billups mean to these young guys?
We all had great experiences with Chauncey and how he coached. And we are thinking of him and his family. But we’ve got a job to do. We’ve got a job to do and move forward.
On Yang Hansen and his role:
I’m not going to give you much, but Hanse nis a great project for us. He has elite skill for playing basketball. He’s a great passer. Of course, his size is great, so we’ve got be patient with him. But I’m sure he’s going to be a great basketball player. So we’ve just got to be patient a little bit.
How much will your role change affect the plan with Hansen?
I don’t think it’s going to change much. We have a plan like two months ago. We’re going to keep up our plan with our team and players like Hansen. We’re not going to change our plan. It’s going to stay the same.
On how he puts his imprint on the team:
To be honest, there is stuff that I already implemented coming here, like two months ago. Kind of like the pace that we’re playing. We did the same stuff last year with Paris. The rotation’s a little similar. So we’re trying to play that way, be aggressive. Nate (Bjorkgren) has been great. Patrick St. Andrews being great. Q. We have a great staff. All of them. The guys, they are working every day, very hard, to make this team play the best way we can. So it’s not like I’m going to put now something new. It was, like, a collective thing that we put together months ago, and we’re just going to follow the plan.
On gambling and what this means for the league?
I would like not to talk about that. You put me in a tough position. No comment on that.
How did you find that Chauncey would be exiting?
As you can imagine, just like you guys. Social media and people texting.
On the staring lineup:
Same starters.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.