Backlash over the Portland Trail Blazers’ negotiations with Chauncey Billups to become their next head coach could ultimately lead to Damian Lillard requesting a trade.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports dropped the bombshell that Lillard was not consulted on the pending hire of Billups, who was accused of rape along with former teammate Ron Mercer in 1997. He was then blasted on social media by the fan base for endorsing Billups and Jason Kidd in an interview with Jason Quick and Shams Charania of The Athletic and said “Jason Kidd is the guy I want” in a previous interview with Haynes.
Since rumors are suggesting that he may demand a trade, social media has pulled up an old tweet of Lillard that shows he previously called out which two teams he would play for.
“If Blazers said they didn’t want me… Utah Jazz or Lakers,” Lillard tweeted on June 14, 2017.
The All-NBA guard tweeted he was not aware of the past allegations against Billups and Kidd:
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Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse against his ex-wife, Joumana, in 2001, while Billups and Mercer were accused by a woman of raping her at the home of then-teammate Antoine Walker.
A rape kit performed the day after the alleged assault found injuries to the woman’s throat, cervix and rectum, along with bruising on her back. Semen was also found inside her vagina.
Her testimony revealed Billups and Mercer forced her to perform several “unwanted” sexual acts before she blacked out.
