Who is coaching Trail Blazers with Chauncey Billups on leave? Tiago Splitter takes over
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Who is coaching Trail Blazers with Chauncey Billups on leave? Tiago Splitter takes over
Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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3 min read
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A gambling scandal left NBA fans with their mouths agape and thePortland Trail Blazerswithout their head coach. Former NBA championTiago Splitteris taking the reins in the Pacific Northwest as the Blazers' interim head coach, and his first game is Friday night.
Portland lost its first game of the season in what was set to be its fifth season withBillupsas head coach. The team has not finished above .500 in any season under Billups.
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons gets around Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of game four of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 13, 2004 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Pistons won the game 88-80 to lead the best-of-seven game series 3-1.
(JEFF HAYNES, AFP via Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons dunks the basketball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter in game four of the 2004 NBA Finals on June 13, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
Series MVP Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons celebrates after beating the Los Angeles Lakers in game five of the NBA Finals to win the championship on June 15, 2004 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.. The Pistons won the game 100-87 to win the best-of-seven game series 4-1.
(JEFF HAYNES, AFP via Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons smiles after being award the Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 15, 2004 in Auburn Hills, Mich.
(Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons gets to the basket in front of LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2006 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 15, 2006 in Cleveland.
(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons drives against Larry Hughes of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs on May 27, 2007 in Cleveland.
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets drives drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during NBA action on April 8, 2010 in Denver.
(Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the New York Knicks goes up for a basket against Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 23, 2011 in New York City.
(Chris Trotman, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers drives around Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz on Feb. 23, 2013 in Los Angeles.
(Stephen Dunn, Getty Images)
Head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers yells during the first quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Moda Center on March 6, 2024 in Portland.
(Alika Jenner, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups poses for a portrait during the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Gala on Oct. 12, 2024 in Uncasville, Conn.
(Maddie Meyer, Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups speaks during the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction on Oct. 13, 2024 in Springfield, Mass.
(Joe Buglewicz, Getty Images)
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks with Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on Oct. 22, 2025 in Portland, Ore.
(Jaime Valdez, Imagn Images)
1/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons gets around Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of game four of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 13, 2004 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Pistons won the game 88-80 to lead the best-of-seven game series 3-1.
(JEFF HAYNES, AFP via Getty Images)
1/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons gets around Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of game four of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 13, 2004 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. The Pistons won the game 88-80 to lead the best-of-seven game series 3-1.
(JEFF HAYNES, AFP via Getty Images)
2/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons dunks the basketball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter in game four of the 2004 NBA Finals on June 13, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
3/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Series MVP Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons celebrates after beating the Los Angeles Lakers in game five of the NBA Finals to win the championship on June 15, 2004 at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.. The Pistons won the game 100-87 to win the best-of-seven game series 4-1.
(JEFF HAYNES, AFP via Getty Images)
4/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons smiles after being award the Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 15, 2004 in Auburn Hills, Mich.
(Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images)
5/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons gets to the basket in front of LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2006 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 15, 2006 in Cleveland.
(Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)
6/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons drives against Larry Hughes of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs on May 27, 2007 in Cleveland.
(Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images)
7/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets drives drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during NBA action on April 8, 2010 in Denver.
(Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
8/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the New York Knicks goes up for a basket against Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 23, 2011 in New York City.
(Chris Trotman, Getty Images)
9/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers drives around Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz on Feb. 23, 2013 in Los Angeles.
(Stephen Dunn, Getty Images)
10/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers yells during the first quarter of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Moda Center on March 6, 2024 in Portland.
(Alika Jenner, Getty Images)
11/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups poses for a portrait during the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Gala on Oct. 12, 2024 in Uncasville, Conn.
(Maddie Meyer, Getty Images)
12/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Chauncey Billups speaks during the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Induction on Oct. 13, 2024 in Springfield, Mass.
(Joe Buglewicz, Getty Images)
13/13
Mr. Big Shot: Highlights from Chauncey Billups' NBA career
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks with Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on Oct. 22, 2025 in Portland, Ore.
(Jaime Valdez, Imagn Images)
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 theBrooklyn Netsin 2019 and was respected enough to survive multiple coaching staff changes within the organization, staying on throughout theSteve Nashand Jacque Vaughn eras. He left the Nets in 2023.
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Splitter joined theHouston Rocketsas 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 anillegal poker operationthat allegedly had ties to the mafia.
The NBA placed Billups on "immediate leave" after he was indicted, alongside guardTerry 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.
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Splitter stressedthat he is "focused on moving forward." He alsonotedthat 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 theSan Antonio Spurs,Atlanta Hawks, andPhiladelphia 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.
Tiago Splitter first game
The Trail Blazers picked up their first win of the season with Splitter at the helm, defeating the Golden State Warriors139-119 on Friday night.
