Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was arrested on Thursday on charges of rigging underground poker games that were backed by Mafia families, authorities announced. It's a shocking development taking place just after the start of the new NBA season and Portland will now have to forge ahead under interim coach Tiago Splitter with Billups facing federal charges.
As the basketball world attempted to come to grips with the news, one quote Billups gave during his postgame press conference on Wednesday night went viral. Following the Blazers' opening night loss to the Timberwolves, Billups was asked if he felt extra pressure for his team to perform given the franchise's prospective new owner, Tom Dundon, was in the stands. He used a metaphor in his response, which obviously ended up rather prescient.
"That pressure thing is nothing to me, man," Billups said. "I do the best I can and let the chips fall where they may. You know that about me by now."
The quote can be heard at the 5:11 mark below.
Billups was first hired by the Blazers in 2021 and spent the last four seasons coaching in Portland. It's now Splitter's job to lead the team this year; it's quite possible Billups has coached his last NBA game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chauncey Billups’s Quote Following Blazers’ Opener Goes Viral After Arrest.
