Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue spoke about his longtime friendship with Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who is facing serious allegations.
Lue, who has been close friends with Billups for many years, said that despite the circumstances, his friend is staying positive.
“Chauncey is my best friend that had to go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters,” Lue told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “So, it was a tough day and you never want to see any of your friends go through anything like that.”
The Clippers coach said he reached out to Billups on Thursday night to check on him.
“Just to hear his voice saying that he’s OK, (I could tell) he’s good,” Lue said. “I could tell in his voice if it’s not really good, so he feels good. And that’s all I wanted to make sure of.”
That account contrasts sharply with how Billups appeared in court, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic, who described him as “emotionless with a hollow look in his eyes.”
Quick noted that Billups is typically upbeat, honest, and one of the NBA’s most respected figures – qualities that make the allegations against him all the more startling.
ICYMI: Tiago Splitter discusses becoming interim head coach of the Trail Blazers, plus more notes from Portland. https://t.co/IfKR0g8MxG
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) October 26, 2025
