Trail Blazers face backlash against Billups’ 1997 rape allegation

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The Trail Blazers announced on Sunday that they had hired former NBA player Chauncey Billups and fans immediately let the team know how they felt.

PORTLAND, Oregon. The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Sunday that the franchise has hired former NBA player Chauncey Billups. The 17-year-old veteran was a 5-time all-star player and NBA Finals MVP after winning a championship playing for the Detroit Pistons.

This is Billups’ first head coaching position.

“It was not at all surprising that this was Neil Olshey’s choice from the start,” said Sean Highkin, NBA reporter for the Bleacher Report. “Obviously they followed their process, they interviewed a few candidates, Becky Hammon got a lot of attention, Mike D’Antoni got a lot of attention, but if that was Neil Olshey’s call, it would still be Chauncey Billups.”

Olshey and Billups have a story together. Billups played for the Los Angeles Clippers while Olshey is in charge of the front office.

When the Blazers announced the hiring of Billups, fans reacted quickly. There were the usual kudos and welcome coach-like responses on the team’s Twitter feed, but a large majority seemed to disapprove of the hiring due to a rape allegation in 1997.

We have appointed Chauncey Billups as the head coach.

Welcome to Portland, @ 1MrBigShot! Https: //t.co/4i5MXhkVs0 pic.twitter.com/EdFh79weEw

– Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 28, 2021

“I didn’t expect them to hire someone like that,” said Ashlee Yuille, Blazers fan and sexual assault survivor.

The backlash from fans stems from Billups’ tumultuous past. In 1997, an unidentified woman accused Billups and other NBA players of rape while he was a rookie playing for the Boston Celtics. Multiple reports state that Billups has denied any non-consensual intercourse between the two and said any sexual interaction they have had was consensual.

Billups has never been charged in this case. The Washington Post reports that the two sides have settled amicably.

“I’m not happy, I think it’s a slap for the women,” Yuille said, “I think it’s a slap for the survivors.”

Yuille was not the only woman or fan to voice her concerns. Brenda Tracy, gang rape survivor and activist, shared her disappointment on Twitter to her nearly 27,000 followers.

Once again, the sports machine proves it doesn’t care about sexual violence issues

Again, young boys get the message that their athletic abilities matter more than their character and behavior.

Send love to all the survivors struggling to love a sport they dislike https://t.co/ulSWfBNfwm

– Brenda Tracy (@ brendatracy24) June 28, 2021

Sports journalist Dia Miller wrote an op-ed for “Blazer’s Edge”. She started a Twitter thread, ahead of Billups’ hiring announcement, about hiring Jason Kidd as head coach of the Mavericks. Kidd was arrested in 2001 for domestic violence and pleaded guilty.

As an abuse survivor, Miller has written about her experience and how it has affected her life. Then the news from Billups arrived. She wrote, in part:

While there are differences between the allegations and the outcome of the Kidds case and the Billups case, the feelings surrounding them are similar and both are problematic and triggering for those who have dealt with the sensitive issues of the abuse, domestic violence and rape.

There were hundreds of tweets denouncing Billups as the Portland rental. But not all the anger was directed at the new head coach, some people were upset with Portland Trail Blazer playmaker Damian Lillard.

Is that so? I was asked which coaches I liked out of the names I heard and named them. Sorry I was not aware of their story, I did not read the news when I was 7/8 years old. I can’t stand these things but if it’s the road you wanna come to me say less https://t.co/N1GPkX3Ohd

– Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) June 26, 2021

The continued backlash against Lillard has sparked rumors that he has quit the Blazers in publications such as “Bleacher Report”, “The Oregonian” and other media.

“When you see someone brought up like that, it tells you it doesn’t matter,” Yuille. “It tells you that no matter if you get raped, no matter how sexually assaulted you are, they will go on with their lives and people will accept them.”

Yuille, Tracy and Miller were not the only women to speak publicly.

Five other women wrote in a separate article for “Blazers Edge” about their feelings about the hiring, and many more took to social media to have their voices heard.

The Blazers have made no public comment on the backlash and have scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at 12 p.m. to introduce Billups as their next head coach.

Here is a list of resources for survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones from the National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network (RAINN). You can call the RAINN hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be put in touch with someone who can help you.

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