Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter speaks to media before first game following Billups scandal

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Prior to the Portland Trail Blazers game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, interim coach Tiago Splitter spoke to the media in the wake of allegations surrounding head coach Chauncey Billups.

“It’s a tough moment but I got to do my job,” Splitter said. “I’m looking forward to showing my skills and leading a team…I wasn’t expecting this but I have to be ready.”

Splitter also talked about the importance of veteran leadership during a time like this.

“It’s big time, not just for this but in general,” he said, talking about guys like Damian Lillard and Jru Holiday. “We have a bunch of experience and guys that have been through a lot.”

Billups has been placed on leave from the Portland Trail Blazers amid a federal investigation involving rigged poker games.

In a Thursday press conference, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice shared information about two federal investigations known as “Operation Nothing But Bet” and “Operation Zen Diagram.” The investigations involved cheating people out of tens of millions of dollars through both rigged sports betting and a rigged poker scheme.

Billups was named in “Operation Zen Diagram,” which tied prominent NBA names to La Casa Nostra, the Italian mafia.

Splitter said that “we all had great experiences with Chauncey and how he coached. We are thinking of him and his family. But we have a job to do.”

The game tips off at 7 p.m. at Moda Center.

The full press conference can be viewed in the video player above.