PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers have added Rodney Billups, the younger brother of head coach Chauncey Billups, to the team's staff as an assistant coach, according to a Friday news release.
Rodney Billups, 38, was a collegiate player for the University of Denver from 2002 to 2005, according to the news release, then played professionally in the Latvian Basketball League and Finnish Korisliiga.
He then moved into collegiate coaching, serving as director of basketball operations at the University of Colorado starting in 2010 and as an assistant coach for four seasons starting in 2012 under head coach Tad Boyle.
He returned to Denver in 2016 and served as head coach for five seasons until 2021, according to the news release. Most recently, he worked as a scout for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Chauncey Billups, 45, was hired as head coach for the Blazers in June after the team dismissed previous head coach Terry Stotts. He previously served as an assistant coach for the L.A. Clippers under head coach Tyronn Lue.
Rodney Billups is the latest in a series of new hires the Blazers have announced this week, although the others were temporary additions on 10-day contracts to fill out the team's ranks after several players — and Chauncey Billups — entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Players Dennis Smith Jr. and Ben McLemore were reportedly cleared to exit quarantine on Thursday, leaving the team with seven players and its head coach still in isolation.
The Blazers are scheduled to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in L.A. on Friday, followed by hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Monday and the Miami Heat on Wednesday at the Moda Center.
