Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts and Damian Lillard’s agent both strongly lambasted former NBA head coach George Karl for critical comments he made about the Blazers and Lillard in an interview with New York Magazine on Wednesday.
Terry Stotts says George Karl should ‘stay in his lane’ for his criticism of Damian Lillard
Stotts strongly pushed back after Karl criticized his team.
“When it comes to my team and my players he needs to stay in his own lane,” Stotts said in response on Wednesday.
Karl had accused Lillard of getting too much attention, saying this.
I was watching the Portland Trailblazers play, and I was trying to figure out, What the hell is wrong with this team? My conclusion is that Damian Lillard is getting too much attention.
What makes you think that?
Who controls the team? The coach and the point guard. And that team is not working. I think their coach, Terry Stotts, is a great coach. So I’m going to say the problem is Lillard. They were a together, connected, committed team last year. This year they’re not. What changed?
Aaron Goodwin, Lillard’s agent, fired back at the comments by saying this:
“That’s silly. I have always loved and respected George, way back when he coached Gary Payton,” Goodwin told ESPN’s Chris Haynes. “But with that observation, he sounds like an idiot. He couldn’t get anyone in this league to agree with him on that assessment. If it’s either the coach or the point guard, the point guard runs the coach’s plays. ... I guess this explains him becoming a writer.”
Stotts’s full response to Karl’s criticism is here, per the Oregonian.
“As you know I owe a lot to George. I got my start in coaching with George. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him,” Stotts said. “He’s a successful coach. That being said, if he wants to diminish his chances for the Hall of Fame, if he wants to undermine his chances to be a head coach again in this league, if he wants to settle old scores with GMs or players or whoever else, that’s his prerogative. But when it comes to my team and my players he needs to stay in his own lane.”
“He doesn’t know Damian Lillard. He doesn’t know how coachable he is. He doesn’t know what a great teammate he is. He doesn’t know how much Damian cares about winning and how important he is to this franchise. I thought his comments, however well intended they may have been -- which I don’t understand -- I can’t tolerate.”
Karl gave the interview as he promotes a new book coming out in January. Excerpts of the book originally obtained by the New York Post have Karl blasting several former players, including Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith. Karl also suggested growing up without a father might have caused them to be immature.
Many people around the NBA voiced disapproval about Karl’s comments, including Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose on ESPN’s Christmas Day coverage.
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