Portland Trail Blazers Appoint Tiago Splitter Interim Coach After Chauncey Billups FBI Arrest in Mafia-Linked Gambling Probe

The Portland Trail Blazers have named assistant coach Tiago Splitter as their interim head coach following the arrest of head coach Chauncey Billups amid a federal gambling investigation tied to a mafia-backed illegal poker operation. Billups was charged with wire fraud and money laundering related to sophisticated cheating technology used in high-stakes poker games. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also charged in connection with a separate illegal sports gambling scheme. Splitter, a former NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, brings a strong coaching background from his time with the Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, and as head coach of Paris Basketball, where he won a French Basketball Cup and led the team to the EuroLeague playoffs. The Blazers, dealing with a young roster and a turbulent offseason, hope Splitter's motion offense and pace-focused coaching style will stabilize the team as they prepare for upcoming games. The investigation into Billups and Rozier remains ongoing, and both have been placed on administrative leave by their teams.