Karl's latest jabs anger Lillard's coach, agent

PORTLAND, Ore. — Former longtime NBA teach George Karl continues to take jabs at gamers as his candid memoir, “livid George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs and negative Shot selection,” will get set to hit bookstores.

simplest this time, he is criticizing Damian Lillard, a participant he by no means has coached.

And Lillard’s present instruct, in addition to the point shield’s agent, are none too happy about it.

In a Q&A with the big apple magazine, Karl went after Lillard, the path Blazers‘ All-celebrity, on the subject of being aggravated with player branding and off-the-court endeavors.

“I was looking at the Portland trail Blazers play, and i was once trying to determine what the hell is improper with this team?” Karl asked. “My conclusion is that Damian Lillard is getting too much consideration.”

Lillard is likely one of the brightest and most visible younger stars in the league. He has endorsement deals with Adidas, State Farm insurance and JBL headphones, to name a number of. He is also a hip-hop artist who not too long ago dropped his first album, “The Letter O.”

The 2016-17 marketing campaign hasn’t started off well for Lillard and his teammates. The path Blazers entered Wednesday an underwhelming thirteen-20 and sat tenth in the Western convention standings. remaining season, they went forty four-38 and exited in the 2nd spherical of the playoffs.

Karl, within the interview, additionally suggested Lillard is to blame for the Blazers’ early struggles, going as far as to claim that the “staff shouldn’t be working.”

“i believe their coach, Terry Stotts, is a superb teach,” said Karl, whom Stotts has often credited as his training mentor. “So i will say the problem is Lillard. They had been a together, related, committed group final year. This 12 months, they’re no longer. What modified?”

Stotts, who played for Karl right through his Continental Basketball affiliation days in great Falls, Montana, and in the past credited Karl with offering him a start on the NBA guidance ladder, was once quick to return to his megastar participant’s protection.

“I owe rather a lot to George. I got my begin in guidance with George. i would not be here if not for him,” Stotts stated prior to Wednesday evening’s 102-89 win over Karl’s former workforce, the Sacramento Kings. “however when it comes to my staff and my avid gamers, he desires to stay in his own lane.

“He does not know Damian Lillard. He does not understand how coachable he is. He would not comprehend what an ideal teammate he’s. He doesn’t know the way a lot Damian cares about winning and how vital he’s to this franchise. i thought his feedback, on the other hand neatly intended they are going to have been — which i will’t take note — i will’t tolerate.”

Stotts spent more than a decade at Karl’s aspect prior to changing into a head educate, including two years within the CBA with Karl and as an assistant under Karl for six years in Seattle with the SuperSonics and 4 with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“he’s a a success show,” Stotts said of Karl. “That being mentioned, if he needs to slash his possibilities for the corridor of popularity, if he needs to undermine his probabilities of being a head show again on this league, if he wants to settle previous ratings with GMs or avid gamers or whoever else, that is his prerogative.”

Stotts mentioned he has no plans to read Karl’s e-book or reach out to him.

Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, also defended his shopper in a commentary sent to ESPN.

“i have at all times loved and revered George, manner again when he coached Gary Payton. however with that statement, he sounds like an fool,” wrote Goodwin. “He couldn’t get any person on this league to trust him on that evaluate. If it’s either the coach or the point shield, the point protect runs the coaches performs. i suppose that explains him becoming a author … “

Lillard reputedly had his personal response, taking a refined shot at Karl by means of Twitter:

Daaaaamn homie…In high school you used to be the maaaaaaan homie. Smh

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) December 28, 2016

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton contributed to this file.

www.espn.com – prime