Assistant coach Kim Hughes has been let go by the Portland Trail Blazers, this after publicly declaring the obvious—that free agent forward LaMarcus Aldridge was a goner.
Hughes’ prophetic statement drew the ire of his bosses, and now he’s unemployed.
The 63-year-old is known for speaking candidly, and did so one day after Blazers GM Neil Olshey claimed the team had not been informed of the All-Star’s impending departure.
Per The Oregonian:
“We can confirm Mr. Hughes is no longer with the team,” Neil Olshey, Blazers president of basketball operations, said on Saturday. “It is our policy to otherwise refrain from commenting on personnel matters.”
Hughes, who has been the Blazers’ big man coach for the past three seasons, told WTHI television that Aldridge was leaving the Blazers in free agency, which enraged team officials, who said Hughes had no knowledge of the team’s free agent proceedings. […] The Terre Haute, Ind., station was interviewing Hughes while he was at a camp held by Blazers forward Meyers Leonard in Leonard’s hometown of Robinson, Ill.
Hughes, 63, has spent 25 years in the NBA as a player, coach and scout. He came to the Blazers after serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2003-2010. He was the interim head coach of the Clippers for the final 33 games of the 2009-2010 season, when he went 8-25.
