Damian Lillard reacts to Trail Blazers firing Neil Olshey: 'Always had a really good relationship'
Damian Lillard has been a member of the Portland Trail Blazers since 2012. During his 10 seasons in the NBA, Lillard has come to define the Portland franchise.
The Trail Blazers experienced a major upheaval Friday, firing general manager Neil Olshey after a monthlong investigation into allegations he created a toxic workplace.
Lillard was asked about the situation during a Reddit AMA session later Friday. Lillard took part in the event to represent Gatorade, who was responsible for posting Lillard's responses.
When asked about Olshey, Lillard said the two "always had a really good relationship."
"I have a lot of thoughts, but ya know, in short, I always had a really good relationship with Neil. He drafted me and gave me the opportunity to have the career that I've had. Ya know, it's been a great run, and it's just an all-around unfortunate situation in the business that we work in."
Olshey, 56, was accused of bullying, intimidating and going on profanity-laden tirades directed at employees. Over his 10 years with the team, multiple employees filed grievances over Olshey's treatment of team staff.
Trail Blazers fire Neil Olshey after investigation
The Trail Blazers launched an investigation into Olshey shortly after Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes and The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jason Quick reported allegations of a toxic and hostile workplace. Nearly a month later, the team fired Olshey. In a statement, the team said it is "committed to building an organization that positively impacts our colleagues." Joe Cronin will take over as the team's general manager while the organization looks for a permanent replacement.
The Trail Blazers do not have a game Friday and will continue their season against the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Lillard is currently dealing with an abdominal injury and is expected to miss at least a week due to the issue.
