155 million in 5 years! The most expensive assistant coach in the NBA! Lillard publicly commented on Yang Hansen

On July 23, 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers held an important press conference to announce the latest updates of the team's famous player Damian Lillard. Attend the press conference were Trail Blazers' general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Jeff Billups. At the meeting, Lillard shared his past experiences with Cronin, as well as misunderstandings and communication barriers between them. He recalled: "In the past days, there were indeed many cracks in our relationship, and the lack of communication made many things complicated. At that time, I didn't have the opportunity to sit down face to face with him and discuss the issues between us seriously."

In the past offseason, Lillard experienced major changes with the team. In July, after he was cut by the Milwaukee Bucks, Cronin took the initiative to go to Lillard's home to communicate with him face to face, which finally alleviated the misunderstandings between the two sides. So, what kind of contradiction exists between Cronin and Lillard? Back in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Trail Blazers held the third pick in their hands. Lillard was struggling to ask the management to use this important sign to trade, hoping to get a star player and help the team strive for the NBA championship.

However, Cronin was reserved about this. He firmly chose not to shake the team building concept based on the young core, refused to trade the Tanhua lottery as a player who was about to fight, and finally chose Scudt Henderson, who was close to Lillard. What followed was Lillard's deal application in July 2023 and designated the team he hoped to join: the Miami Heat. As a result, the two sides entered a state of cold war, which lasted almost for a month. Therefore, under pressure, Cronin even blocked Lillard's team for a while, indicating that he did not intend to meet Lillard's requirements. The NBA League then also issued a warning against Lillard that players cannot designate teams, which makes matters even more complicated. The Heat's offer failed to satisfy the Trail Blazers, and Cronin finally decided to trade Lillard to the Bucks. On September 28, 2023, the Trail Blazers announced that they would send Lillard to the Bucks, in return for the transaction, gaining rights to Holiday, Kamara, a first-round pick and two first-round swaps. Despite rumors, Lillard did not want to join the Bucks, and his relationship with Cronin has completely dropped to freezing point. The conflict between the two is ultimately due to different positions and is not irreconcilable. When Cronin learned of Lillard's re-establishment as a free agent this summer, he actively offered Lillard a three-year contract worth $42 million. With Lillard joining, more than a dozen teams expressed their interest in him, but no team can give a better offer than the Trail Blazers. At that time, Lillard's original contract was still 113 million yuan, and he would have the opportunity to receive a salary of up to 155 million yuan in the next five years. Lillard was born on July 15, 1990 and is now 35 years old, nearly 40 years old when he received his contract salary. While all this happened, Lillard unfortunately suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which made him almost hopeless for a comeback next season. Billups also responded humorously at the press conference: "We will not let Lillard lie quietly and make money, but will make him the highest-paid assistant coach in NBA history."

Faced with this change in identity, Lillard clearly recognized his role: "Our Trail Blazers is relatively young, and although I may not be able to actually appear on the court, I can still pass on many experiences to them. As Chauncey said, I am basically like an assistant coach now, which will be my main responsibility next season. Helping young players grow is also an improvement for me."

Talking about the serious injury of this Achilles tendon tear, Lillard said: "This injury is very serious, and the team's physiotherapist can't help crying. Even when I was alone, I didn't cry. I just thought about how to quickly return to the arena. I asked players such as Durant and Guy for their recovery experience. I understand that the process will be very slow, but I am full of confidence in my comeback."

At the press conference, the Trail Blazers' team reporter Casey Hodal also asked some questions about rookie Yang Hansen. Lillard said: "I didn't know much about Yang Hansen before, but after watching his game in this summer league, I think his style is very suitable for today's league. Moreover, Yang Hansen's performance on the court is very confident and his personality is quite good."

At the end of the press conference, the reporters formally asked about the views on the Trail Blazers' signing of Lillard. The atmosphere at the scene was warm, and everyone was looking forward to what changes and contributions Lillard could bring to the team.