Damian Lillard is one of the NBA’s few remaining stars who has shown a reluctance to leave his current organization and join a super team.
Despite Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving teaming up on the Brooklyn Nets, and Anthony Davis and LeBron James pairing up on the LA Lakers, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George joining forces on the LA Clippers, Lillard has remained steadfast in his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers.
He is very Bradley Beal-esque in that regard.
This week, Lillard opened up about why he thinks the way he does when it comes to super teams and whether he anticipates that changing any time soon.
His rationale is quite interesting.
“I would never do that,” Lillard said of joining a super team. “I mean I don’t control—if the team decides to trade me somewhere, I can’t control that, but it ain’t for me.”
Part of the issue, as Lillard sees it, is the pressure so many stars feel to actually win a championship.
The hits keep coming. https://t.co/tAgVSV1zRh
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 11, 2021
“It’s forcing dudes to be like well, I’m going to go play with this person or if I get with this person,” he explained.
“But to me, like, if that’s what they want to do, I don’t got no problem with it, it’s whatever… But for me personally, that’s just not something I can do. I’d rather go out there and put my best foot forward and lose before I do that, because I know I can win if I do that.”
The Bucks owner’s daughter decided to bring 2021 in with a bang by stripping all her clothes off. https://t.co/UgzhEEna4o
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 7, 2021
That said, Lillard is very much in favor of other superstars joining him in Portland.
“If it’s a player that I felt like could help our team, I’d be like you should come to Portland,” he said. “I would run it by them with that, but I’m not about to click up to where it’s damn near guaranteed win.”
Lillard has never been one to bite his tongue. Whether it’s calling out Stephen Curry, or being very blunt about his team’s title prospects, or calling it how he sees it on Conor McGregor – Lillard always keep it real. The topic of super teams is no exception.
Related: Is A Huge Trade Brewing Between The Bulls And Wizards?
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
