"I don't know if I can play a long long time" - Damian Lillard opens up on his future in the league
Portland Trail Blazers’ ace Damian Lillard claimed that he might not have many years left in the NBA.
The Dame was the Portland Trail Blazers' sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Joining the league as a 22-year-old, he is now in his 11th season without an NBA title to show for his time. Despite this, Lillard will be known as one of the finest PGs the game has ever seen when he eventually hangs up his boots.
While the league has a number of players aged 35 and above who are still delivering big performances on a regular basis, Damian Lillard claimed that he might not want to continue playing for a long time. Speaking on JJ Redick's "Old Man and the Three" podcast, Lillard said that he does not like this new culture in the NBA, where players are only judged on the basis of the number of rings they have won:
"While I understand we play to win championships, we all want to win the championship, we can't keep acting like nothing matters, like the rest of the stuff, the journey doesn't matter."
Damian Lillard shares his thoughts on the NBA evolving.
(via @OldManAndThree) https://t.co/ud9geMmwHy
He added:
"We can't keep doing that. There's so many ways that the league is different. There's so many ways. I think about it all the time, like, man, I don't know if I can just play a long, long time because I don't enjoy what the NBA as a whole is becoming."
Damian Lillard not happy with 71-point display
Damian Lillard recently made the Portland Trail Blazers and personal history by scoring 71 points against the Houston Rockets. Lillard finished with 13 3-pointers and had six assists and six rebounds apart from converting all 14 of his free throws on the night.
He has since continued to produce incredible numbers and is having another big year, despite the Trail Blazers’ struggles. They are currently 13th in the Western Conference with a 31-38 record.
Still, Lillard is averaging 32.3 points and 7.3 assists, with an overall efficiency of slightly below 57%. At the age of 32, he has consistently shown proof that he might as well emulate the likes of Chris Paul, LeBron James, and now Stephen Curry.
.@jj_redick : “how unbothered you are by all the noise-how do you maintain sanity w/in this discourse?”
dame: “because i have a *real life*.i don’t live my life as ‘damian lillard.’ i go home, i play with my kids. i go to my mom’s house.”
gotta love him. https://t.co/78Si8zckfi
While his trophy cabinet might look barren compared to the above superstars, Damian Lillard has shown a level of commitment and loyalty that not many stars have in the NBA. With several big moves and new super teams being formed every season, it might be time for the NBA to bring about some serious changes.