“I’m a Trail Blazer… I’m ten toes in Rip City” – Damian Lillard pledges his loyalty to Portland after Philadelphia 76ers fans chant and cheer his name
Damian Lillard has spoken. The superstar point guard has reiterated that his loyalty lies only with his current NBA team amid all the speculation about him being unhappy with the Portland Trail Blazers franchise.
Following the Trail Blazers’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, a contest during which Philadelphia fans repeatedly chanted and cheered his name, Lillard said:
“I’m a Trail Blazer … I’m ten toes in Rip City.”
Lillard on the cheers and chants from the Philly crowd. “I’m a Trail Blazer … I’m ten toes in Rip City.”
The reason Philadelphia fans are hyped up about Damian Lillard is because of the 76ers’ troubles with their own point guard, Ben Simmons. The Philadelphia star hasn’t played a single game for his team this season.
Simmons’ attritional behavior with his team comes in the aftermath of various Philadelphia personnel blaming him for their second-round playoff exit against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 postseason.
For his part, Damian Lillard himself said that his future with the Portland Trail Blazers was uncertain following their first-round loss in the 2021 playoffs. He backtracked from that stance thereafter. However, his initial hesitancy in committing himself to Portland was enough to encourage rumors about a possible trade scenario involving him and Simmons.
Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers slump to fourth loss of the season against short-handed Philadelphia 76ers
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers slumped to their fourth loss of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers. Although Lillard had 20 points and 10 assists in the game, he went only 7-of-20 (35.0%) from the field and just 2-of-9 (22.2%) from downtown.
The loss was also disappointing because it came against a short-handed 76ers team that were playing without star center Joel Embiid.
check the tape. 🔥🔥🔥
📹 Game Highlights vs. Trail Blazers | 11.01.21 https://t.co/0qhZHgE9hv
The contest was a close affair at half-time, with the Trail Blazers only trailing by one point (53-54) at that stage. However, a 59-50 advantage for Philadelphia in the second half saw the home team pick up a comfortable 113-103 victory. Seth Curry led the way for the 76ers with 23 points, while Andre Drummond filled in for Embiid admirably with a 14-point, 15-rebound, seven-assist and five-steal outing.
This is the Portland Trail Blazers’ second consecutive defeat after their loss in Charlotte on Sunday. The Trail Blazers will now head to Cleveland for the last of their current three-game road trip, which is to be played on Wednesday.
Final. https://t.co/DPwaAl7Khh