“Don’t give me Dame Time! Did you see what the Clippers did to him in the bubble?” – NBA analyst believes 6x NBA All-Star is hyped over clutch plays
Throughout his NBA career, Damian Lillard has built a reputation for coming up clutch in big moments. The All-Star point guard has an array of highlights involving him knocking down game-winning shots. His most notable shot came in the playoffs when he drilled a deep 3-pointer over an outstretched Paul George to eliminate the OKC Thunder.
While most NBA fans love it when "Dame Time" starts, one analyst isn't impressed by the hype. During a recent episode of FS1's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," Skip Bayless spoke about how Lillard is glorified over his clutch highlights:
"He's got a couple of those. I don't know if any of these GMs actually watch the games like I do. Don't give me Dame Time! Did you see what the Clippers did to him in the bubble?"
An NBA GM survey voted Steph Curry as the top clutch player over Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard:
“Don’t give me Dame Time! Did you see what the Clippers did to him in the bubble? Kevin Durant said give me the damn ball and I’ll go down there and end this.” — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/Uy8AgdfhNl
Skip Bayless feels there are other NBA superstars that are more clutch than Damian Lillard
Skip Bayless wasn't trying to dimish what Damian Lillard had done. He just feels there are other NBA stars who should be seen in a similar light.
One player who Bayless said deserves more recognition for coming up big is Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant. He even brought up a situation in which Durant bailed out Lillard after he missed two free throws late in an Olympic matchup.
"What happened in the gold-medal game against France just two summers ago? Kevin Durant saved their bacon. Dame goes to the free-throw line late in the game to ice the game and he misses both free-throws.
"Don't give me he's 'Dame Time.' Kevin said, 'Give me the damn ball and I'll go down and make them and end this.'"
Bayless brings up a fair argument. Durant is known for a lot of things, but his ability to elevate his game in crucial moments isn't talked about enough.
The first example that comes to mind is his performance in the 2021 postseason. Despite Kyrie Irving being out and James Harden essentially playing on one leg, the Nets still took the Milwaukee Bucks to seven games.
Along with playing nearly every minute of the final few games, Durant hit a big shot to send Game 7 into overtime. If his foot had been a few centimeters behind the 3-point line, it would have been one of the biggest shots in playoffs history.
While Lillard might not be over-hyped for his clutch highlights, a case could be made for Durant to deserve a similar type of recognition.