"No offense, but like people going to Oklahoma City"- Damian Lillard tries to bust the notion of Portland being a small market on the Draymond Green Show
Damian Lillard has been a part of the Portland Trail Blazers for 10 seasons. Although he has not been able to win a ring in his time there, the 31-year-old has been very loyal to the franchise and dreams of bringing a championship to Rip City.
In a recent appearance on the Draymond Green show, Lillard was asked if the Trail Blazers' failure to win a championship was because of their inability to attract free agents.
While many stars and free agents are hesitant to move to Portland, Lillard believes that this notion is not justified. On the show, he mentioned that other players are also going to cities like Milwaukee and Oklahoma, which according to him are not better cities to live in than Portland.
"I mean people going to Oklahoma City bro, like, no offense, but like people going to Oklahoma City and people going to Milwaukee and you know what I mean, people are going places and Portland ain't what people think it is, otherwise I wouldn't be living here as long." - said Lillard
Damian Lillard on if being in Portland is making it harder to attract stars/free agents. “Bruh, people going to Oklahoma City and Milwaukee.".
via @TheVolumeSports Pod https://t.co/Yl555jADEO
Damian Lillard also gave the example of his former teammate Carmelo Anthony, who played for OKC first and then made a move to the Trail Blazers.
Damian Lillard is one of the best point guards in the league. However, the Trail Blazers as a team have not been able to pair him up with any other superstar player that could make a difference.
The six-time NBA All-Star believes that the reason free agents chose other teams is because they have multiple stars, whereas Portland only has Lillard. Speaking further on the topic, Lillard raised his concerns over how star players are seemingly here today and gone tomorrow when they join a super-team.
"Sometimes honestly it look like which route is the easiest, like Oh, over here they got this dude and that dude, so if I go over there and then when they get there, I ain't getting my shots, I ain't getting my numbers, I can't do me and then you see them go somewhere else again." - remarked Lillard
Put some respect on Dame's name 😤 https://t.co/UzsjmohVex
Lillard is currently out due to an injury, as the Trail Blazers are ranked tenth in the ever competitive Western Conference with a 25-34 record and are out of play-in contention. Unfortunately for Portland fans, there have been no reports to suggest Lillard will be back this season.
But one imagines that if the team somehow makes the playoffs, Lillard will surely want to come back and see just how deep the team can go.
Will Damian Lillard be able to win a ring as part of the Trail Blazers?
Damian Lillard has a stacked resume and is one of the best players in the league when active. Despite playing at an elite-level from the very start of his career, he is yet to win a ring.
Many reports suggested that he would be on his way out at the end of last season. But Lillard quashed them all, saying that he would love to win a championship for the city of Portland. He has stayed firm on his stance, even in light of the recent exit of his longtime teammate CJ McCollum.
Damian Lillard spoke about the Blazers trading CJ McCollum 💔 https://t.co/KGgKUasAex
But with Lillard being their only major star, the team lacks the firepower to excel in the postseason. Having brought in pieces like Josh Hart and Joe Ingles, the team does look stronger than when they started the season. But winning a championship will require a lot more than just a few minor improvements here and there.
With a full slate of games coming up on Martin Luther King Jr. Day next Monday... look back at Damian Lillard's #MLKDay scoring record performance of 61 PTS from 2020. #NBA75 https://t.co/oNxySdoPNJ
Damian Lillard will undoubtedly give it his all every time he steps on the court, but it ultimately comes down to the front-office and whether they come to the party. If they somehow manage to bring in an All-Star or an All-NBA player to play alongside Lillard, Portland look like a team capable of competing for a championship.
However, they will have to do it soon, as the 31-year-old does not have a lot of time left, especially with other franchises seemingly piling on the superstar talent.