“That s**t was tough to deal with” - Damian Lillard reveals he watches all New Orleans Pelicans games after CJ McCollum trade, says it’s end of an era
Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum formed a special bond while on the Portland Trail Blazers. The two spent nine years together, the entirety of McCollum’s career until he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans before this year’s trade deadline.
With the special bond Lillard and McCollum shared, it has been hard for them to part ways. On Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green’s podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Lillard spoke about how he has felt since the trade. Lillard said:
“That shit was tough to deal with, bro. I ain’t going to lie. You know, when something could be coming in, we know it is a possibility, but when it happened, it's different. Like, damn, I kind of have been stuck in the same space the whole time.
"I've been watching every game of New Orleans like, damn, like he really ain't coming back over. So that's kind of where I've been, and I still kind of haven't even really moved past it.”
It has hit Lillard hard to see his friend on a different team, but their friendship will likely continue no matter what. Lillard has kept McCollum in his Instagram profile picture, changing the uniform to match his friend's new team.
Damian Lillard’s IG profile picture. ✊✊ https://t.co/pmhd9Jp29O
Looking back on the Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum backcourt
The duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were among the NBA's best offensive backcourts. Both are elite scorers who can play with or without the ball, make any shot and be creators for others.
Since the 2015-16 season, Lillard has averaged over 25 points, while McCollum has averaged over 20 points every season. Lillard has been the face of the Trail Blazers as a six-time All-Star. However, McCollum was an elite backcourt partner despite never being an All-Star.
The issue for the pair has always been their defense, with both having a career defensive rating of over 110. This issue would often arise in the playoffs, where they often fell apart. Since 2015-16, they lost four times in the first round, with three losses coming as sweeps. In one of those sweeps, they entered the playoffs with the third-best record in the Western Conference.
TOMORROW ⏱️
@Dame_Lillard 🤝 @Money23Green https://t.co/8dMK1w0Suc
Along with their shortcomings in the playoffs were their successes. In the 2018-19 playoffs, the Trail Blazers made an incredible run to the Western Conference Finals. They did run into the Warriors' buzzsaw, but it was still a fantastic playoff run. NBA fans will not forget it anytime soon – especially the step-back 3-pointer Lillard hit over the OKC Thunder.
For NBA fans, it's still sad to see one of the NBA's best backcourts broken up. However, life moves on, and McCollum has already looked good in his new home.