“I wanted CJ McCollum and Pelicans to lose against Clippers so we got their pick”: Damian Lillard reveals he was rooting against his former Blazers teammate prior to Playoffs

Damian Lillard lets it be known that he’s currently rooting for CJ McCollum and the Pelicans but that wasn’t the case prior to the Playoffs. 

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in back-to-back in NBA Drafts in 2012 and 2013. It was clear from the get-go that Lillard was going to be a special player, even winning Rookie of the Year over number one overall pick, Anthony Davis. 

McCollum on the other hand had to acclimatize to NBA basketball while consistently earning himself starter level minutes on the Blazers. He won Most Improved Player in 2016 after bringing his average from 6.8 points to a whopping 20.8. he hasn’t slowed down since and is one of the league’s best ball handlers and mid-range shooters.

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McCollum spent every season of his career with Damian Lillard running point by his side, everything from multiple first round exits to a trip to the Western Conference Finals. That is of course, until this season as he was traded to the Pelicans at the trade deadline to kick-start a semi-rebuild for the Blazers. 

Damian Lillard on rooting for CJ McCollum and the complexity behind it. 

With Damian Lillard in the midst of his prime, he’s looking to win it all more than ever before. Joe Cronin has stated that Dame’s been an integral part of the front office all season long and has been picking up on the draft and financial side of things very quickly.

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So, when asked about whether or not he was rooting for his former teammate, CJ McCollum, Dame gave an explanation on how he came around on cheering him on.

I wanted them to lose so we got their pick but once that was over … of course i wana see em win 🤷🏽‍♂️ https://t.co/GA6oEijkYC

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 25, 2022

As seen above, Dame was all business when it came to this matter. That New Orleans pick was supposed to be given to the Blazers if the Pels landed in the lottery 5-14. However, with them in the Playoffs, they will not have that pick convey to the Blazers as it will be outside of it. 

Now that that was out of the way, Damian Lillard revealed that he resumed rooting for the current NBPA President in their series against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns.