Stephen A. Smith recently made the headlines declaring that the Milwaukee Bucks needed to trade away Damian Lillard. Following the outrageous take, the latter called a cap on the sports analyst, paving the way for controversies in the postseason. Initially, Smith took a jab at the Bucks guard during the latest episode of ‘ESPN’s NBA Countdown’. He outlined the struggles of the Wisconsin franchise before backing their upcoming opponent, the Indiana Pacers, to win the first round.
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Soon after that, the sports commentator made bold claims about the future of Lillard while directing criticism at him,
“With or without Giannis, Indiana is winning this series…When that happens, I think the Milwaukee Bucks should take a strong hard look at using the asset that is Damian Lillard and moving him from Milwaukee to someplace else. I don’t think he wants to be there. I don’t think his play looks like he wants to be there.”
The comments divided the NBA community before eventually catching the eyes of Dame. Amidst the rise in controversy, the 33-year-old decided to end the drama by taking matters into his own hands. As a response, the 8x All-Star wrote, “Captain planet,” to openly call out the analyst.
His comments hinted at how Smith had been spreading lies (‘cap’) about him, even though the player had no intentions of leaving the Bucks.
The complexity around the dynamics will certainly add pressure on Lillard during the playoffs. With him showcasing interest in continuing with this franchise, the supporters wait for a memorable display from him to turn the outcome in their favor.
Damian Lillard had a hard time transitioning to Milwaukee
Ahead of the All-Star break, Dame had elaborated on his life with the Bucks since the start of the campaign. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, the 6ft 2″ star admitted struggling to adjust to the changes in the team and city. The trade raised obstacles in his personal life too, as he candidly opened up about the downside of the transition,
“In Portland, my life was set up. My mom was down the street; my brother was the other way down the street. My sister was down the street. My kids in school. Just my whole life was set up perfectly right there. It was a great situation. So just leaving that behind alone is a lot.”
Hence, Smith might have utilized this dynamic to formulate his opinion ahead of the playoffs. However, Lillard refused to let these become the driving force in his decision-making. This has certainly increased the fan interest in his future while the player hopes to answer with his gameplay in the playoffs.
