“Damian Lillard was more deserving of the All-Star starting spot than me”: Luka Doncic admits that he was surprised that he was chosen to start in the All-Star Game over Portland superstar

Luka Doncic believes Damian Lillard deserved to start in the All-Star Game over himself and was taken aback by the results. 

With the NBA announcing the starters for the 2021 All-Star Game, there has been a whole lot of hubbub around the league about who got ‘snubbed’ from starting in the game. The Eastern Conference featured guys like James Harden who should have been in the starting lineup of the All-Star Game. 

The most popular ‘snubbing’ however, was Damian Lillard, according to most folks in the NBA. Luka Doncic and Steph Curry were chosen to represent the West’s backcourt.

It can’t be argued that Dame would take Curry’s starting spot, but having Dame in Doncic’s place seems much more reasonable. 

Also Read: “What Chris Paul is doing is unreal as well”: Heat legend Dwyane Wade agrees with adulation for the Point God for his play at the age of 36

Lillard has led the Portland TrailBlazers to an astonishing 18-10 record, which is good enough for 4th in the West. He has done this without having his running mates CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Zach Collins by his side. 

Luka Doncic admits that he believes Damian Lillard should’ve started over him in the All-Star Game. 

Doncic took to his post-game presser to react to being voted into the ASG as a starter over Damian Lillard, and not as a reserve. 

“I didn’t expect I was going to start this game. I know that maybe Lillard deserved it more than me. At the end of the day, two years from now, everybody is going to remember you were an All-Star, not a starter or non-starter.” 

Luka Doncic on All-Star voting results: “I didn’t expect that I was going to start this game. I know that maybe [Damian] Lillard deserved it more than me.”

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 20, 2021

Also Read: “Damn Matt, I thought we were closer than that”: Giannis Antetokounmpo has an endearing reaction after learning how a Bucks beat reporter is no longer on the job

Luka does have a point. In the moment, it does feel as though Lillard has suffered a type of massive injustice but his resume when it’s all said and done will say merely, “2021 All-Star”. The history books do not care for whether you started in the game or not. 

Damian Lillard had a classy response to missing out on being an All-Star starter yet again. “When I was younger I cared a lot more. It’s obviously an accomplishment and something I haven’t done so I would have liked it. But I honestly wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t upset by it.”