“I’m not going to play with LeBron James and the Lakers!”: Damian Lillard reveals why he wouldn’t suit up for the Purple and Gold, for at least this season

Raahib Singh | 26/08/2021
"I didn't feel in my heart that I belonged in LA": Damian Lillard on rejecting LeBron James and Anthony Davis' proposal to join them at Staples Center

Blazers’ superstar Damian Lillard reveals why he wouldn’t team up with LeBron James and the Lakers, at least for this season

The NBA offseason kicked off with the loudest rumors about two players: Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. Both the players had extraordinary seasons last year but got knocked out in the first round of playoffs. Once their teams got knocked out, everyone around the NBA world had a common consensus. It was commonly believed that these stars would ask their teams to trade them to a competitor.

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As it turns out, we’re 20 days into free agency, and there have been no trades made for either star. The Wizards traded their other star, Russell Westbrook, to the Lakers, and got some more support for Beal. As for Damian Lillard, all the rumors that were there at the start of the offseason, are now gone, and no possible trade options.

Damian Lillard reveals why a Lakers trade was off the table

Ever since Damian Lillard and LeBron James were spotted at a WNBA game together, there has been a lot of noise about Lillard going to the Lakers. Even after the Westbrook trade, there were people who believed that Lillard would join the Purple and Gold.

Dame squashed a fan’s hope by ‘Betting a Million’ that he won’t join the Lakers. Recently, Dame Dolla explained why he did so:

“He said ‘I would bet anybody that when the season starts, Dame’s going to be playing for the Lakers’. And the Lakers just traded for Russell Westbrook, so I’m not going to play for the Lakers. We play the same position, so (I was) like bet a million.”

Also Read: “I Hate Money”: When Dennis Rodman Purposely Lost $35K At Las Vegas To ‘Purge Himself’ Of ‘Everything That Had Meaning’ In His Life

Well, Damian Lillard explained why he broke the Lakers’ fan’s hearts this season. However, he did not rule out a trade in the future. It would be interesting to see if the Blazers can provide Lillard enough support to stay and compete for a ring.

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh
Damian Lillard LeBron James NBA

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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