Damian Lillard is a straight shooter – he does not mince words during interviews, nor take too many bad shots in the game
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Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers are a match made in heaven. They have made each other’s back, although they are currently in a slump. In an interview that had a variety of questions, Lillard took to Reddit to look for questions and answer them wholeheartedly.
He made sure that each question that was asked was answered in detail, as well as in honesty. One question that stood out was the one that spoke about the ring or bust culture. That is a question that torments a lot of the elite level players, and a lot of Hall of fame players get criticized for that. Lillard himself has been spoken about in that light a lot, with fans saying he isn’t elite because he could not lead the Blazers to a ring.
Dame had a perfect response to all of the people questioning their inability to win a ring. “As if it is not the hardest thing to do in sports” he replied fittingly. “There are so many people who have played a full career without achieving that” he added. HOF legends like Allen Iverson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Steve Nash to name a few have not won the championship, but that does not diminish their greatness.
No disrespect to Brian Scalabrine or Patrick McCaw, but they are no way better than Chris Paul, James Harden, or until recently, Anthony Davis. Rings are not the only thing that makes a player great – a lot of things have to align for someone to be called champion.
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Damian Lillard is unfazed by his critics – he knows the amount of work he put in, and where he’s come from
Dame Dolla is the epitome of hard work beats out talent. Shot for shot, Kyrie Irving and him have been similar, but only one finds it a struggle to hold down a spot in any team he is on. A humble, hard-working athlete is better than a part-time player. Just look at Ben Simmons and his situation – the man is quickly fading into obscurity.
Lillard has been extremely loyal to the team that drafted him – such loyalty is a rarity these days. A handful of people are still with the same team that has drafted them. Lillard is a shining example. In a league where nothing is permanent and everything is business, the understanding between the two parties is heartwarming.
Portland has had its own struggles this season but will come good. They have a strong core but will have to trade effectively to be competing at the top. CJ McCollum and Dame aren’t getting any younger, and their time to win anything is now. If Portland manages to win anything while the backcourt pair is still active, it would be a fairytale success.
