Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving are both bonafide stars in the NBA. Both have dazzled fans with audacious skills and elite guard play for nearly a decade now, and have collected numerous individual accolades while doing so. Whether either falls into the superstar category is a matter of some debate, and the conversation was sparked recently after some claims from Taylor Rooks.
Rooks suggested that Irving is a superstar while Lillard is not, something which earned quite a bit of backlash from fans. Kendrick Perkins also put in his two cents, disagreeing with Rooks. But now NBA analyst Chris Broussard has added a new angle to the discourse surrounding the two stars, wondering what the difference between celebrity and superstar is on his show, The Odd Couple.
“I would not call Kyrie a superstar,” Broussard said. “I think Kyrie is a –celebrity? … But I will say this: I do think Kyrie is going to be, like, a legend. Maybe I’m confusing a legend with iconic, because people are going to remember Kyrie Irving. By most people’s estimation, he is the best ball handler ever. You’re hearing more and more people say he is the most skilled point guard or player ever.
“If you wanna say streetball, who has more skills, who has the better skills? I can see you going with Kyrie. … Who do you most trust? Damian Lillard has had his own team for a decade, and they have been very good. Alone. They did not win the championship, but they’ve gone to the conference finals. Kyrie has not shown he could do that. Kyrie won with LeBron… When he’s had his own team, it has been a disaster!”
Lillard has carried the Portland Trail Blazers for many years, taking them to the Conference Finals and producing iconic moments while doing so. Irving, on the other hand, has become more known for his off-court antics than his exploits on the court in recent years. There is no point comparing the two, they’re both icons and legends in their own right, but it has led to some interesting conversations.
