Damian Lillard recently announced his decision to join Team USA for the Olympics this summer, something that came as a bit of a surprise considering he just finished the season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to the All-NBA point guard, the fact that Gregg Popovich is coaching the team had a lot to do with his decision to join them, as he says that he’s got a lot of respect for him:
“Pop being the coach of the national team played a big role in my decision to commit,” Lillard told Columbian.com. “I have a lot of respect for Pop as a coach and as a person. I look forward to playing for him, taking in his basketball knowledge, and seeing what our team can do.”
Several players have already officially – or unofficially – uncommitted to playing in the Olympics as they look to take care of their bodies and prepare for next season.
And, while Lillard says that his presence there isn’t exactly going to motivate other stars to do the same, he hopes that they can put together a competitive team committed to bringing home the gold.
“I’m just hoping we can put together a team of great players that fit as one,” Lillard added. “I don’t necessarily want them to say, ‘Oh, Dame is playing so I should play,’ but I do hope they see that top players are making the commitment and look at it as an opportunity to be a part of something special.”
Lillard added that he had a lot of fun watching the Redeem Team dominating and the unselfish way they played and that he actually became heavily invested in the national team thanks to it:
“I remember watching the Redeem Team and it looked so fun,” the Blazers star said. “So many stars on one team being able to just play together unselfishly and have fun. That team connected basketball with the best players in the world. It just looked like a great time and they looked so free of their normal responsibility on their NBA teams. I became very interested in USAB because of that. It means a lot to add this to experience and represent my family and country on a major stage that I have not been on.”
The USA enters the tournament as heavy favorites as per usual and for very good reasons, as not many defenses on Earth can keep up with an inspired Damian Lillard.
