Damian Lillard and the Los Angeles Clippers have a bit of a history.
Last season, Dame and several Clips players got into it on social media, calling each other out and exchanging blows. In the Orlando bubble, things only got worse when Beverley was caught laughing at Lillard’s missed free throws.
Put that alongside the fact that they’re two good teams competing for a title in the West, and the case can be made that the Clippers and Blazers are budding rivals.
But to Portland star Damian Lillard, it’s nothing like that at all. Before tip-off against LA on Wednesday, he revealed his feelings on the matter:
"I thought a rivalry was built on the court, you know what I'm saying? I don't think this is a rivalry." — @Dame_Lillard on tonight's game vs. Clippers
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) December 30, 2020
Much has changed for both teams since their last meeting in the summer. For Portland, there is hope that the arrival of several key players will help push them over the edge in the Western Conference.
For the Clippers, they are out to make amends for last season, in which they suffered a brutal and devastating collapse at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. With a new roster and a new coach, there is a feeling the team could be ready to make a significant splash.
Of course, there is a good chance these teams will have to get past each other if they want to meet their goal of winning a title. Rivalry or not, that’d be one heck of a showdown to behold.
