There may be no player in the NBA more important to their franchise than Damian Lillard. As of the NBA’s best players, he has been leading the Portland Trail Blazers for 7 years and has shown no signs of wanting out.
As his peers go off to create powerful superteams, Dame is content and driven to win one where he’s at. He’s loyal and in today’s game, that’s just not normal.
In fact, when he was offered an opportunity to ditch the Blazers and link up with a superteam before his most recent extension, he turned it down, citing that he wanted to “build it with his teammates” and that he wanted to “beat every mf super team.”
Since @Dame_Lillard won’t say it, I will! Before Dame’s last extension he was approached to join a super team! He immediately called me & I’m assuming it’s because he respects me! I asked him, “what do you want to do”?! Cont…
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) August 11, 2020
He didn’t waste a second before he responded, “Big EJ, I want to stay in Portland, build it with my teammates & beat every mf super team”! My response was, “Real ones do things others are afraid to endure”! Cont…
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) August 11, 2020
So to the media, stop the bullshit analytics on why @Dame_Lillard is not a superstar in playoffs wins, point minus etc… if not you’ll drive top players to link up just to shut you up & kill the game! Dame doesn’t control FA,draft or attractiveness to the city he was drafted to!
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) August 11, 2020
Lastly, whether he does it this season or next whenever… Thank you for pissing off the wrong one! @Dame_Lillard feeds on the doubters, haters, attention seeking whatever! True Oakland & True Warrior! Portland has a Real 0ne! ✊🏾#familia
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) August 11, 2020
It takes some real guts to chose to do things the hard way. Had Damian joined that unnamed superteam, it’s likely he would’ve already won a Championship.
Instead, he’s continuing to battle and fight for the Blazers, who have yet to make a Finals appearance since Dame’s arrival. He’s no quitter — he’s not keen on taking the easy way out. And without him, who knows where the Trail Blazers would be.
It’s time to put some respect on his name…
Real talk! Real 0ne! https://t.co/OcTsJYJk7P
— Earl J Watson (@Earl_Watson) August 12, 2020
