Damian Lillard isn’t 100% sure about his participation in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games given the short NBA turnaround. The Portland Trail Blazers star hasn’t committed to Team USA next summer since he doesn’t know what he’ll be doing in the summer. Lillard claimed that if the Blazers make it to the NBA Finals, he won’t be playing in Tokyo next year.
The NBA is set to start next Dec. 22, just two months after the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 championship. Given the short time they have to rest, Lillard doesn’t see himself playing in Japan if his team makes it to the Finals.
“I don’t know 100 percent,” Lillard said Tuesday, via NBC Sports. “We’ll see what that looks like. That’s around my birthday [July 15]. Hopefully, we’re in the Finals, but if we go to the Finals and win it, I ain’t playing. If we win the Finals, I’m not playing the Olympics, but we’ll see.”
It’s good to see that he’s hopeful his team can make it to the big series but not everybody believes Dame is going to make it. NBA Twitter took notice of his remarks and instantly started trolling Lillard for them.
I’m looking forward to seeing Damian play in the Olympics!
— SGG Media (@SGG_hq) December 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/Scr3wstonCorey/status/1333855642252095488
Entire Comment section pic.twitter.com/fpamxTNaAf
— Mac (@GregMacBets) December 1, 2020
He doesn't have to worry about that cause 0% chance he even makes the second round let alone the finals
— 🦉 (@envyrgn) December 1, 2020
So he’s playing in the Olympics
— Michael Moody (@MikeMoody334) December 1, 2020
Guess he’ll be playing in the olympics
— . (@brucewayne3001) December 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/Hou5ton4L/status/1333854452277710856
Damian Lillard Said.. He’s not playing in the Olympics if the Trailblazers makes the Finals.
Dame In The Summertime… pic.twitter.com/Ia69gIXPpp
— Tony Romo (@ActorTonyRomo) December 1, 2020
why even say this, he’ll never make it to the finals lmao. what a comedian!!!
— Sensei Young Swan Swan 👁 (@zSwantzYBabY) December 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/KendrickPBurner/status/1333853891742601217
Like if u would make it the finals in the first place😂🤭🤭 pic.twitter.com/wQCc7SG2vE
— 🩺🇴🇲 عزان الوحشي (@a9z9n) December 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/J11Brar/status/1333868088496848896
So it’s safe to assume He’s GOING to the Olympics pic.twitter.com/mbfBaEpf8G
— Donald Masilela (@donald_masilela) December 2, 2020
So he’s playing in the Olympics
— 𝕄𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙🧤 (@MunchTVx) December 1, 2020
he is playing then lmaoooo
— wisdom (@eluewisdom_) December 1, 2020
Man him and his “I’m not playing” shenanigans again… pic.twitter.com/Pkx8CVhbvL
— iForgotmyName😂 (@hmiCantThinkOf1) December 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/geekydestro/status/1333884912579928064
This man think he playin in the finals? pic.twitter.com/cCfhxukkf5
— 🥷🏽 (@LBJcrib) December 1, 2020
Guess he's playing in the olympics then… pic.twitter.com/J4OAl0MmKX
— Stlrh8r (@bubbaC803) December 1, 2020
Lillard and the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals in 2019, but the Golden State Warriors swept them. The league has changed a lot since that moment and not everybody believes Lillard and his team have a chance to reach that stage again, let alone playing in the Finals.
