Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard have been among the best players in the NBA over the last decade. They both made it to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and there aren’t many in the league today who are better at getting a bucket in the big moments.
While the two of them are so great, they have chosen to go about doing things in very different ways. Durant hasn’t hesitated to switch teams in order to win a championship and received a lot of hate for his move to Golden State in 2016. He won two championships with the Warriors and was their best player, but people just couldn’t get over the fact that he went to a team that had won an NBA record 73 games in the regular season in 2015-16. Lillard, meanwhile, has stayed loyal to the Blazers at a time when players jump ship on a regular basis which has earned him the respect of many, but at the same time, he has also received some criticism for sticking around in Portland.
NBA Fans Debate If They’d Rather Be Kevin Durant Or Damian Lillard
Lillard recently reiterated his plan to be a Blazer for life, and it drew some ridicule as some sections of fans claimed he was rotting away in Portland. It seems no matter what these guys do, there’s always going to be some kind of criticism. So, when NBA fans were asked if they would rather be Kevin Durant or Damian Lillard, they were quite divided on the matter.
Would you rather be loyal to one team, but never win a championship or win multiple easy rings, but be hated for the rest of your career? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/F3PxHnZgLw
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) September 15, 2022
“You gettin slandered either way might as well get a ring”
“Give me rings all day who cares about hate lmao”
“Probably dame just because I’m sure he will be a loved figure in portland and a club legend”
“I respect tf outta dame and loyalty in general, but i just wanna win. It doesnt matter to me wheather it comes easy or difficult, whether im the 1st option or barely made the 15th roster spot, when its all said and done i wanna win”
“I’d rather be a loved cult figure”
“If you’re asking me whether I would prefer KD or Dame’s career, I would choose KD’s career EASY. Dame is great and all, but going to GS wasn’t easy, especially with all the backlash, but winning rings vs not is not debatable.”
“I’d rather stay loyal to one team and actually try to earn the chip by yourself rather than hopping to a already established building to be a part of. A ring is a ring but I’d rather have a ring that you earned and strived for on a bad franchise, that’s just a better way to win.”
“Loyal, if dame ever wins one it would be one of the best stories ever. He won’t win one because Portland front office has never been able to get any talent to surround him but if that changes and they give him a championship level roster that championship would mean so much”
“Rings, teams aren’t loyal so I ain’t gonna be either, I want a ring”
“If you’re a man, Loyalty is everything, but those dam rings are legit! Tough question for professionals to answer.”
“If my career is turning out to be a decorated hall of fame career by being loyal then I’m staying on the grind.”
“Give me those rings all day long even if im a role player coming off the bench. I’d rather be known as a champion rather than just loyal to a team”
“Loyal. Be a legend in a city, get the number in the rafters and be loved and respected forever. Mercenary Rings don’t fill your heart.”
“Easy rings what do I care if im hated i won at the highest level “
“be loyal to one team because loyalty means everything”
“I’m taking the rings”
“Loyal, GS fans won’t even remember KD like that after him and Steph are out of the league, Blazers fans will remember Dame”
“I prefer success honestly. KD did the best he could’ve done for his career whilst Dame is wasting away his time with Portland’s constant mediocrity”
“Dame. I could never switch sides like that I’d rather die”
As fans, we might hate some decisions by players, but if we were in their shoes, we might do the same thing as them. As one fan pointed out, there is no loyalty in sports, as teams will never hesitate from getting rid of a player if they feel it is in their best interests.
In the same way, players are also not showing loyalty to teams when it’s not in their best interests to stay, with Lillard being an exception. At the end of the day, it is to each their own, with KD and Dame being content with the way they have gone about doing things.
