As a Knicks fan, I wish you would come here. Madison Square Garden is so great. Damian Lillard: I thought I was headed there a few years ago; I was hearing trade rumors. The Garden is my favorite place to play.
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Damian Lillard: I’m saying, you think you know how deep this goes, but you have no idea. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on the city of Portland, I mean what I say. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on this organization, I mean what I say. They might switch up on me. That’s business. That’s basketball. But I will never switch up on the city. I don’t want it easy. I’m drawn to the struggle. When I came here, we hadn’t won a playoff series since 2000. You had so many injuries to franchise guys like Brandon Roy and Greg Oden over the years, and it’s so tough to come back from that. Even going way back, you had All-Stars like Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton who didn’t choose to end their careers as a Blazer.
He struggled this summer dealing with the Blazers’ first-round playoff sweep to New Orleans, which he considers “one of the worst things of my career.” There are still moments that trigger his irritation, where he feels underappreciated and misunderstood. “I could easily be like, man, I want to go here, I want to be here, I don’t owe anybody anything, this is what I want to do,” Lillard says. “But I’m different.”
He says he can take the criticism for the playoff collapse, for he knows his history of responding to every failure stronger than before. And he knows that his is a story bigger than basketball. “Everything can fall on my shoulders; I can be blamed,” Lillard said. “My feelings ain’t hurt because I know I’m in the right place. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Like the true impact and looking at the larger picture? I’m where I need to be.”
How about @warriors 6th man? We'll welcome you with open arms in the Bay! Damian Lillard: Not I
Can you see yourself playing your entire career with the Blazers? Damian Lillard: Definitely. I like living in Portland and I like the organization. It’s a great organization and they take care of us in every way possible. I’m happy with the situation that I’m in, and my family is happy with the situation and where we’re living. It’s a place where I’d want to play my entire career. Obviously, with this being a business, people’s feelings change about players. And players’ feelings change about organizations; I don’t think mine will, though, because I really like where I am and where I live and stuff like that. But you just never know.
So when Lillard was asked that question Friday night, about becoming the first Blazer to have 40 and 10 in the Moda Center, his answer should catch your ear. “It’s always good to be the first one to do something,’’ Lillard said. “Especially being part of an organization I plan on being a part of for my entire career. It’s an honor, but I would have liked for it to be in a winning effort.’’
He says the organization has embraced him as a person. Also, the city and fan base appeal to his core values. “When I really like what a place is about, that’s what I want to stick to. I want to stick to things that click with who I am as a person,’’ Lillard said.
