It seems as if the LeBron James era will be remembered by NBA fans as the turning point where superstars began to join forces to win a ring (right, PG?). The media’s constant bombardment of immediate results will usually force radical decisions from superstars. Some players can’t handle it…. And then there’s Dame.
In his seventh season, Damian Lillard has established himself as one of the most talked about killers in the league. A constant fan favorite not just in Rip City but across the country. The antithetical superstar has made a name for himself by going against everything his peers seem to be doing. A silent killer that prefers not to say a single word to his opponents as opposed to some of the flashier, “crowd pleasing” players such as Joel Embiid, Steph Curry and yes.. Russell Westbrook.
We saw it throughout the course of the OKC series. His battle against Mr Triple Double himself was one of the most talked about matchups of this first round. It was almost as if Westbrook was not aware of who he was going up against. Little did he know that all the comments and baby-rocking celebrations would just end up adding fuel to the fire. The media loved all of Westbrook’s antics but instead of responding with words, Dame responded by averaging 33 points in the series.
After his struggles in last year’s playoffs, Lillard and the Blazers have come back ready for revenge. CJ McCollum said it best: they were humiliated last year.
“We got swept last year. It was on TV every day. They talked about me getting traded, how we can win together. I was able to fly to Europe to see my brother play because the season ended so early. I told him this year, I ain’t going to be able to make it”, said McCollum.
In the series against the Pelicans last year, Lillard struggled offensively and averaged under 20 points for the first time in his playoff career. Of course a player like Dame only grows with disappointment. The frustrations of last year turned him into a cold-hearted assassin.
h
A silent assassin that could easily drop 40 on your favorite team on any given night. The type of player that could be cold from the field for the first 45 minutes of the game but will light up in the dying moments and won’t say a single word. As soon as you see him point to his wrist you know what time it is..
Despite his rise to stardom, Lillard never forgets where he came from. He wears his hometown Oakland on his sleeve…literally.
The Bay Area native never fails to mention his roots in his music. Through his music, he talks about his surroundings growing up and how he used basketball to catapult out of his neighborhood so that he would not end up as another statistic.
“City known for homicide, majority depression
Grindin’ in the gym so I could live through the recession
Real goons show me love cause they can feel how I’m connected
Background of a street dude, mind of a scholar
Just to pop our collar, man, we climbin for the dollar
I mean it when I say it bruh, we started from the bottom
Childhood friends dropping like leaves and its autumn” – Rap On Sway in the Morning
Dame came into an organization that was desperate for a loyal superstar to make them relevant again. The Blazers are commonly known as one of the most unlucky franchises in all of sports. An organization that drafted Sam Bowie with the second overall pick in the 1984 draft passing up on a certain Michael Jeffrey Jordan. The same Blazers that drafted an injury prone bust in Greg Oden while passing up on the reptile commonly known as Kevin Durant in 2007. And of course, there’s Brandon Roy who was Derrick Rose before Derrick Rose.
Lillard embraced his role to perfection. He brought back hope to an otherwise cursed franchise. He remained with the team through their forced rebuilding process in 2015 when LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, and Nicola Batum all left. Despite losing four of their five starters, the Blazers made it to the Western Conference semifinals while Dame averaged 26.5 points.
We’ve been blessed enough to see Lillard go from being an All-Star snub to arguably the second best point guard in the league. His partnership with CJ McCollum has transformed the Blazers into one of the most dangerous teams in this year’s playoffs. Dame could’ve easily demanded a trade out of Portland and into a title contender but that’s not who he is. He lives for adversity and thrives under pressure.
2019 Damian Lillard is a force to be reckoned with. Learn from Russ and the Thunder and whatever you do, don’t get Dame going. Don’t talk trash, don’t rock any baby, in fact, don’t even look at him. He won’t say a word back he’ll just rip your heart out worse than your ex-girlfriend. Don’t forget that Dame is a cold hearted killer from Oakland and will not hesitate on pulling up from Steph Curry range to end your season.