While the New York and Los Angeles teams are considered some of the big market franchises, not playing for teams in those areas does not necessarily define a basketball player and his greatness on the court, obviously. Take into consideration the greats of the league that played for small market teams and it makes it easier to understand that playing for in the bigger cities could be an advantage when it comes to advertisements and exposure, but ultimately, someone’s game should speak for themselves.

Portland has never been considered one of them, and despite that being the case, Blazers star guard Damian Lillard defended the situation he’s in. He had an exchange on Twitter with a fan and NBC’s Jason Quick, where he stated that he is happy to be where he is now.

It’s definitely a good sign for the Blazers faithful, as their team’s franchise player is showing a lot of loyalty and desire to continue his career when it started.

Damian Lillard has led the Blazers to multiple playoff appearances, and even with the slower pace of bringing in talent compared to other teams, he’s making the most out of what he has surrounding him. Lillard has also been a true leader on the court, helping his teammates become better.

Lillard will become a free agent after next season, and it remains to be seen if he will re-sign with the Blazers and stay true to his word. Should he decide to continue his career with them, it could lead to other stars staying put with the smaller market teams as well, which will definitely be helpful to having more parity in the league.