After Stephen Curry and Ja Morant expressed their support for Naomi Osaka, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard also stepped up in defense of the Japanese tennis star.

To recall, Osaka recently announced her withdrawal from the French Open and detailed her struggles with mental health. The decision came amid the issues surrounding her media blackout declaration recently, also citing her desire to take care of her mental well-being. While she received several support from fellow athletes and fans, many people also criticized her, with some pointing out that doing press is part of their jobs.

Lillard, however, fired back at those criticizing the tennis star and highlighted the difficulty of being a professional athlete in this age of social media where everyone can just comment on athletes without consequences.

“I think it’s a shame that there are people out there that don’t respect and support it,” the Blazers star said, per NBC Sports. “I think in this era, this age of being a professional athlete, we deal with things that a lot of people who came before us didn’t have to deal with as far as the access that fans and people who aren’t even fans that just know who you are have to you. Whether it’s Twitter or Instagram or whatever, Facebook, because of social media, people are allowed to comment and have opinions and down talk and disrespect on a level that they weren’t allowed to before.”

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Damian Lillard also emphasized that Naomi Osaka should not be forced to compete if she feels like she can't do it and give it her all at the highest level. For the Blazers guard, it is a matter of respect and understanding.

Of course, Lillard is not alone in his support of Osaka. Prior to the Blazers star, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry praised the tennis star for her bravery and showed her love for her amid all the issues surrounding her decision.

It is still unknown when Osaka will return to the court after she said she'll be stepping away from it in the meantime. Regardless, Dame, Steph, and many more are surely wishing her the best and will be waiting patiently for her return.