Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard takes tremendous pride in representing the organization that drafted him.
Lillard says that same pride is part of the reason he feels he is the greatest player in franchise history:
“I think the pride that I have in (being a Trail Blazer), and how much I want to bring a championship to this city is at the top,” Damian Lillard said, via Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“The culture we’ve built, I feel like I’ve been so invested and such a huge part of everything that has happened for the last nine years. … “I don’t think a player before me had the same pride in putting this uniform on than I have,” Lillard said.
The Oakland native has been a force in Portland since the Trail Blazers first drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Damian Lillard is a former Rookie of the Year. He is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, including a First Team All-NBA choice in 2017-18. The 30-year-old is at the peak of his powers again this season, averaging 29.8 points, 7.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds while leading a depleted Trail Blazers squad to an 18-10 mark thus far.
But, franchise GOAT? Yes, Lillard has a case. He already ranks second in Trail Blazers history in Win Shares, behind only Hall of Fame shooting guard Clyde Drexler. He is primed to pass Drexler as the all-time leading scorer sometime next season and should also move into second in franchise history in assists, trailing only Terry Porter. Bill Walton is also part of these conversations thanks to his 1977 NBA Finals MVP and regular-season MVP the following year.
However, Damian Lillard feels that sense of pride and desire to represent the city is what will ultimately make him Portland's GOAT, even if he never wins a championship:
“But I don’t think if we don’t win it that I won’t be the greatest Blazer of all time. I think I will be. I think I’m nearing that already,” Lillard said, via Quick.
Of course, a championship would be the cherry on top for Damian Lillard.
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