Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard has been one of the best scorers in the NBA for a long time now. So much so that he is likely to surpass Naismith Hall of Fame player Clyde Drexler for the most points in franchise history this season. Entering the 2022-2023 season, Lillard is just 531 points shy of Drexler's record of 18,040 points.
But Lillard was not a sure thing to get to this point. Following an embarrassing first-round exit in the 2020 NBA playoffs to the Denver Nuggets, Lillard contemplated leaving the franchise. He didn't want to leave, being aware that he was closing in on Drexler's franchise mark. Surprisingly, it was Drexler himself that helped persuade him to stay with the Blazers.
“Clyde wanted to see me win in Portland,” Lillard said according to Yahoo Sports. “But he told me to do what I had to do to be happy. He also said, ‘Hold the organization accountable.’ I was thinking I would hate to come this close and miss out on that opportunity to pass Drexler if I was to leave.”
‘Clyde the Glide' broke the franchise mark in his 12th season. Damian Lillard is entering his 11th season this year. He averaged just under 25 points per game for his career. At that level, Lillard is projected to break the record approximately 22 games into this season.
It is interesting and honorable that Drexler wanted Lillard to stay and break his record. He himself left for the Houston Rockets late in his career and won his only career NBA Championship with Hakeem Olajuwon
Follow Us
Subscribe