Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard officially signed his two-year $120 million contract extension on Saturday. He then held a press conference to address his new contract.
During the press conference, Lillard was asked if he ever considered leaving Portland during his ten seasons with the team.
“I think last summer there was a time, and not that I wanted to go somewhere else… but after losing to a beat-up Denver and we were a full team…I was frustrated…I go into a shell and I can’t handle my jealously and frustration,” Lillard said.
The Blazers were eliminated in six games by the Denver Nuggets during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Lillard averaged 34.3 points and 10.2 assists per game in that series, including a 55-point outburst in Game 5.
Lillard has been both lauded and criticized for his desire to stay in Portland. He even spoke about the criticism during the press conference.
Damian Lillard: "I get a lot of people telling me what I should do, everything that goes against what I believe in and what I stand on."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) July 10, 2022
While several stars have opted to leave their smaller market teams for a shot at teaming up with other stars in bigger markets, Lillard has remained loyal to the Blazers.
In ten seasons, he has been named an NBA All-Star six times and All-NBA six times. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
With Lillard at the helm, the Blazers have made the NBA Playoffs eight times. In 2019, he lead the team to its first NBA Conference Finals appearance since 2000.
Unfortunately, the Blazers seem to be in a state of rebuilding. Lillard missed most of last season with an abdominal injury and the team finished with a 27-55 record. The team also traded away Lillard's running mate, CJ McCollum, last season.
The Blazers have pivoted quickly with the acquisitions of forward Jerami Grant and rookie Shaedon Sharpe this offseason. The hope is that Anfernee Simons can continue to improve and lessen the load that Lillard takes on.
Lillard's desire to stay in Portland will further cement his legacy as one of the franchise's all-time greats.
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