Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley are not only two of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, but now that they've both carved out careers as basketball analysts, they also happen to be some of the most respected broadcasters in the industry today. This is exactly why their opinion on Damian Lillard's current situation with the Portland Trail Blazers carries a lot of weight.
Shaq and Chuck don't always see eye to eye, but on this particular occasion, the NBA on TNT co-hosts agreed that Lillard is no longer happy in Portland. Furthermore, they both also believe that parting ways with the Blazers is something that Dame should seriously consider at this point in his career (h/t NBA on TNT on Twitter):
"He's gotta leave, or they have to bring him in some help."
Chuck and Shaq talk about Damian Lillard's future in Portland. pic.twitter.com/YkYeGygQn7
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 10, 2021
Charles Barkley even draws from his own personal experience here as he tries to explain Lillard's current dilemma with the Blazers. Sir Charles spent the first eight years of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, but as he expressed above, it came to a point that he knew he had to leave. And so he did. Barkley made the big move to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal, and he believes Lillard should think about taking the same path.
O'Neal echoed Barkley's thoughts while also implying that the Blazers haven't been giving in to Lillard's demands in terms of the changes he wants to see on the team. Shaq even went as far as saying that in his eyes, it is clear that Dame is “unhappy” in Portland right now.
For his part, however, Lillard has always been loyal to the Blazers. There have been whispers, though, that this loyalty could all be part of a grand scheme wherein Lillard eventually forces his way out of Portland. It honestly sounded a bit unlikely at first, but with both Barkley and Shaq sounding off on his current situation with the Blazers, it seems that it's actually quite realistic.
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