Damian Lillard is tired of all the noise. The Portland Trail Blazers point guard has long been branded as the superstar that's loyal to a fault. With greener pastures potentially existing elsewhere, fans and critics alike continue to wonder – why doesn't he leave?
It remains to be seen if he ever will, but it's clear that Lillard is fed up with everyone obsessing over his decision to stay. In the Blazers star's recent appearance on JJ Redick's The Old Man and the Three podcast, he blames the obsession with rings culture for the NBA seemingly changing for what he feels is for the worse.
“The NBA I play in now is not the NBA that I came into,” said Damian Lillard. “I expect it to evolve, everything is constantly changing, but I feel like I play for the love of the game. I want the competition. I want to know what it feels like to win. I want to see my teammates do well. I want to see my teammates get paid. I enjoy the bonding part of it. … But now it's like, that don't count.”
Dame with some thoughts on the current discourse around the NBA and why he has peace @Dame_Lillard. Full episode drops tomorrow morning. pic.twitter.com/Kr9GNc0mlN
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) March 14, 2023
Lillard expounded on enjoying the process and progression of building something with a team. With the bottom line of winning a championship being mixed with the player empowerment era, there's not as much place for an old school star like Dame.
“I don't want to make it about my situation but I was talking after a game like a week ago. They asked me like, ‘Dame, to win a ring…' I don't need to prove to y'all that I want to win a ring. Why the hell do I play? … We can't keep acting like nothing matters. Like the rest of this stuff, the journey doesn't matter. … I don't enjoy what the NBA is becoming.”
Damian Lillard points to his life outside of basketball for keeping him grounded. It ultimately separates his self-worth from being determined by his on-court successes, which allows him to make decisions based on internal motivations and not external criticisms. Dame is trying to win in Portland. Rather than obsess over his lack of rings, he's more concerned about enjoying the ride while trying his best to get one.
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