Damian Lillard has been the poster child for franchise loyalty in an era all about player empowerment. But the Portland Trail Blazers point guard did take a meeting with LeBron James last offseason that challenged his resolve even just a bit.

In a recent piece by The Ringer's Logan Murdock, the Blazers guard detailed his not-so-chance encounter with King James and how his experience was as he listened to the pitch for him to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

James and Lillard had run into each other courtside at a WNBA game when LeBron extended an invite to come over to his LA mansion – the same tactic he pulled to lure in Russell Westbrook.

Via The Ringer:

“He was just like, ‘Pull up to the house,’” Lillard told me recently. “And I’m like, shit, I’m out here. Tomorrow is the only day I ain’t got nothing planned out. I can pull up for a little bit.”

Now Lillard was seated across from James and Anthony Davis, who needed help in their quest for another title. That evening, they indulged in expensive wine and Italian cuisine and discussed their plans for the future. “We just chopped it up just about the possibilities,” Lillard said.

“What’s going on with you?” Lillard said James asked him.

“And I was like, ‘I really don’t know what we’re doing,’” Lillard said. “It was just a conversation like that.”

“I wasn’t even looking at it like a recruiting process,” he added. “The whole time I was like, ‘I play for the Blazers.’ My only point is, let’s give ourselves a chance. I wasn’t sending no shots or sending no threats. I’m just honest. When I get asked a question, I answer the question. Because these questions had never been asked.”

Lillard did admit that there were at least a few moments during the conversation where his Blazers-only armor weakened a bit, pointing out how he owed it to himself to at least hear LeBron out.

But his core beliefs of loyalty and understanding of where he draws his happiness took over, which made it clear that the conversations they had in that Brentwood estate were nothing but theoretical. He recalled his environment growing up and how his family rode together through any turbulence and disagreements. That's just the way he's wired.

Even when offered a golden parachute to form a formidable contender in the glitziest city on the West Coast, Damian Lillard stayed true to himself. Now with a healthy season and a few extra pieces surrounding him, he'll have another go at winning one in the only place he ever wants to.