Damian Lillard Articles - Page 39

Rip City’s wait is over. In wake of the most dramatic, controversial offseason in team history, the Portland Trail Blazers finally open the 2021-22 regular season on Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center. Here are three keys to watch for as Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and company look to tip off the […]

Candidacy for individual awards couldn’t be further from the Portland Trail Blazers’ minds as they prepare to host the Sacramento Kings. But just because Chauncey Billups, Damian Lillard and company are singularly focused on the task at hand doesn’t mean Blazers fans have better ways to kill time before tipoff of Wednesday night’s game than […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have yet to officially tip off the 2021-22 season. Still, Damian Lillard has already taken it upon himself to put trade rumors to rest should his rebuilt team get off to a slow start in the regular season. Speaking with reporters after Tuesday’s practice, Lillard doubled down on his commitment to […]

Damian Lillard and Chauncey Billups don’t care about results in the preseason. That opinion is a convenient one for the franchise player and rookie head coach of a team that went winless in exhibition play, losing four games by a combined 95 points—and all of them by at least 14. Lillard and Billups weren’t lying, […]

There’s only so much to glean from any preseason basketball game, but especially the Portland Trail Blazers’ exhibition finale. Damian Lillard isn’t playing on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, and Chauncey Billups, remember, sees all preseason games as nothing more than a glorified extension of training camp practices anyway. No matter what happens […]

Chauncey Billups doesn’t care about wins and losses in the preseason. He views exhibition action as a glorified extension of training camp practices rather than a replica of preseason games, a perspective that could have shielded the Portland Trail Blazers from at least some criticism after their 36-point loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday […]

The Portland Trail Blazers labored through Wednesday’s rare matinee matchup with the Phoenix Suns, falling 119-74 despite Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic playing well into the third quarter. Chris Paul didn’t suit up for the Suns at all, while Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges watched the second half from the bench. […]

Ever since the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Ben Simmons has been swarmed by critics. Although Simmons is still a star, things haven’t gone smoothly for him as of late. The postseason saw him register the most dismal performance of his career. Simmons registered a historically bad 34.2% mark on free throws, which is the worst in […]

Tipoff of one of the most significant seasons in Portland Trail Blazers history is barely more than a week away. As they prepare for a brief preseason road trip before opening at home against the Sacramento Kings on October 20th, here are four bold predictions about Damian Lillard and the Blazers for 2021-22. Blazers Rank […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard didn’t like what he witnessed during the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears. Now, he wants his favorite NFL team to consider signing Cam Newton. Lillard made the endorsement following Derek Carr’s poor showing and apparent injury in the 20-9 defeat to the Bears. The […]

Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are the Portland Trail Blazers. No star tandem in basketball is more synonymous with their incumbent team than Portland’s, a reality owed both to Lillard and McCollum’s longevity in Rip City as well just how much of the Blazers’ sustained success has been driven by them. Portland owns the league’s […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is a huge Las Vegas Raiders fans, but he certainly can’t help but be disappointed over the news that head coach Jon Gruden used a racist trope to describe NFLPA exec DeMaurice Smith in an email back in 2011. In a report by Andrew Beaton of The Wall Street Journal, […]

After all the hullaballoo that’s gone on in this wild NBA offseason, the news cycle has spun around numerous times trying to keep up. But way, way back in the past, the headline story was the possibility of Damian Lillard leaving the Portland Trail Blazers. But Blazers fans can now comfortably breath a sigh of […]

The Portland Trail Blazers have long been rumored as a logical trade destination for disgruntled star Ben Simmons. However, the Philadelphia 76ers’ trade demands seem to border on the illogical side. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Sixers and Blazers indeed engaged in recent trade talks. However, the asking price for Ben Simmons was […]

The Portland Trail Blazers began the offseason dealing with incessant rumors concerning Damian Lillard‘s future in Rip City. Since then, Lillard and his teammates have quashed the idea of the All-Star point guard leaving the team multiple times. However, if Lillard contemplates a change of scenery, head coach Chauncey Billups would be the last person […]

One of the most consequential seasons in Portland Trail Blazers history tips off in exactly two weeks. Chauncey Billups’ team had the day off following its loss to the Golden State Warriors in the preseason opener, the second off-day Portland has enjoyed since training camp officially began September 28th. After a full week of practices—at […]

The Portland Trail Blazers’ defense in their exhibition loss to the Golden State Warriors wasn’t quite as porous as it often appeared on the floor, at least statistically. The Warriors’ point total was juiced by the high pace of Monday’s affair. Their offensive rating was just 110.0, well below league average last season, and wasn’t […]

Analysis of the Portland Trail Blazers’ porous defense against the Golden State Warriors can wait, and there’s only so much to be gleaned from it in the first place. This is preseason basketball, remember, when offenses league-wide are expected to be ahead of defenses, let alone for a team with a rookie head coach who’s […]

The Chauncey Billups era in Rip City didn’t exactly live up to its promise during his team’s preseason debut. Gashed on defense from the opening tip and far too careless with the ball offensively, the Portland Trail Blazers fell 121-107 to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night at Moda Center. Portland coughed up 26 […]

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is a straight shooter, regardless of the platform. This time, Lillard is giving his personal take on the neverending GOAT debate. In an exchange with a fan on Twitter, the Blazers guard bluntly responded when asked about who he thinks is the greatest basketball player of all time. MJ […]

There is very little doubt, if any, about Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors being the greatest shooter of all time. Very few people can challenge this title. More than a few folks would agree that one of them is Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. Especially when it comes to range, Dame is […]

Allen Iverson is a big fan of Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. The NBA legend and basketball Hall of Famer hinted as much on Friday during his interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report. When asked about his Top 5 “killers” in the NBA, Iverson quickly named Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden and […]

It’ll be a truly sad day in the NBA if and when Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard does officially decide to call it quits and demand a trade. There hasn’t been a player more outspoken about his loyalty to the franchise that drafted him in recent memory, and a request like that would no-doubt […]

Damian Lillard’s pointed calls for the Portland Trail Blazers to make significant roster changes this summer went unanswered. His team enters 2021-22 with last season’s same core in place and an unchanged starting lineup. Portland’s four offseason additions come mostly on the margins, with Larry Nance Jr. the only one among them guaranteed to make […]

Between winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, co-starring in a basketball blockbuster, releasing his fourth studio album and getting married to his longtime girlfriend, Damian Lillard didn’t exactly have much downtime during another shortened offseason. Endless speculation about his suddenly uncertain future with the Portland Trail Blazers only made his summer more hectic. […]

Damian Lillard did his best this summer to recruit free agents to the Portland Trail Blazers. He didn’t even have dreams of somehow luring another superstar to Rip City. Lillard instead sought out potential additions that could help his team on the margins, like former Blazer Nicolas Batum and athletic wing Kelly Oubre Jr. But […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard knows the importance of getting vaccinated, but he won’t be going around to impose his beliefs on other players. In fact, he won’t get mad at those who say they need to do their research first. However, he highlighted protecting his family and kids as a major reason for […]

The Portland Trail Blazers held their first collective media availability in nearly four months on Monday, since an utterly disappointing playoff exit sparked the most dramatic offseason in franchise history. A lot has changed for this team since we last heard from it en masse on June 3. On the eve of training camp in […]

Damian Lillard certainly didn’t seem like a player with any plans on playing elsewhere during Portland Trail Blazers Media Day. In fact, the league’s favorite hypothetical trade centerpiece seemed more comfortable with the notion of continuing his career in Rip City for good than he has in months. Why? Lillard’s newfound confidence he really could […]

Depending on the veracity of several published media reports and countless unsourced rumors, Damian Lillard came close to requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers this summer. But even if the greatest player in franchise history demanded to leave Portland with four years remaining on his contract, it seems clear Neil Olshey would have […]

As a professional athlete, you know you’ve made your mark on the game when your signature skill somehow crosses over into other sports. As if he didn’t already know, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is at that point in his career. He was no-doubt watching his beloved Las Vegas Raiders play the Miami Dolphins, […]

The most controversial and potentially consequential offseason in Portland Trail Blazers history is over. Media day is finally here, and with it come many unknowns about Portland’s present and future. Here are some of the most pressing questions the Blazers need to answer on Monday as they begin official preparations for the 2021-22 season. Where […]

Oleksandr Usyk pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing after beating Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision in a Saturday bout that certainly didn’t disappoint. In fact, NBA stars like Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns were tuned in throughout and were hyped after witnessing an instant classic. Usyk fought well and was dominant from […]

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard couldn’t help but send his prayers for Dominican Republic boxer Lenin Castillo after his scary knockout at the hands of Callum Smith on Saturday. In the second round of the light heavyweight bout, Smith connected a massive right hand to the jaw of Castillo. Right after it landed, it […]

Fans who choose to come at Damian Lillard on Twitter better be prepared with bullet-proof comments or risk being shamed in front of over 2.8 million pairs of eyes. One Twitter user learned that the hard way when he chose to attack Lillard’s workout post. The person even went as far as invoking LeBron James […]

Chauncey Billups believes what ailed the Portland Trail Blazers most on defense last season was attitude. He’s preached the significance of a team-wide commitment to that side of the ball since being named Terry Stotts’ replacement in late June, even going so far as to insist players who don’t buy into it on a possession-by-possession […]

Winning an NBA championship is arguably the most significant milestone achieved by any basketball player. It cements their legacies and puts them in a position to be part of the prestigious Hall of Fame. However, not all great players get to win a championship throughout their careers. In fact, there are a handful of great […]

NBA 2K is one of the biggest game franchises out there, and it’s not surprising that a ton of people are hooked on the highly addictive basketball game. As it turns out, Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is no different. Based on his own admission, Lillard actually plays NBA 2K every single day. On […]

Damian Lillard has already proven himself as the best player in Portland Trail Blazers history, and the summer-long frenzy induced by his wavering commitment to Rip City is just the latest indication of his exalted standing in the league’s individual hierarchy. Lillard’s an unqualified superstar, basically, the exceedingly rare and valuable caliber of player around […]