Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard took to the floor in a pair of James Harden's Volume 5 sneakers Sunday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
Lillard himself has a signature line with Adidas. But he felt compelled to rock Harden's line on Sunday, simply because he thinks they look good.
James shit 🔥✊🏽 https://t.co/Hqx6qOn0sr
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) March 22, 2021
The former NBA Rookie of the Year was asked about the perceived “rule” of not wearing opposing players' sneakers during games. the Blazers star could care less, saying “I only compete on the court.”
I only compete on the court . https://t.co/b3EYjz45Tp
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) March 22, 2021
Harden's sneaker did not make much of a difference for Lillard or the Trail Blazers on Sunday night.
Article Continues BelowThe Mavericks dominated every facet of the game, cruising to a 40-point win behind a 37-point performance from Luka Doncic. Lillard, meanwhile, played under 30 minutes and appeared to aggravate a knee issue.
It was an ugly affair for the Blazers. But the loss is not enough to distract from Lilliard's individual brilliance to start the second half of the season.
The 30-year-old has scored 30 or more points in five of the last seven games, including a 50-point outburst in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans last Tuesday.
Lillard is now the second-leading scorer in the NBA (30.3 points) behind Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal. He is also averaging 7.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds to go with a career-high 63 percent true shooting percentage.
Portland is currently sixth in the Eastern Conference thanks much in part to Lillard's heroics. The Blazers could likely care less what shoes Lillard wears, so long as he continues to ball out and help the team win.