Loyalty over everything-Damian Lillard

[oneye]

Oh how I wish we could magically go back in time and draft this man. Yes I’m a fanboy of him. Great Players Tribune article on Dame, who is the last of this in the NBA.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/damian-lillard-loyalty-over-everything


“I’m saying, you think you know how deep this goes, but you have no idea. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on the city of Portland, I mean what I say. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on this organization, I mean what I say.

They might switch up on me. That’s business. That’s basketball. But I will never switch up on the city. I don’t want it easy. I’m drawn to the struggle. When I came here, we hadn’t won a playoff series since 2000. You had so many injuries to franchise guys like Brandon Roy and Greg Oden over the years, and it’s so tough to come back from that. Even going way back, you had All-Stars like Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton who didn’t choose to end their careers as a Blazer.

Well, I’m going to be that. I’m going to carry that. I’m going to bring a ring to this city or go down swinging.”


Beyond basketball this gives a great look at Dames life as well. Really great Players Tribune article.

 

[Shad]

Oh how I wish we could magically go back in time and draft this man. Yes I’m a fanboy of him. Great Players Tribune article on Dame, who is the last of this in the NBA.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/damian-lillard-loyalty-over-everything


“I’m saying, you think you know how deep this goes, but you have no idea. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on the city of Portland, I mean what I say. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on this organization, I mean what I say.

They might switch up on me. That’s business. That’s basketball. But I will never switch up on the city. I don’t want it easy. I’m drawn to the struggle. When I came here, we hadn’t won a playoff series since 2000. You had so many injuries to franchise guys like Brandon Roy and Greg Oden over the years, and it’s so tough to come back from that. Even going way back, you had All-Stars like Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton who didn’t choose to end their careers as a Blazer.

Well, I’m going to be that. I’m going to carry that. I’m going to bring a ring to this city or go down swinging.”


Beyond basketball this gives a great look at Dames life as well. Really great Players Tribune article.

He also said if Portland didn't want him anymore he would like to go to Utah or the Lakers

 

[oneye]

He also said if Portland didn't want him anymore he would like to go to Utah or the Lakers

Yeah, but Portland wants him and will, as they should.

 

[candrew]

Guy makes like a million dollars a shot - that buys a lot of loyalty.

 

[infection]

Oh how I wish we could magically go back in time and draft this man. Yes I’m a fanboy of him. Great Players Tribune article on Dame, who is the last of this in the NBA.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/damian-lillard-loyalty-over-everything


“I’m saying, you think you know how deep this goes, but you have no idea. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on the city of Portland, I mean what I say. When I say that I will never, ever switch up on this organization, I mean what I say.

They might switch up on me. That’s business. That’s basketball. But I will never switch up on the city. I don’t want it easy. I’m drawn to the struggle. When I came here, we hadn’t won a playoff series since 2000. You had so many injuries to franchise guys like Brandon Roy and Greg Oden over the years, and it’s so tough to come back from that. Even going way back, you had All-Stars like Clyde Drexler and Bill Walton who didn’t choose to end their careers as a Blazer.

Well, I’m going to be that. I’m going to carry that. I’m going to bring a ring to this city or go down swinging.”


Beyond basketball this gives a great look at Dames life as well. Really great Players Tribune article.

Go back in time and draft him? Two things get in your way:

1. GSW pulling off the biggest screw-job in history, screwing us out of the pick... PLUS losing the coin flip that sealed our fate.
2. Us insisting we needed to grab the 8th seed to get swept by the Spurs, thus conveying our first round pick elsewhere.

Had we even lost the one game against GSW then we'd need only one more loss to not make the playoffs (and keep our pick) and we'd just need to package those to move up one spot to grab Lillard.

 

[fishonjazz]

Go back in time and draft him? Two things get in your way:

1. GSW pulling off the biggest screw-job in history, screwing us out of the pick... PLUS losing the coin flip that sealed our fate.
2. Us insisting we needed to grab the 8th seed to get swept by the Spurs, thus conveying our first round pick elsewhere.

Had we even lost the one game against GSW then we'd need only one more loss to not make the playoffs (and keep our pick) and we'd just need to package those to move up one spot to grab Lillard.

Number 2 was so so stupid. One of the stupidest thing I have ever seen by the jazz.
I never rooted for us to lose harder than at the very end of that season.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[oneye]

Guy makes like a million dollars a shot - that buys a lot of loyalty.

I mean you can keep saying that but he was loyal without the money too, to both his high school and to Weber State, but sure. He also can get plenty of money outside Portland, but we've been over this haven't we. Few to no NBA stars are this committed to their city or franchise and it's admirable. I wish he'd been drafted here. But yeah he hears your noise too:

"And listen, I hear it all. I hear it.

“Oh, he’s just staying in Portland for the contract and he’s not gonna win.…”

Nah, bruh. You really don’t understand. You really don’t.

I ain’t turning my back on the city, because the city has been riding with me since Day One.

I’m not for the fake or the pretend. Too much of that going around these days. I’m for the authentic. It’s the same as it was when we were sleeping four-to-a-motel-room with the Rebels. I’m trying to win with my people. Everything I ever experienced, every chapter of it, the good and the bad and the grimy, that’s what made me."

 

[Deleted member 95]

Go back in time and draft him? Two things get in your way:

1. GSW pulling off the biggest screw-job in history, screwing us out of the pick... PLUS losing the coin flip that sealed our fate.
2. Us insisting we needed to grab the 8th seed to get swept by the Spurs, thus conveying our first round pick elsewhere.

Had we even lost the one game against GSW then we'd need only one more loss to not make the playoffs (and keep our pick) and we'd just need to package those to move up one spot to grab Lillard.

.