Many NBA players, despite their undeniable talent, have yet to capture a championship ring in their careers. One such player is Damian Lillard, who, despite his stellar career with the Portland Trail Blazers—where he is widely regarded as the franchise’s greatest player—has not yet won a title. Now with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard still seeks that elusive championship.
In a recent interview on the Get Got Pod with Marshawn Lynch and Mike Robinson, Lillard was asked if he thought the NBA was being “damaged” by the rise of deep three-point shooting. The eight-time NBA All-Star disagreed, instead drawing a unique comparison between the NBA and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
“I don’t think that’s what’s hurting the game,” Lillard explained. “They want the game to be faster. They want fewer stops in the game. It’s kind of catering to the viewer. They want the game to be like this and entertaining.”
He continued, expanding on his WWE comparison: “That’s because of the entertainment and how many people have a hand in how it’s gonna go. I don’t think the shooting is hurting the game. It’s entertainment. Look at the WWE for example—and I’m not comparing them directly. I’m just saying when I grew up watching wrestling, I thought these [guys] lived in the woods like they said.”
Lillard added, “I really thought that this was their character, and I’m sure they weren’t making money like they are now. Now, these guys walk to the ring, and they’ve got their Twitter and Instagram handle right there, and you can follow them and all that.”
“They’re paying for the personalities, and it’s different. It’s not exactly the same in the NBA, but the entertainment aspect is similar. So I don’t think it’s the shooting,” he concluded.
Lillard reveals the reason why he hasn’t won a title
Lillard also reflected on why he hasn’t yet secured an NBA title. According to him, the departure of his co-star LaMarcus Aldridge in 2015 marked a pivotal moment that ended his hopes of winning it all with the Trail Blazers.
“If [LaMarcus Aldridge] would have never gone to San Antonio, we would have won at least once already,” Lillard said on the Club 520 podcast. “I would have come into my own, but he was that good. My rookie year, I started with an elbow pull-up jumper off a pick and roll—like literally, one-two-three dribbles to the elbow, pull-up every time. Cause they were trying to get back to him.”
Lillard’s remarks shed light on his belief that the dynamic duo of himself and Aldridge had the potential to bring a championship to Portland, if only circumstances had been different. Now in Milwaukee, he hopes to finally capture the title that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.