In his 11 seasons in the NBA, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard hasn’t come close to winning a world championship.
He has gotten to the conference finals only once, and he has had numerous first-round playoff exits.
Despite the Blazers’ failed attempts to get to the next level, Lillard has professed his loyalty to the organization, even when he had the opportunity to request a trade.
This season, Portland is on its way to missing the playoffs, and Lillard has expressed his frustration over his team’s struggles and its future prospects.
Damian Lillard says he’s not interested in rebuilding
“That's not what I'm interested in. That's what the frustrating part of it is. Talking about what's gonna happen next season. And us 'building'. That's not what I'm here to do especially at this stage pic.twitter.com/tVUNXcxMl5…
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) March 21, 2023
The seven-time All-Star is having a magnificent season, averaging a career-high 32.2 points per game, as well as 7.2 assists a contest while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range.
But he simply doesn’t have enough help around him, especially on the defensive end of the floor, where Portland ranks just 27th in defensive rating.
The team has undergone a remodeling project over the last year or two, as it has brought in some younger supporting players, such as forwards Jerami Grant and Cam Reddish, but it hasn’t resulted in a winning record.
Lillard is still one of the NBA’s best point guards, and come crunch time, he may be the game’s deadliest player, as he has hit two playoff-series winning 3-point shots over the years.
But he is 32 years of age, and his biological clock is starting to tick louder.
Will Lillard continue to insist on being loyal, or will he finally ask out in order to get the opportunity to play for a championship?
He has four more seasons left on his contract, the last of which is a player option.
NEXT: Stephen A. Smith Has Some Harsh Advice For Damian Lillard
