At this point in the NBA offseason, superstar guard Damian Lillard’s future is very much up in the air, with the Portland Trail Blazers unable to find a trade partner for the face of the franchise.
Despite Lillard’s loyalty to the Blazers over the last decade, Portland has been reluctant to trade him to the Miami Heat, his preferred destination, which he’s made abundantly clear this summer.
With Lillard waiting to see where he’ll be playing next season, the perennial All-Star hasn’t made many public appearances, likely because he’s sick of getting asked the same question about his NBA future.
However, Lillard did recently make an appearance on “It Is What It Is” and was asked who are the three best players he’s played against during his career.
He quickly answered with Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook, via ClutchPoints.
"What's the best 3 you played against?"
"Steph [Curry], Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook… [Kyrie] has the most beautiful game in NBA history."
—Damian Lillard
(via @ITISWATITISTALK)pic.twitter.com/v4EIepn9AC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
It seems pretty clear that Lillard’s talking about players that he’s faced at the same position, with all three of the players he mentioned being current point guards in the NBA.
Although Irving gets a lot of criticism for his off-the-court antics, he is praised more often than not by his peers, as opponents like Lillard are in awe of what he can do on the basketball court, especially when it comes to his ball-handling skills.
As for Curry, that’s arguably Lillard’s biggest on-court rival, as these two superstars have had some battles over the years with the Golden State Warriors and Blazers going head-to-head.
Westbrook is another player who gets a lot of respect from his peers, as they marvel at his energy and relentlessness on the floor.
NEXT: Insider Says The Heat Are 'Daring' The Trail Blazers On Trade Front
