Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers has many fans, even beyond his team’s rabid group of loyal followers.
There are many people – and players – who cite Lillard as one of the best point guards in the league, someone with serious skill and loyalty to his squad.
Yes, the Blazers haven’t fulfilled their potential in so many years but most people consider Lillard a superstar.
Skip Bayless, apparently, is not “most people.”
Kyrie Irving is a superstar. Damian Lillard is not.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) August 22, 2022
Bayless ruffled some feathers on Twitter when he made the stark claim, “Kyrie Irving is a superstar. Damian Lillard is not.”
It’s not really clear why Bayless decided to compare the two stars or why he chose to pile on Lillard for seemingly no reason.
That’s just how Bayless is – but his opinion doesn’t really stand up to the facts.
Point Guard Gods
Both Irving and Lillard are terrific NBA point guards – there is no denying that.
And, yes, both are superstars too.
When you look strictly at their numbers, both Irving and Lillard are similar (27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists for Irving in 2021-22 and 24 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists for Lillard).
But beyond that, both are strong leaders.
In fact, one could argue that Lillard is a better commander on the court.
If you’re judging both players simply on the number of playoff wins and championship rings they have, obviously Irving is ahead but that doesn’t tell the whole tale of their talents.
Lillard’s Blazers have not been as good as Irving’s Cavaliers, Celtics, or even Nets but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a superstar.
He is a superstar, he just happens to be playing for a team that has struggled for years.
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