Damian Lillard: The NBA’s Most Underrated Superstar

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 25, 2019)

The day is July 4, 2016. Independence Day. Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard just released his new rap single. Reviews are mixed to say the least. Some find it to be one of the best athlete musical performances ever. Others say that he should just stop and focus on basketball.
What did Damian Lillard do? Shrug it off. He likes that. He likes facing adversity.
I’m guessing that most of you guys reading this have heard of the name Damian Lillard. Even before he single handedly beat the Oklahoma City Thunder last Tuesday by dropping 50 points and a buzzer beater, Lillard has been called a superstar.
That game was not his breakout. It was just another day in the office for him.
A 6th overall pick out of Weber State University, the Portland Trail Blazers desperately needed a point guard and selected Lillard. He has only provided them with four All Star Game appearances, five 20 PPG seasons, and five straight playoff appearances, including two division titles.
The unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year, Lillard debuted in 2013 with a 19 PPG, 6.5 assists per game, and a .368 3 point percentage. Nothing major, right?
That season has been the only one in his career so far that has been under 20 PPG.
Statistically, he has been very close to the numbers of two time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. Of course Curry’s numbers trump Lillard’s, but Dame is right up there with the best in the league
So Damian is more than a superstar. He’s a legend. He’s probably going to be a future Hall of Famer. But why isn’t Damian Lillard in that Hall of Fame level conversation day in and day out?
Portland. That’s why.
For some reason or another, Lillard gets no credit. The Trail Blazers were picked by many to miss the playoffs in 2017-18. Lillard only responded by leading them to 51 wins and the Northwest Division title.
And what did Damian Lillard do? He shrugged it off. Why? Because he liked facing that adversity.
Portland has never gotten the love they deserved. Even the “Jail Blazers” of the late 90s and early 2000s go overlooked. They are often looked at as one of the biggest “What If” stories in NBA history. They were the bad guys you loved. Why were they slept on? The Lakers were bigger, brighter, and flashier.
And these Trail Blazers are talented and deep. Led by Lillard, his cast of CJ McCollum, Al Farouq Aminu, and Enes Kanter are just some names on one of the most likable rosters in the league. Why are these Blazers overlooked? The Warriors are bigger, brighter, and flashier.
The more things change, the more they stay the same huh?
Lillard has been in trade rumors for a while now. However, he loves Portland, and Portland loves him in return. He may not be on Steph Curry or LeBron James level, but he deserves to be. His last season under 25 PPG was 2014-15 (an All Star year for him), and his last season under .420 FG % was, well, never. He always was above that number. That’s more than superstar level. That’s elite. That’s best in the game level.
But Damian does not care if you overlook him. That’s what he wants you to do. He likes his back against the wall. He likes the pressure. The haters can say what they want, but he will make sure that everyone remembers his name in the end.
Because that is what Damian Lillard cares about. Not rap or basketball specifically, but just being the best in the world at what he does, no matter the subject.
Three years after the infamous rap single came out, he shot one of the best shots I’ve ever seen, a 37 foot buzzer beater from the distance of the Trail Blazers logo to cap off a 50 point night and knock out the Thunder. This is the same Thunder team that so many people picked to upset Portland, and now they are out. And what did Lillard do after that shot?
Like he always has, he shrugged it off.
I bet those media outlets that said he should focus on basketball three years ago are eating their words now. Not like Lillard even paid attention to them to begin with.
And Portland vs Denver seems like such an interesting matchup for the second round. Many think Denver could easily win that series.
But once again, superstar…wait no, future Hall of Famer Damian Lillard does not care what you think.
He likes facing adversity. It’s where he’s comfortable.
And who’s to say he’s wrong?

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