The trend of joining the super teams to win a championship has become a common occurrence. Damian Lillard is finally moving on from the Blazers after spending more than a decade on the team. Despite being one of the greatest point guards, he couldn?t win any championship. This summer he officially requested a trade and his favorite destination would be the Heat.
In a recent interview, he made a bold declaration about not joining any super team and even took a direct shot at Kevin Durant. KD?s decision to join the Warriors six years ago had met with some criticism, including from NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith.?
Lillard says he would never join the Warriors like KD did?
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In an interview, Lillard stated that he would rather lose ?every year? before joining a team like Golden State. He further clarified that while he respects what the Warriors have achieved over the years but he would not join them like KD did.
Damian Lillard says he would rather lose ?every year? before joining Golden State
?I respect what they’ve been doing over the last eight, nine years or whatever and I’m from there obviously. That’s home. But I can’t be a part of that?. It don’t even make sense. I never do? pic.twitter.com/2hoVn69oG6
? NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 19, 2023
He said, ?I respect what they’ve been doing over the last eight, nine years or whatever and I’m from there, obviously. That’s home. But I can’t be a part of that?. It don’t even make sense. I never do nothing like that. I lose every year before I go?.
He continued by acknowledging Durant as one of the greatest players of all time, but he says that he personally would not have made the same decision. ?If I was in his shoes, I wouldn?t have done it personally.?
Stephen A. Smith criticized it as the ?weakest move? by a superstar
When Durant made the move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Stephen Smith criticized him for joining a team that had just defeated his Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. The move was seen by him as a betrayal of loyalty and a shortcut to winning a championship.
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He called it “
the weakest move I’ve ever seen from a superstar“. Smith argued that Durant had a strong roster in Oklahoma City and was on the verge of reaching the NBA Finals. Departing from the team that had beaten him seemed like taking the easy way out.Watch this Story:?Amid Damian Lillard Trade Rumors, Adam Silver?s $1,000,000 Rule Will Put Portland Trail Blazers in a Tough Spot