> “I think what’s causing a lot of the movement is the pressure that’s being put on players and athletes,” he said. “About, ‘Oh, he don’t have a ring,’ and they almost make it seem like you just didn’t do shit because you didn’t win a ring. You got people out there like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller—these dudes is legends. Come on, man, you can’t take nothing away because they didn’t win a championship.”
> Lillard had become the poster child for staying put, signing two extensions with the Trail Blazers totaling more than $300 million. “People make a joke out of it sometimes, like, ‘Man, he’s too loyal, he don’t want to win, he just want his money,’” he said. “I don’t take nothing away from those guys. I think a lot of times because of my stance on it, people try to put my stance on it as if I’m belittling or I’m saying something bad about the guys that do move. And I’m not. I’m just standing on my square about what I believe. They can do whatever they want; if that’s what makes them happy, then do it.”
> “I want to win as a Trail Blazer,” Lillard said. “I want to win a championship where I am. I don’t think I would feel the same joy and happiness if I did it elsewhere. I would be happy, no doubt. Like winning a chip, you get that experience.
> “But I know how I want it.”
I’m a simple man: I see a “Dame loyal” quote, I post it.
[Source](https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/10/12/23399283/damian-lillard-portland-trail-blazers)
38 comments
Damian Lillard: “People try to put my stance on it as if I’m belittling the guys that do move. And I’m not.”
Also Damian Lillard: “keep switching teams … running from the grind . You boys is chumps”
coping
[deleted]
Immaculate copium
I don’t think I’ve ever heard Dame talk about his loyalty to the Trailblazers, this is refreshing.
Bro you loyal we get it you dont have to bring it up every month or so
Wake up baby new Dame loyalty quote just dropped
Oh man, I was getting worried there because I hadn’t heard Dame talk about how loyal he is *this week*
People need to realize that players aren’t calling press conferences and making statements. They’re asked about almost everything and they just answer because it’s their job.
Dame plays into it sometimes, but the vast majority of the time (like this one) it’s just him answering reporters.
I’m tired of hearing about this also, but it’s on the reporters to not ask a question that’s been beaten to hell and back. Dame is just obliging, and it’s obviously something that he feels strongly about so he’s happy to do it.
He probably would stop talking about being loyal if he wasn’t asked on a daily basis why he doesn’t leave Portland at the next earliest opportunity. I mean I get that the national media’s job is to plant seeds and get him out of Portland so that they never have to even waste a second of air time on the Blazers again but he has a no trade for a reason.
Yeah that’s a little mini rant but I’m just sick of the annual mission by the media to reduce the Blazers to a team with no stars and no future.
This is like Logic rapping about how he’s bi-racial.
The bi-monthly Dame loyalty talk. Loyalty HOF inductee Dame “Loyalty” Lillard
Please stop asking him about this
If you were in a situation like Lillard’s, would you stay in your team no matter what and become the best Blazer ever or leave to chase a chip?
Tell the reporters to ask new questions and thread makers to stop posting the same quotes if you’re tired of hearing about it
Whether he talks about players being loyal or not- gotta respect his loyalty in the NBA in this day and age
It feels like Dame talks about being loyal every week.
This is one hell of a dude right here. Ledgend in his own making.
I always kind of just figured he was just happy in Portland and wanted to stay.
If this is what he wants good for him.
He could win and get money
“Also, the money’s pretty fucking nice.”
Well… theres a BIG lie in his quote lol
His inclusion in the 75 greatest players is just stupid.
What if Dame is just hardcore antifa and thats why he doesnt wanna leave portland. Keep an eye out for protestors who are launching bricks from beyond the arc when they riot this sunday
Seriously fuck anyone who talks shit on Damian Lillard. I grew up with him In my neighborhood and coached some basketball camps in Oakland with him. He’s OG street loyal, the nicest and most genuine dude you’ll ever meet and doesn’t betray people.
Here’s one anecdote of his character:
We used to coach a camp for inner city kids, he did this every summer from high school, college and whenever he has time as a pro. He would just show up (took Bart or rode his bike) in hoops gear and always had a backpack on. No one asked for his autograph or a picture or anything until he was in the NBA, when he finally ‘made it’ (I put that in quotes because he always looked like that to us) and the kids/parents started to line up for time with him, he was so casual about it and was glad he FINALLY GOT SOME TIME WITH THE PARENTS TO INTERACT WITH. If you’re an educator, or work with kids at all, you know how hard it is to get parents to show up to things, especially with at risk inner city youth. It’s vital to the kids success and we’ll being to have parent involvement. He used it as the carrot with the parents, show up and support their kid and they could kick it with a NBA player for a bit.
He used the time he had signing/pics whatever to learn about the kids at home life and pass it to us. I know a lot of athletes do this kind of stuff, and it’s hard for me to capture how authentically good of a dude he is. I hear similar type stuff from people in Oregon, or really just anywhere Dame hangs out.
I don’t think players should be “loyal” to a team that drafts them very high. Dame was drafted 6th overall so if it wasn’t the blazers, some other team would have drafted him.
He was a good player in the draft, and the blazers wanted his services.
I think the only time a player should feel like they need to be loyal is when they are about to go undrafted and a team selects them near the end.
idk I guess the putting loyalty and business together is funny to me.
But any time the Blazers beat the Lakers in a regular season game it is their versions of winning the championship
I appreciate what he’s doing staying with one team, yes he gets paid a ton but that’s how the NBA is evolving with the contracts. I feel the same way about Bradley Beal and I was a huge fan of Reggie Miller and Dirk for the same thing. You can’t compare everyone who hops from to team, of course, but it makes me appreciate the good to great players who stick around no matter what.
Being a legend for one franchise is where more likely to get you remembered and give you a permanent post-playing career “home” than jumping around to 5 different teams from age 27 on. Plenty of guys that move a lot don’t get a ring, and some of the ones that do have one I still wouldn’t trade for Dame’s spot.
Ayyyy we on mid season form already 🙌
Ah the seasonal Lillard money loyalty winning post
I like watching Damian Lillard play basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers of Oregon, USA. If he played basketball somewhere else, I’d be very sad.
Always found it funny how people will shit on superstars for forming super teams, and then simultaneously shit on superstars for being loyal
For what it’s worth I’m all for the former
There is literally nothing wrong with what Lillard is doing with his career. People gotta chill out and find something else to ask questions about
Keywords here “I want to win as a Trailblazer…I don’t think I would feel the same joy and happiness if won elsewhere…”
That’s all we need to know. He wants to win but as a Blazer. Period.
With how deeply entrenched him and his family are in Portland I get that’s a big reason he doesn’t wanna move.
His kids basically grew up there and moving loves them away from family and friends. He himself seems to love Portland and both the love and respect the city brings him. Like yeah he may never go down as a champion but he will always have the love of the entire city/state.
Seems hard to just move on from that solely just to potentially get a ring.
To people like Jordan, Kobe, Bron winning a championship is literally everything to them . It’s the be all in life. For others it’s not. Every professional athlete wants to win a chip but for some they can live with the results if it doesn’t happen. Obviously he believes in the organization and wants to win one there more than one in another place at this time in life. What’s not to respect about that.
You know, one thing I don’t think people have considered enough is that maybe Dame really likes living in Portland. It’s a pretty fantastic city! If he’s treated well by the organization, and he has a good life set up in a great area, why would he want to upend his life for no guarantee of actually getting a ring?