“I knew you didn’t like Boston”
The future of National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) is in the spotlight, especially after he averaged 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds this season, but his team failed to make the playoffs (PO). Lillard was also done for the season after playing just 58 games. As usual, Lillard trade rumours swirled after the season. The Lillard drama had begun.스포츠토토
Recently, the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets were among the teams reportedly interested in trading Lillard. In a recent video interview with the Showtime Podcast, Lillard said, “If I get traded, I want to go to Miami, and Bam Adebayo is my best friend.” Of course, Lillard himself had previously said, “I want to win a championship in Portland.”
Meanwhile, there is one club that was rejected early on. The Boston Celtics. The day before, an NBA Central reporter told Fox Sports Radio in the US that “Lillard is not going to Boston”.
In response, Boston’s “ace” Jayson Tatum went on the air and made a playful joke about Lillard.
Lillard went live on social media on the 9th, and Tatum responded. “I knew you didn’t like Boston,” Tatum wrote, accompanied by a smiley emoji.
Lillard saw the response and made light of it, writing, “You offended my friend.”
Meanwhile, Lillard, who was drafted by Portland with the sixth pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, has been in the same uniform for 11 years. He was the team’s franchise star. His trademark gesture of pointing to his wrist after scoring a crucial basket is a trademark. He has been honoured with one ALL-NBA First Team, four Second Team and seven All-Star honours in a Portland jersey. In the 2019-20 POs on the Orlando bubble, he was named Bubble MVP for his dazzling performance.
But championships were not to be. In his eight seasons in the PO, his best finish was a Conference Finals runner-up in 2018-19.
Meanwhile, if a trade is to happen, it will require a lot of resources. Lillard is locked into a huge contract with Portland through the 2026-27 season, making it difficult to match player cards.