It’s a commentary about the person and what motivated Lillard to leave Portland for Milwaukee.
When Damian Lillard came into the Trail Blazers’ organization, he repeatedly made loyalty his mantra. He gave to the organization and the community, and he was a good team leader who helped to encourage and develop the young talent and those around him. I, too, was excited by what he brought to the organization.
But with time, his impatience grew, and matters of image, self-importance, and being in the limelight crept into his demeanor. Always a bit of a whiner, he became the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA, a player who “got no respect.” It’s one reason he became dedicated to gaining more recognition in a bigger market.
That comes with a cost, though. If he gets a ring in Milwaukee, there will be an asterisk on his profession of loyalty, no matter how accomplished his career.
Sadly, Lilliard has joined the legion of mercenaries who travel from town to town, selling their goods (and souls) to the highest bidder. It’s no longer winning one for the team and the city, but how many rings can fit on one’s thumb?
Loyalty, you say? Lillard’s act in Portland was likely a ploy to get the maximum and go. If he was loyal to the core, he could have taken a salary cut, which would have allowed the Blazers to bring in an all-star talent. That, plus the amazing talent Joe Cronin has been acquiring, would surely have elevated the Blazers’ chances to attain what Dame seeks.
I reckon that was too much to ask, and observing the drama unfold in Portland is a life lesson.
