Three years after waving them bye-bye in the Western Conference playoffs, Damian Lillard still is not too fond of Oklahoma City.
The Portland Trail Blazers guard appeared this week on Draymond Green’s podcast for The Volume and was asked if the notable lack of All-Stars that he has played with in his career had something to do with being in Portland.
“I think part of it is that, but I mean, bruh, people going to Oklahoma City, bruh,” replied Lillard, eliciting thunderous laughter from Green.
Lillard also mentioned Milwaukee as another small town that attracts stars and added that he would not be living in Portland for as long as he has if it was as bad as people say.
In just the last half-decade alone, the Thunder have had many All-Stars on their team such as Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Al Horford. But all of those players were either drafted or traded for by the team thanks to the savvy asset-accumulation strategy of GM Sam Presti. Oklahoma City is still not and may never be a free agent destination. But they are able to land stars due to smart management by the front office, which may be what is actually separating them from a team like Portland.
Of course, Lillard’s judgment may be clouded by the fact that he does not care at all for Oklahoma City. The five-time All-Star has continued to diss the Thunder even as recently as last year.
H/T NBA Reddit
Photo: Dec 16, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
