Damian Lillard has a little bit of old school to him. He doesn't like the idea of a superteam, filled with multiple would-be franchise players, like the Warriors, and wants to try and win a championship built around him. Many old fashion NBA fans believe this kind of competitiveness has disappeared from the NBA, only to be replaced with friendliness and superteams.
However, those same old school purists might not like what Lillard has to say about winning a championship. Today on Twitter, in a Q&A with fans, Lillard told his followers that he's more interested in staying with the Trail Blazers longterm than he is in winning it all.
I'm willing to not win it. If I can't build it where I am. https://t.co/u6AzTx208Z
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 4, 2017
teams trade guys all the time... It's not always loyalty from team to player so you can't be mad when they leave..This is the route I choose https://t.co/82WQXzLogJ
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) May 4, 2017
This kind of loyalty is rare in today's NBA from either side. In today's ring-obsessed culture, players and fans expect players to do whatever it takes to win a championship. For some players, this means leaving for greener pastures and maybe forming a superteam.
Teams eventually move on from long-time veterans in an attempt to keep the roster moving forward. It's always been rare for a player to stay in one place forever, but even guys like Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce eventually left the franchises they became legends on. Lillard acknowledges that. While he wants to stay in Portland, a time may eventually come where that's impossible.
Blazers fans have to be thrilled to see Lillard saying this, but it's worth noting that his contract doesn't run out until 2021. A lot can change between now and then to make Lillard see championships in a different light. It would be awesome to see him never leave Portland, retire in a Blazers jersey, and become a team legend but that sadly is a rarity these days.