Damian Lillard’s loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers made people question his utmost intent to get traded to the Miami Heat. But in the viewpoint of Gary Payton, it’s just a fitting desire to finally move on at the side of the All-Star guard.
Payton views Lillard’s situation as a replication of his case when he was a former cornerstone of the Seattle SuperSonics who failed to win a title with the then-active franchise for 12 ½ seasons.
“It is the same thing as it is with me,” Payton said, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Dame’s father grew up with me in Oakland. We all have the same mentality. And I have the same agent as Dame. Dame would be a great fit here. He knows it, and I know it.”
After 10 years of commitment to Portland, Lillard ultimately filed his request to get traded with Miami as his only desired landing spot.
It remains to be seen if the Blazers and the Heat will deliver a pact sooner than later as the South Beach club has reportedly grown frustrated with the slow progress of their negotiations.
But for Payton, it’s just about time that Lillard will finally attain his wish for a much greener pasture
“Dame wants to play for Pat. I think it’s a good move for him,” Payton said. “Why not go ahead and let him be successful? And I think it’ll change the whole dynamic if he comes here to Miami. He’ll have more help with Butler. He’ll have another superstar to go with him, and he’ll have a hard-working basketball team.”
Payton also dismissed the notion against ring chasing culture that currently embodies Lillard’s hope to unite with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in Miami.
Before winning his lone championship, Payton joined forces with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Karl Malone at the Los Angeles Lakers last 2003-04. Their “superteam” collaboration didn’t translate to ultimate success which continues to draw flak up to this day from many.
The Hall of Famer got no regrets that he finally achieved that elusive ring with the Heat in 2006 after failing to win last 1996 against the mythical 72-10 Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan as well as the 2004 “Goin’ To Work” Pistons who imposed their historically suffocating defensive stand.
“Everybody should chase a championship,” Payton said. “Why are we playing basketball? That is the whole object of playing basketball. If you want to go somewhere else if you’ve got a chance to win a championship, go there. And that’s what I saw when I came to Miami. So I came here, look what happened.”
