Damian Lillard plans to cement his legacy for the Portland Trail Blazers and one player in particular inspired him to do so.
That player is Dirk Nowitzki, who played all 20 seasons of his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks and ended up winning a championship in the second half of his career.
Lillard told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, “He just stayed with it. I respect what Dirk did. Like, I see that and I’m like, ‘It’ll be worth it. I know it was worth it for him,’ you know what I’m saying? Like, he’ll be forever, ever, ever respected in Dallas and in the league. So that’s like what I see from myself.”
Lillard has previously stated his refusal to join a “superteam,” as he fails to see “the challenge or the fun” in joining one of these teams.
He says he’s perfectly content to stick it out in Portland and help return the Blazers to their glory days.
