Stephen A. Smith says Damian Lillard needs to request a trade from the Blazers
By Nate Mann
On a recent segment of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith stated that Damian Lillard needs to demand a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
First Take is a debate-focused, ESPN show known for it’s animated hosts and their crazy takes on sports. Longtime First Take broadcaster Stephen A. Smith is one of the most notorious personalities on sports television.
While he’s said some insane things during his time in front of the camera, Smith’s most recent statement is the furthest off mark he’s ever been.
In a two-minute rant, Stephen A. Smith says Damian Lillard needs to ask the Blazers organization for a trade.
His reasoning? More exposure. Yep, that’s the only reason.
Let’s dig in to this video and how uninformed it is.
All-Star Voting
Stephen A. Smith is flabbergasted by Lonzo Ball getting 30k more fan votes than Damian Lillard – we all are. But LA is a WAY bigger market than Portland, as Smith points out. Being within 30k votes of a Lakers player ain’t too bad (good work Rip City!).
Regardless, after the combined vote (player and media included), Lillard finished 7th, ahead of Ball.
He tied Lonzo in media voting, but surpassed those extra 30k fan votes by placing 4th in player votes. Because coaches choose the reserves, there’s a solid chance Dame sneaks in as a wild card while Ball doesn’t.
Looking at the bigger picture, the All-Star game DOES NOT MATTER. Our hometown hero Damian Lillard is not leaving the Portland Trail Blazers because we “fail” to get him in the All-Star game.
The snubs have come and go the past two years. Incorrectly missing All-Star weekend is not a fresh wound for Dame.
Portland
One of the smaller NBA markets, the Portland Trail Blazers often fail to attract marquee players in free agency. Nonetheless, the team has made the playoffs four straight years and advanced to the second round twice.
The All-Star voting shows Damian Lillard doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves outside the Pacific Northwest, sure Stephen A., you’re right on that one. But where you’re wrong is believing that Damian Lillard fails to get recognition within the city of Portland as well.
According to ESPN, the Blazers attract the 9th most fans per game (19,223). Guess who those fans are most excited to see – that’s right, Dame D.O.L.L.A. himself!
Next: Blazers beat Pacers for second time this season
Away from statistics, the fan love for Damian Lillard in Oregon is unparalleled. As I’m writing this, I’m wearing a Damian Lillard jersey. And there’s a reason he wears the number 0.
Stephen A. Smith thinks the only Pacific Northwest city worthy of recognizing Lillard’s talent is Seattle. To remind everyone, the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City due to a lack of public funding for their new arena.
Clutch Shooting
I’m glad Stephen A. Smith can appreciate Lillard’s clutch shooting although he plays for a small market team. I thought players could only be recognized if they played for big markets!
One quick correction: it wasn’t last year that Dame knocked Houston out of the playoffs with the infamous Game 6 buzzer-beater. One major giveaway: LaMarcus Aldridge was still on the team.
Summary
PSA Stephen A. Smith: Damian Lillard is not requesting a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. In case you missed it, he recently proclaimed his loyalty to the team:
"“And for the Trail Blazers, I want to be the best Trail Blazer ever. And when people talk about this franchise, I want them to talk about me. I want to be what people think of first when they talk about the Portland Trail Blazers.”"
The fans love him, the city loves him, and most importantly, the organization loves him.
Damian Lillard is here to stay.