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Quite a day for Blazers’ Damian Lillard: MVP votes and shoe giveaway

By Matt George Moore

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 19: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers stands on the court prior to playing the New Orleans Pelicans during Game Three of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 19, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 19: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers stands on the court prior to playing the New Orleans Pelicans during Game Three of the Western Conference playoffs at the Smoothie King Center on April 19, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Damian Lillard is the heart and soul of the Portland Trail Blazers. And though he may not be league MVP, his stature in Rip City couldn’t be higher.

The NBA had a fancy-schmancy awards show Monday night, during which it handed out several big trophies to several big ballers.

The Blazers’ Damian Lillard had a big event Monday night, too — during which he handed out a bunch of free sneakers to a bunch of young ballers.

And although Lillard was not among the award winners at the NBA showcase, his name did pop up in a couple of categories.

But first …

The Winners!

TNT broadcast the second annual 2018 NBA Awards Monday night from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

The big winners on Monday night:

Most Valuable Player: James Harden (Houston Rockets)

Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)

Sixth Man Award: Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers)

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)

Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers)

Coach of the Year: Dwayne Casey (who was fired in May by the Toronto Raptors)

Basketball Executive of the Year: Daryl Morey (Houston Rockets)

Sportsmanship Award: Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets)

Sager Strong Award: Dikembe Mutombo

Lifetime Achievement Award: Oscar Robertson (About time, yeah?)

Teammate of the Year Award: Jamal Crawford (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Community Assist Award: Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)

“Play of the Year” (fan vote): LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) for his “Clutch Shot of the Year”

The Blazers’ Lillard

First of all, how silly does the front office of the Toronto Reports feel now that the coach they jettisoned in May won the Coach of the Year Award in June? (Reminds me of the time Joe Girardi got fired despite winning the MLB’s Manager of the Year Award for the then-Florida Marlins.)

More from Blazers News

Anyway, back to our man Dame. He finished fourth in the MVP vote.

According to Blazers reporter Casey Holdahl, Lillard “received 12 third-place votes, 40 fourth-place votes and 27 fifth-place votes for 207 points, finishing higher in MVP voting than any Trail Blazer since Clyde Drexler took second to Michael Jordan in 1992.”

Lillard also was nominated for “Clutch Shot of the Year,” which ultimately went to LeBron James, who — as previously mentioned — also won “Play of the Year” for the same exact play.

Gotta Be The Shoes

Lillard wasn’t in San Monica last night, though. He was in Portland, and he sent this announcement to via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1011423053178273793

As reported by USA Today:

"Lillard … drove a U-Haul to the park and started passing out shoes just as he’d promised. And when the shoes ran out, Lillard started signing autographs instead."

When Lillard’s playing career is over and all the trophies are polished for display and the stat sheets are finalized, those of us fortunate enough to live and work in Rip City will remember his greatness both on and off the court.

Next: Anfernee Simons speaks about transition at presser

The Oregonian/OregonLive took some video:

MVP or no MVP — he’s the best.