Rip City Project
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Blazers fans should stop trying to read Damian Lillard’s mind

By Matt George Moore

PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 17: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 17: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 17, 2018 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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What else does Damian Lillard have to say or do to convince Portland Trail Blazers fans that he’s happy right where he’s at?

I know that I’m about to ask the impossible, but I’m going to do it anyway.

Hey Rip City (and Blazers fans far and wide!): Can you please stop fretting about Damian Lillard’s future?

I’m not sure exactly when this fretting started, but it feels like a recent phenomenon.

Getting swept out of the playoffs two years in a row might have something to do with it.

But I think maybe the fretting started right around Jan. 18 when Lillard met with Blazers owner Paul Allen. Lillard wanted to ask Allen a simple question then: “What are our plans to get closer to becoming a contender?” Seems reasonable, doesn’t it?

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Or maybe it started after the 2017-2018 season — in late May when Lillard was rumored to have requested another meeting with Blazers owner Paul Allen.

Lillard dismissed that rumor — and the media personality who published it, The Oregonian’s John Canzano. (We were skeptical of the story here at the RCP, too.)

Anyway, suddenly (seemingly), there are all these rumors and questions about Lillard’s happiness as a Portland Trail Blazer.

Blazers Fans

Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers are an interesting bunch. Like most fans, they’re passionate about and dedicated to their team. But Portland fans also build a personal connection with players in a way that feels exceptional.

Rip City defends Meyers Leonard from boos and insults. Rip City feels like a jilted lover when LaMarcus Aldridge bolts for the San Antonio Spurs. Rip City still heaps mountains of disdain upon Raymond Felton.

Long story short: Blazers fans take things personally. And as NBC Sports Northwest’s Jason Quick writes, this franchise is “haunted by defection.” That’s why fans try so hard to parse every little ounce of meaning — hidden or otherwise — and nuance from the things Lillard says about living here and playing for Portland.

Quick note: In that article by Quick, Lillard emphasizes “being part of an organization … for my entire career.” That was in January 2016.

Words

Words have meanings, yeah? Thing is, when Lillard speaks about the Trail Blazers and his life in Portland itself, words aren’t enough, apparently. Especially when source-less rumors abound.

For example, look at the kerfuffle that took place when Lillard said, “I’m not unhappy” in Portland. Or when he said, “I’m typically a happy camper” in response to a question about those persistent Lillard-to-Lakers rumors.

In fact, just this week, Lillard answered questions about the current state of the franchise, leading to another round of commenters and tweeps trying to read between the lines.

Lillard says he wants 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.”

And yet the rumors continue to swirl, threatening to bury Rip City in an avalanche of self-imposed uncertainty for the rest of Lillard’s career. This is especially true if the Blazers retain President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey while continuing to tank in the early rounds of the playoffs.

On Wednesday, Lillard took more questions from the media. Here’s what he said about playing in Portland:

"I’ve been here, I got drafted here. I’m a leader here, not just on the court but in the community. There’s a lot of impact as far as who I’m in touch with, the people I’m in touch with, so that means something to me. It’s a deeper connection than just playing for the Trail Blazers. We’ve had success, I’ve had success individually and we have as a team. I feel like this league is a competitive league and I don’t want to just jump ship or look for another easy way out. I’m here to compete and take the challenge, so it is what it is. I’m not upset with my situation."

Lillard

Lillard’s importance to the Trail Blazers can’t be overstated. As we discussed during my recent guest stint on The Trailcasters pod, Dame is the most important Blazers players since Clyde Drexler. (Clyde the Glide, you may remember, took the Blazers to two Finals — both losses — before finally winning a championship as a member of the Houston Rockets. Another thorn in Rip City’s sensitive side.)

Lillard has three years left on his contract and would become an unrestricted free agent in 2021. People are worried about his so-called “prime years” being wasted in Portland, as if they can predict with any certainty when his prime years will begin and end.

I understand cynicism, especially in sports. Especially in Portland. (Aldridge’s ears are probably ringing right about now.) But dismissing what Dame’s said on the record about his desire to play his entire career with Portland seems foolish. Why do that?

Cynicism for the sake of cynicism robs us of the immediacy and joy that sports is supposed to bring to our lives. If we spend our time as fans wondering when our franchise player is gonna bail on us, then we’re gonna miss a ton of fun.

We can’t read Lillard’s mind. All we have to go on is what he tells us. Why not enjoy him while we have him – whether that’s for three more seasons or 10? The day may come when he decides to play for another team — but there is no evidence this is an outcome he desires. In fact, the evidence suggests exactly the opposite!

And yet, the questions persist.

Cartoonish

It reminds me of a cartoon I saw as a kid — Dr. Seuss’ “Hoober-Bloob Highway,” in which a little soul, about to be routed to life on Earth by Mr. Hoober-Bloob himself, gets a glimpse of what it’s like to be human.

In short: There will be a lot of questions, Bub.

And with lyrics by the inimitable Seuss himself (and music by Dean Elliott), Bub is barraged with some of those questions.

“Are you? Are you? Will you? Won’t you? Answer yes or no! Will you? Won’t you? Do you? Don’t you? Answer yes or no!”

Next: Blazers and Baldwin are a match made in seven (games)

Mr. Hoober-Bloob calls Earth “the biggest question mark factory in the universe.”

Damian Lillard probably agrees — especially here in Rip City.