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Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard sheds light on rivalry with Westbrook

Austin Carroll|
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 19: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 19: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Three of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Despite an intense rivalry on the court, there may not be as much animosity between Lillard and Westbrook that most Portland Trail Blazers fans would think.

In a recent interview with House of Highlights, Damian Lillard got a little time to expand on his ongoing feud with Russell Westbrook. After the Portland Trail Blazers vanquished Oklahoma City in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder completely imploded and changed the direction of the franchise.

Who knew that wave goodbye would go on to mean so much more than it first did on the surface?

Despite Dame’s iconic wave, Westbrook won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Considering he was dealt to the Houston Rockets, the Blazers can likely look forward to many more competitive matchups against the polarizing guard.

Since Portland came out victorious in their postseason battle, Lillard was able to offer a little bit of insight into their perceived rivalry without coming off as a bitter loser. In the end, there may have not been much bitterness between the two at all.

Although at first it was surprising to hear this relatively relaxed take from Dame, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Lillard and Westbrook are two of the biggest natural competitors in the game. If they were on the same team, they’d probably get along great. But when an unstoppable force meets and immovable object, chaos is bound to ensue.

The pair have met 28 times in the across their careers, with Lillard coming out on top in 15 of those meetings. Take a look at how each player elevates their game against each other.

  • Lillard: 25.7 points, 6.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 15 wins
  • Westbrook: 28.9 points, 8.5 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 13 wins

In an era where many players have gone soft and referees are glued on their whistles than ever, it’s refreshing to see two players genuinely try their hardest to best their rival. That level of competitiveness has not been seen in the league since the late 1990s. In my humble opinion, the more of this we get, the better. It does make for quality television after all.

Whether it’s in Portland, Oklahoma City or Houston, we look forward to witnessing many more battles between two of the best the NBA has to offer.