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Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard Is the ultimate competitor

By Gabe Alada

PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 25: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up prior to their game against the Boston Celtics at Moda Center on February 25, 2020 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. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 25: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers warms up prior to their game against the Boston Celtics at Moda Center on February 25, 2020 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. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is killing it in the NBA bubble, but this would be expected if you knew the superstar’s mindset…

Damian Lillard isn’t your typical NBA point guard. In a game where we see players becoming best of friends on and off the court, seeing Lillard coming at people’s heads night after night gives me a breath of fresh air.

It reminds me that people still want to compete in an NBA that old heads now see as “soft,” but also reminds me that you don’t have to be friends with everybody to be a relevant persona in the league. In my time watching the NBA, never have I seen a player play with more passion on a court than Dame is right now.

Yes, I have seen LeBron James put everything he had to win a championship for his hometown Cleveland, Ohio. And yes, I have watched Kawhi Leonard lead a team to an NBA championship that had no business being there only a year before. All of that is great…but what Dame is doing now, is something special.

Damian Lillard is putting on a showcase in the bubble. One can even say that he is the bubble MVP. It’s amazing…but then you stop and realize the pressure that is on his shoulders. Every single game matters to this Portland Trailblazers team. One loss can push you outside of the playoff race with how the standings are looking in the West. Any superstar would feel the pressure on a night to night basis, yet Dame seems to embrace it…even cherish it.

Whenever the pressure is on, Damian Lillard has always come to compete. Never backing down from whoever is in front of him, Dame attacks his defenders with an amazing barrage of 3 pointers and step-backs that any NBA fan would watch in awe. Clutch moments don’t seem to phase him. Words do not graze him.

He plays with a chip on his shoulder that many NBA players do not have…but that’s what makes Dame himself.  We saw Paul George and Patrick Beverly come at him, yet days later we see him drop 51 and 61 in back to back games as if to say, “Suck on that.”. Three 60 point games in one season. The only other person to do that is Wilt Chamberlain. Dame is just that good.

With the Portland Trailblazers now claiming the 8th seed, one can only be amazed at how Dame has elevated himself. Not only has he showed the world that he is one of the best players in the NBA, but he has also shown that he doesn’t care what anyone has to say about himself or his team. Dame has proven that he is a competitor. He wants to win. He doesn’t give up even though people already had. He is Damian Lillard… and he won’t back down from any challenge. Put some respect on his name.

Next. Portland Trail Blazers: 3 reasons why Damian Lillard deserves All-NBA nod. dark