NBA Legend Kevin Garnett has been promoting his new book recently. In an interview with the New York Times where he talks about the book, he acknowledged that Damian Lillard was instrumental in changing the game of basketball.
The outspoken Garnett talks about Damian Lillard alongside peers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and the consistency these players have from deep as shooters.
This was his answer when he was asked to talk about the state of today’s game.
"I don’t think guys from 20 years ago could play in this game. Twenty years ago, guys used their hands to control players. Now you can’t use your hands. That makes defense damn near impossible. Can you imagine not hand-checking Michael Jordan? Naw. The fact that you can’t touch players gives the offensive player so much flexibility. Defensive players have to take angles away and stuff like that. But if you have any creativity and ambition, you can be a great offensive player in this league. The fadeaways, one-leg runners, the one-leg balance shots — that’s stuff that Dirk Nowitzki brought to our game. And now when I watch Jokerplay, it feels like he has taken that Dirkness and mixed it with his own talent. And Steph Curry revolutionized things with being able to shoot it from distance with such consistency. Klay Thompson. Dame Lillard. These guards changed the game. I don’t know if even the guards from 20 or 30 years ago could play in this time right here. It’s creative. It’s competitive. It’s saucy. You’ll get dropped! A [expletive] will cross you over and break your A.C.L. these days. The game is in a great place."
Garnett is an expert analyst who always tells it like it is. He was outspoken as a player and continues to give his unshielded advice on the game as it is today.
Lillard continues to be mentioned alongside the greats of the game. This time it was by a great of the game too. His standing as a legend and future hall-of-famer continues to grow.