Report: Damian Lillard will not defend Skills Challenge title
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard will not defend his title in the Skills Challenge after being left off the Western Conference All-Star team, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.
After playing in the All-Star Game and participating in five total events during the weekend last year, Lillard was not voted in by the coaches as a reserve this season. He is averaging a career-high 21.8 points, plus 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
• DeMarcus Cousins named All-Star replacement for Kobe Bryant
Lillard won the Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend last season in New Orleans, but will not participate in the event this month in New York.
Last week, Lillard said he felt "really disrespected" to be left off the All-Star team by the fans, coaches and commissioner Adam Silver. He posted a photo on Instagram with a caption calling out the groups for overlooking him before quickly deleting the post.
•Portland Police aren't happy Damian Lillard is not an All-Star
The Trail Blazers are currently the No. 4 seed in the West with a 32-16 record. They have lost three straight and eight of their last 10 games.
Portland hosts the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
- Paul Palladino
