Damian Lillard Says He Will Not Leave Portland Trail Blazers

Overshadowed by the Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving situations this summer, was the possibility that Damian Lillard's time in Portland could be expiring. After making comments early this summer that indicated his unhappiness with Portland's roster, many believed it was just a matter of time before Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers.

Just weeks after that initial suspicion, Lillard clarified that he had not requested a trade, and expected to begin the season in Portland. This story received another development on Tuesday afternoon when Damian Lillard told the media that, "I’m not leaving Portland… Adversity is going to hit, there’s going to be tough times. So if it starts off rocky or if it starts out as a struggle I won’t be happy about it, nobody would. But I’m not going to jump ship and bail out when that happens."

This approach from Lillard is contrary to much of what has become prevalent amongst NBA superstars who grow unhappy in their situation. Recent examples of star players checking out once becoming unhappy include James Harden during his finals days in Houston, and now Ben Simmons with his antics in Philadelphia.

According to Lillard, he will not follow that example. If things get difficult in Portland, he plans on sticking with the team that drafted him and hopefully seeing more success as a result.

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