Amid speculations surrounding his future with the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard recently made an appearance on the “It Is What It Is” podcast. Hosted by Cam’ron and Ma$e, the basketball player discussed his stance on a potential move to other teams, including the Golden State Warriors, today (Sept. 19).
However, the conversation took a jovial turn when Lillard was asked where he got his confidence from. He said, “I would say it comes from just the environment I grew up in. I grew up with a lot of cousins. [It was an] aggressive neighborhood where there was always competition, whether it was racing pole to pole… My fault, my fault.”
The statement was met with Cam’ron and Ma$e’s customary “pause.” It’s a playful and recurrent joke on the show that poked fun at potentially ambiguous statements. Check out the clip below.
Elsewhere in the lighthearted interview, Lillard affirmed his respect for the Warriors’ impressive run in the past decade. However, he dismissed the notion of joining the team. The star shared, “As far as Golden State, I respect what they’ve been doing over the last eight, nine years, whatever. And I’m from there. Obviously, that’s home, but I can’t go be a part of that.”
The reason behind his refusal is grounded in the lineup’s existing roster and accolades. Lillard elaborated, “They’ve won four championships. What [do] I look like going to try to do that? There’s somebody that plays my position, that’s behind LeBron [James], the best player of this era. To me, that doesn’t even make sense. I’d never do nothing like that. I’d lose every year before I go [to the Warriors].”
Last month, Lillard released his latest full-length project titled Don D.O.L.L.A. with a number of guest appearances. The LP featured Jordin Sparks, Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla $ign, Mozzy, Tobe Nwigwe, and more.
Moreover, the basketball star reportedly unfollowed the Portland Trail Blazers afterward. A screenshot from a Twitter user showed that Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem was added to his friends list while the team was removed from it.