Dame needs to pull a Harden

[StrongLurk]

And finally move to a true contender. He has given Portland enough time and will end up never sniffing a finals unless he takes a page out of Harden's book.

[Stanley Kobrick]

if you are going to coattail off my thread at least give me credit

we can only hope Dame never gets 4 all-stars like a Iggy, Klay, Durant and Draymond

[KOBEtherealKing]

Or Portland should try to get a superstar to pair with him and oh yeah maybe some great defenders. Damian claims he ain’t like others chasing a ring.

[Gohan]

He should go play with giannis

[Spurs m8]

Here we go...b1tch, league ruining mentality.

No one should do this.

And it needs to fizzle the fvck out

[StrongLurk]

Here we go...b1tch, league ruining mentality.

No one should do this.

And it needs to fizzle the fvck out

Lillard has been on the Blazers for NINE seasons and he turned 30 this year. No one should have a problem with Dame trying to find a new destination this far into his career. It's dumb to think players have to stay on one team their entire careers, especially if it's not for an amazing franchise like the Spurs.

[BigShotBob]

Lillard has been on the Blazers for NINE seasons and he turned 30 this year. No one should have a problem with Dame trying to find a new destination this far into his career. It's dumb to think players have to stay on one team their entire careers, especially if it's not for an amazing franchise like the Spurs.

The concept is not dumb. You never know how things can pan out if you stick with it. David Robinson staying on the Spurs while they were mediocre and them tanking for Tim Duncan worked out wonders for him. Kobe staying on the Lakers through the ups and downs worked out for them too.

[FKAri]

The concept is not dumb. You never know how things can pan out if you stick with it. David Robinson staying on the Spurs while they were mediocre and them tanking for Tim Duncan worked out wonders for him. Kobe staying on the Lakers through the ups and downs worked out for them too.

The player should do what's best for their careers. You don't stay at a job if they're not giving you the tools to succeed that can be acquired elsewhere.

[StrongLurk]

The concept is not dumb. You never know how things can pan out if you stick with it. David Robinson staying on the Spurs while they were mediocre and them tanking for Tim Duncan worked out wonders for him. Kobe staying on the Lakers through the ups and downs worked out for them too.

Lakers are a GOAT franchise and Kobe had already won with them playing with great talent - Shaq.

What have the Blazers done even close to that? Also, Robinson wasn't the same superstar he used to be when Duncan arrived, plus he was EXTREMELY lucky that the Spurs even had a chance to get Duncan.

On top of that, the NBA landscape is completely different with free agency rules. You almost HAVE to look to move teams when you end up in Dame's situation after being with a franchise for nine years. He wants to win a ring while still a star player, not when he is 35 and a regular player.

The fact is, NBA culture is toxic in that it's better to win in the cheapest ways then lose and never win a ring in the most honorable ways. Dame has nothing to gain at this point by staying with the Blazers. He needs a RING.

[1987_Lakers]

The player should do what's best for their careers. You don't stay at a job if they're not giving you the tools to succeed that can be acquired elsewhere.

Agreed, just look at Kevin Garnett, you think the Wolves would have won a title with KG if he stayed?

Dame has given Portland years for them to add the right pieces, they haven't improved the roster much in the last 8 years and Lillard is already 30, right now is the perfect opportunity to leave that franchise and join an actual contender.

[SouBeachTalents]

The concept is not dumb. You never know how things can pan out if you stick with it. David Robinson staying on the Spurs while they were mediocre and them tanking for Tim Duncan worked out wonders for him. Kobe staying on the Lakers through the ups and downs worked out for them too.

Robinson got virtually no boost in the all time rankings from those titles, hell the last one he won he was a role player by that point. He'll still be remembered more for being destroyed by Hakeem than for those titles he won past his prime with Duncan.

And your Kobe example is fcking laughable. Even after getting prime Shaq for 8 years, Phil Jackson and winning 3 titles, he still demanded to be traded after only a couple of years of no longer being on one of the best teams in the league. Ups and downs my ass, dude wanted out in literally the only instance of a downturn in his career

[SouBeachTalents]

Agreed, just look at Kevin Garnett, you think the Wolves would have won a title with KG if he stayed?

Dame has given Portland years for them to add the right pieces, they haven't improved the roster much in the last 8 years and Lillard is already 30, right now is the perfect opportunity to leave that franchise and join an actual contender.

Most NBA fans have a legitimately retarded POV on this topic. If the player gets drafted to an incompetent or mediocre franchise, they're put in a lose/lose situation in the minds of idiot fans for something that's completely out of their control. Their options at that point are stay loyal to the team, never sniff a ring, then get clowned and ridiculed for never winning a title. Or go to a contending team, then get criticized for being noncompetitive and for ruining the league by forming superteams.

In the eyes of these dumb fans, it's either get drafted to a marquee or well run franchise, or stay ringless or win fraudulent titles.