There has long been some crossover between the worlds of basketball and hip-hop with artists looking to step on the court and live out their childhood dreams, and players stepping in the booth to do the same. The Los Angeles Lakers have had their share of players try out the rap game with both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant dropping albums to varying degrees of success. But arguably no basketball player has had more rap talent than Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard.
Lillard goes by the rap name Dame D.O.L.L.A. and has released some outstanding songs, mixtapes and freestyles that show just how talented he is as a lyricist. But on the basketball court, there have been continued questions about whether his loyalty and desire to remain in Portland is best for his career, and now Lillard is even mentioning it in his latest freestyle.
Lillard released the ‘Heaven or Hell Freestyle’ and in it had a line mentioning the Lakers, noting how many say he should go there if he wants to win an NBA Championship, via Michael Corvo of Clutch Points:
Damian Lillard bar: "Plotting on a ring, they say I should do the Lakers. F*ck that loyal sh*t. What if Reggie just left the Pacers?"pic.twitter.com/8EZwR1pAeX
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) April 5, 2023
It is difficult to decipher whether this is simply a good line as the Lakers are always the franchise being brought up anytime there is a star player available for trade, or whether Lillard is really considering leaving Portland. It does seem that he is kind of making fun of the countless people that have suggested he join the Lakers, however, which is something he surely gets a lot walking on the streets in whatever city he is in.
Lillard’s loyalty cannot be questioned and there is no doubt that he wants to stay with the Trail Blazers. But if the franchise themselves is ready to just start over and move on, the Lakers would absolutely do anything they could to try and bring him on board.
Quite simply Lillard is one of the best players in the NBA and one of its most explosive scorers. This season Lillard is averaging a career-high 32.2 points on 46.3% shooting and 37.1% from 3-point range to go along with 7.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds. In February, he became just the eighth player in history to score 71 points in a game, knocking down 13 triples in a Trail Blazers win over the Houston Rockets.
What it would take to get Lillard, and whether the Lakers have the pieces to make such a deal happen should he become available is unclear. Lillard also has two more years left on his contract and will be owed $45.6 and $48.7 million. But considering the talent, it is hard to argue that he isn’t worth that kind of money.
LeBron James on Lakers being in Play-In Tournament: “It is what it is”
While Lillard’s Trail Blazers have been eliminated from postseason contention, the Lakers will at least be in the Play-In Tournament. There is still the possibility they could climb out with some help, but the most likely outcome is a Play-In spot and LeBron James is fine with that.
Following the Lakers’ loss to the L.A. Clippers, LeBron simply responded “it is what it is” when asked about the likelihood of the Lakers being in the Play-In. The superstar added that the team must simply continue to play good basketball before adding that they will be ready to go regardless of where they land.
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