Damian Lillard on where he ranks among NBA PGs: 'I take pride in being the most consistent'

Damian Lillard: I see myself playing point guard and scoring 25 points a game (laughs). -via HoopsHype / June 21, 2023

Damian Lillard: I think this season was my best season in my career, individually. I’m not going to say statistically, but I think I could be better. I think I can have a better season than I had this year. That doesn’t mean I’m going to score more points or get more assists, but I think I can have a better season than I had this year. I haven’t been healthy for four years up until last year. This past season was the first time I was healthy in four years. -via HoopsHype / June 21, 2023

How involved are you with Portland’s management in decisions while being loyal to them your whole career? Damian Lillard: I don’t take a stance of power, I guess. If they ask me something, I’ll give them the answer. I’ll tell them what I really think. I’m not in there trying to make a decision or anything like that. I do my job. If something’s presented to me or a question is asked to me, I give an honest answer. I try not to be a part of the player empowerment because we’ve seen enough situations where guys who were at their peak and at the top of their game had that power and influence, and when they weren’t at that level anymore or the back end, people remember that. They’ll remember how you used that power and how you leveraged that power. It could determine how you go out. It can affect you towards the end of your career when you might feel disrespected or dealt with in a way that doesn’t represent the kind of career you had. I think in this era, you’ve got to be careful how you handle that position. I think we’ve seen cases where people have handled it in a way that wasn’t the best for them. Hopefully we learned from that. -via HoopsHype / June 21, 2023