Damian Lillard, Chris Paul Named as Players NBA All-Stars Most Want to See Win Title
Damian Lillard and Chris Paul are two locks for the Basketball Hall of Fame when their careers end, but they are also chasing a championship before they stop playing.
In a new poll conducted during All-Star Weekend by The Athletic's Joe Vardon, Law Murray, and Bob Kravitz, Lillard and Paul were voted by their fellow peers as the players whom they would most like to see win a title.
Of the 16 players who responded to the question, Lillard and Paul both received three votes.
Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton was among those who voted for Paul: "He's one of those guys who comes in and does the work and never complains."
Paul is in his 18th NBA season, trailing only LeBron James, Udonis Haslem and Andre Iguodala for the most among active players. Carmelo Anthony has also played 19 seasons and hasn't officially retired, but he has not signed with a team so far this season.
In his first 17 seasons, Paul's teams have made the playoffs 14 times. His only appearance in the NBA Finals was during the 2020-21 campaign, when the Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
If there is one black mark on Paul's resume, it's the number of times his teams have blown leads in the playoffs. He's the only player in NBA history who has lost five postseason series after his teams took a 2-0 lead.
The Suns have lost in the playoffs each of the past two seasons after taking a 2-0 lead. They lost four consecutive games to the Bucks in the 2021 Finals and lost in seven games to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals.
Kevin Durant's arrival would certainly seem to increase Paul and the Suns' chances of winning a title this season. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has yet to play since Phoenix acquired him in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 9 as he continues to recover from a sprained MCL.
Lillard, currently in his 11th season, has been adamant about wanting to win a title with the Portland Trail Blazers, but the front office continues to struggle to put players around him who can help him reach his goal.
The Blazers are currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 28-30 record after missing the playoffs last season. They made the postseason in eight consecutive years from 2013-21, but they advanced past the second round only one time during that span.
