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Damian Lillard Denies Report He Wanted Meeting with Blazers Owner Paul Allen
May 25, 2018
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard issued a strong retort Friday to a report alleging he requested a meeting with Blazers owner Paul Allen.
On Thursday, John Canzano of the Oregonian reported Lillard sought another conversation with Allen about the direction of the franchise. The three-time NBA All-Star Game selection responded on Twitter.
"His word ain't one to follow," Lillard wrote. "Dude is a clown."
Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported in January the sides met to "gather an understanding of the organization's direction." The one-on-one discussion was set up without telling other members of the front office, and Allen initially feared it would end with a trade request.
Lillard didn't ask to get moved and instead reaffirmed his commitment to the Blazers, though he wanted to make sure the team's owner was "devoted to expeditiously crafting a title-contending team," per Haynes.
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The 27-year-old Weber State product is coming off a monster 2017-18 campaign that saw him average 26.9 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds across 73 appearances to help lead the Blazers to a 49-33 record.
He ranked seventh in the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (via ESPN.com) and earned his first All-NBA First Team selection.
Alas, the Blazers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the New Orleans Pelicans, ending an otherwise strong season with a whimper.
The series showed the Portland roster still needs upgrades around Lillard and backcourt mate C.J. McCollum in order to seriously contend in the deep Western Conference. It shouldn't take another meeting between the star point guard and Allen for the franchise to realize that.