Damian Lillard Says He Won't Play in Tokyo Olympics If Blazers Win NBA Finals

Kim Klement/Associated Press

Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard made his plans for the Tokyo Olympics pretty clear Tuesday.

"If we go to the Finals and win it, I ain't playing," he said. "If we win the Finals, I'm not playing in the Olympics. But we'll see."

So chances are we'll see Lillard in Tokyo next summer. 

With all due respect to Portland, which improved this offseason after adding Robert Covington, Enes Kanter and Derrick Jones Jr. and re-signing Carmelo Anthony—and will get a boost when Zach Collins and Rodney Hood are healthy—the Blazers don't seem to be among the favorites to win a title. 

That distinction is reserved for teams like the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, a Clippers team that disappointed last season but still has a ton of talent and the Milwaukee Bucks, led by two-time defending MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and bolstered by the addition of Jrue Holiday.

Maybe the Blazers can shock the world. Lillard is damn good. But for a Blazers team that has reached the postseason seven straight times but the Conference Finals just once in that span, winning a title would be a major shock.

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