Damian Lillard Defends Nate Robinson After KO: 'I Think What He Did Was Bold'

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard gave credit to former NBA guard Nate Robinson for having the courage to step in the boxing ring for a professional fight.

"I think what he did was bold," Lillard told reporters Tuesday. "He got in the ring. A lot of the people don’t got the nuts to do it. So respect to him for doing it."

Robinson suffered a second-round knockout loss to YouTube star Jake Paul, who was fighting competitively for the third time and for the second time professionally, in his debut on the undercard of the exhibition between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday.

"Everybody is making a big thing out of it because it was Nate Robinson. But people get knocked out in the boxing gym every day," Lillard said. "They're a part of that sport. He chose to participate in that sport. He just came up on the wrong end of it. I watch boxing so much that I don't view it the same way everybody else does because I know that's part of the fight game."

Robinson has received plenty of support since the loss despite the online criticism.

"HUGE shout out to my brother KG [Kevin Garnett] for being there, and all of y'all that have reached out to me PERSONALLY...Mike Bibby, Carlos Arroyo, Bonzi Wells, Malik Rose, everyone in these pics, etc. It means the world, and we're gonna come back even better," he wrote on Instagram.

It was quickly evident that even Paul's limited boxing history gave him a major tactical advantage. He looked far more comfortable when forced to defend himself, and he took advantage of Robinson leaving his head exposed while attacking just over a minute into the second round to deliver a knockout blow.

The three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion still deserves credit for taking on a new challenge, but it's clear he's got a lot of work to do in order to make serious inroads in the boxing world.