Damian Lillard Explains Why Clippers vs. Blazers Doesn't Qualify as a Rivalry

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard isn't ready to say his back-and-forth with the Los Angeles Clippers has sparked a rivalry, and he has a good reason.   

"I thought a rivalry was built on the court, you know what I'm saying?" Lillard told reporters ahead of the Blazers' Wednesday matchup with L.A. "I don't think this is a rivalry."

The Clippers infamously taunted Lillard last year inside the NBA bubble as he missed a pair of free throws late in a 122-117 loss. That led to multiple players from both teams talking trash on Instagram after the game.

Yet when it comes to on-court play, there's been little that makes this a rivalry.

Portland is 11-13 against L.A. dating back to the 2015-16 season, and the Clippers swept Lillard's team in a three-game regular-season series last year. Few of their games have been close, and the fact Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are relative newcomers in Los Angeles makes it tough to build up the fierce intensity that's usually pervasive in NBA rivalries. 

That being said, it only takes an epic game to turn this into a full-blown feud. Given the amount of star power and animosity between the two clubs, there's no telling if or when things will boil over.