Damian Lillard gives Russell Westbrook Advice | Ep. 46 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

russell westbrook is having one of his. worst seasons on the biggest stage what. advice would you give him so i would. just face it you know i would just. whatever the questions y'all ask me. whether i think it's a dumb question or. something that is self-explanatory or. whatever. just face it and deal with it or. whatever like his his. russell westbrook's career and legacy is. undeniable like that's just the bottom. line the player the career he's had what. he's accomplished the things that he's. done. nobody else has been able to do it all. my life been grinding all my life.

sacrifice hustle pay the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. all my life been running all my life. sacrifice hustle pay the price. wanna slice got to roll it dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. hello welcome to another edition of club. shayshay i am your host shannon sharp. i'm also the proprietor of club shay. shea and the guy that's stopping by for. conversation and a drink today really.

needs no introduction he's a six-time. nba all-star olympic gold medalist a. member of the 75th anniversary team dame. time logo lillard one of the best nba. players of all time and. i believe he's the greatest rapper in. nba history say hello to damian lillard. dave how you doing bro. good man how you doing. let's start with this. of all the accomplishments that i just. mentioned six-time nba all-star olympic. gold medal. medalist i forgot to mention you're an.

all-nba player. 75th anniversary team of those. accomplishments right there. which do you think is the most. significant one to you. uh i would have to say the 75th. anniversary team um. and when it. when i was announced on the team i. didn't even really know it was a. um a real thing i thought it was just. you know people throwing their opinion. out there who the 75 best players ever. were. and then when it was like announced and.

i saw people posting it and people you. know was calling me like you on the team. i thought it was just like uh. everybody was doing so i was like. i actually wasn't even keeping track of. it to see if i was going to be on the. team because i didn't know it was a real. thing and um. after it was announced you know it was a. it was a great honor for me man. especially with myself just playing you. know 10 years now and. um when i got to cleveland it really it. really set in like man you know i'm. looking around like do i belong here.

with these dudes. crazy and that that made me realize how. how great of an accomplishment when. you're in that room and you look around. and you see dr jm king elijah one and. you see mike and you see magic and you. see all these guys and you're like man. i'm here did you reflect like man. a kid from oakland a guy that they said. never was gonna make it i'm in the room. with the legends. no it was if there was ever any moment. in my career of like validation that was.

it you know. and like i said i was in there and i was. looking around like man do i do i belong. in here like this is really the best of. the best you know the video game with. these dudes i. bought these dudes shoes you know the. whole nine so like it was. if it was ever a moment of validation. that was it and then to have so many of. them come up to me and tell me like no. you you deserve to be here you know you. you earned your way here so. um just knowing that something like this. is not just a you know a selection or a.

media selection of people or you know. random people getting to decide who the. best star you know that's for somebody. to come up with a list like this it was. a lot of a lot of homework being done. right how you will be on this list and. that to me that was the the best feeling. of all. dame you know a lot of times we like. when people say well we don't want. validation but we do because we play we. want the ultimate validation we want. other greats to say yeah you're one of. us you're a historian you're a pantheon.

great also so to get that ultimate. validation from a magic johnson or. michael jordan or whomever the greats. were to come up to you and say dang. bruh. shake your hand you belong in this room. hey i mean it's a feeling that i i can't. even describe to you because. i was literally looking around the room. like that. you know kareem you know when. jordan walked in i'm looking around like. man this is crazy like i'm not here to. just witness this i'm a part of this. group like i'm the one right here that.

we taking and i got this blazer that. they all wearing it was. it was crazy and like you said to hear. it from those guys it does seem surreal. i remember being in the hall of fame. room dame and and seeing mean joe green. and the buckases and these guys and i'm. like hold on wait a minute how did i end. up here how did a kid from a population. a town of 3 500 people went to savannah. state to hbcu. another 3 000 students how did i get in. this room and then you see them and they. start shaking your hand they patting you.

on the back man i followed your career. you're an unbelievable player welcome to. the club. man. so it is a great feeling congratulations. you're well deserving of this honor uh. like you said only 10 years so guess. what in and when they have the 100th. anniversary team and they'll be young. players and you get called back for the. 100th anniversary team and then you're. going to be. like man i'm in a room with dame lilly. i'm in a room with lebron. but when you. did you ever think you would be in did.

you ever think you would be like you. said you didn't understand with the 75th. anniversary team did you ever think. you'd be considered an all-time great. no i've never i've never looked that far. into it you know like i've always been a. somebody that's in the moment you know. because the that's how my steps have. always been in my career you know not. being heavily recruited going to a small. school i've never been afforded. the opportunity to just look past. certain things you know where it might. be certain kids it's like you know i.

want to go. uh to a team that fits me instead of. thinking about man i want to try to get. in the tournament i want to get picked i. want to earn some minutes you know i've. always had to stay in the moment and. that's how my steps have always been so. i've never. looked far enough down the line to say i. want to be one of the best ever it was. like one thing at a time. um so for it to come it's just it's just. crazy man. damn you had surgery i believe on a core. muscle. i'm watching you i followed your career. since you got into the nba in 2012.

you're unanimous uh all rookie uh the uh. rookie of the year selection and so i've. watched you i'm watching you at the the. olympics that's when i really first. noticed it and i said man he's missing. shots he makes in his sleep he's doing. things that's very uncharacteristic i. watch you into the season. did you think it was like man i'm just. having a bad i'm just having a bad. shooting i'm in a slump but i'm okay. when did you know something was really. wrong with dan. oh no i knew i knew i was hurt um you.

know and i think everybody that i was. at the olympics would tell you like i. knew i was hurt they knew i was hurt it. was just. um. i've never had a. a situation where i was hurt and i. couldn't overcome it you know i think. that was the biggest hurdle for me is. like. i knew i was hurt and people knew i was. hurt but i in my head i was like. i just gotta i just gotta you know. i just gotta keep fighting i just got no. i'm saying and then in my head i'm like.

i'm not an excuse maker so i don't care. how much i'm not looking myself you know. even if it's through whatever this rough. patch is i'm gonna find a way to get. there um. and then as the season went on. eventually i just got to the point where. it was like uh. you know my. my mind wanted my body to do something. that it just wasn't. in good enough health to do you know and. i had to. you know i had to look myself in the. mirror and make that decision. dame as athletes we're wired to.

[Music]. have the surgery have whatever it is and. get back as soon as we possibly can. because my brothers are out there. fighting and i don't want them to fight. alone so i need to get back as soon as i. possibly can so i can be there and fight. with him. when did you say you know what. this is this is a situation i can't rush. back i got to do what's in the best. interest of dame although i want to be. there fighting with my brothers uh i. mean when i did my homework on the. procedure that i was having uh you know.

i spoke to athletes that had been. through the surgery that i went through. um i had a lot of talks with my surgeon. before the surgery and after like to. this day we still talk regularly. um. and as well with the pt um cara you know. she's uh. somebody that i've spoke to you know. every single day pretty much and she's. the pt that works with my surgeon. and she had the surgery herself okay. um. her. kind of being with me every step of the.

way and knowing the symptoms and the. feelings that i'm going through and. going through the process herself and. also being a professional to get me back. on track has been. great you know plus my pt here in. portland eric is uh. is well versed in it as well so um. i i've done the homework and i know that. it's a process that i got to be careful. about and i got to make sure that i'm. checking every box and not rushing. through that you know i don't want to. right through it to try to be like all. right i'm back and i'm healthy you know. i want to check every box and.

i'm not looking at 100 i'm looking at. 150 like are we absolutely sure am i. right strong in this area i'm looking. for every vulnerable spot that i can put. myself in to you know try to find that. that place where. i might be re-aggravating something just. so i know i'm good and i'm not gonna. rush i'm not to rush through that. process because when i do come back on. the court you know i don't plan on. having anything in the way and um. i want to perform at a level a level. that i wasn't even playing at before.

this so i mean. that's the only way to go is to take my. time to make sure i'm doing it right. so how are you feeling how far along are. you in the process so so when you are. you shooting are you doing anything uh. with with the best that's basketball. related or are you still or rehabbing. uh well i mean i had surgery on january. 13th and um. i was clear to kind of move forward with. doing stuff on the court so i've been. i've been going pretty aggressive you. know. you can't just say all right i'm okay.

you got to start searching for those. areas where it's like. i feel good but like let's let's go. searching for something let's go. searching for something that could come. up if it's just reactive or if i'm at. this angle or if i'm in this vulnerable. position and. then let's try to be strong in that. position and then you try to find. another spot like that just to make sure. that. um everything is where it needs to be. you know changing direction being in you. know lower to the ground and twisting. and spinning and doing reaction drills. and doing things full speed coming to a.

stop changing direction things like that. where um. you're literally trying to find. something that oh this could bother me. that could bother me and then you know. you do the recovery stuff the soft. tissue work the stretching hot tub the. cold tub. and you come back and do it again that's. kind of the stage that i'm in is just. getting more and more aggressive and um. that's also a process that i'm gonna. take my time getting through since. you've been away a lot of things have. transpired.

um you started losing some games they. trade cj they trade norman powell they. trade covington. what's going through your mind when you. learn of this like okay me and cj we've. been in this thing we kind of built this. thing what with the new trailblazers the. way you see them now cj and i have a big. hand in this building this thing. what were your reaction to the trade and. why weren't you and cj quite able to get. to the to the the championship game. maybe win the chip. um i mean when the trade happened it i.

mean it hurt me you know um. it hurt me you know to this day i still. you know when i i tell cj all the time. even now when we still talk you know i'm. like man i'm watching these games i. can't believe you play for the pelicans. you know. it's crazy he's telling me like yeah man. it's been cool but it's weird you know. like it's different for me and. uh me and c we wasn't just teammates you. know or backcourt he like was really. partners you know right so it's it's. tough to deal with it and i think the. fact that i haven't had to actually play.

without him. um has allowed it to be like more of a. smooth transition than it would be if i. was actually playing it'd be real weird. for me. right but that one that one hurt me man. to this day um and that to answer about. uh us not being able to. you know get over them get it. uh i think you know we did what we could. uh you know me and cj every season. at the beginning every season before. camp we would you know meet up with each. other and it would be the same. conversation like look.

there's gonna be times that i'm gonna. get on your ass i need you to accept it. it's gonna be time where you're gonna. get on my ass. and i'm gonna accept it we gotta hold. each other to that standard and no. matter what happened if we if we're. struggling if we're doing well you know. if if people talking bad about us or. whatever we're gonna fight together. we're gonna fight our way out of it and. that was like we always had and i knew i. could count on that and trust that so. you know once you get to that top level. you know it's it's not just about me and. cj at that point you know and we weren't.

a healthy team we didn't have nerd in. the western conference honors i feel. like that would give us a much better. chance. um but the deeper that you get in the. playoffs teams just start to take things. away from you you know right they give. you more attention like i'm getting. double teams and i'm getting trapped. and you know cj is getting more. attention and it forces you to you know. they they're going to put the ball where. they want teams are going to force the. ball to go where they want the ball to. go yes. sometimes that's putting guys in a. position that they haven't been in. um. a lot and at the biggest stage you know.

with the most on the line so um. you know that can be tough because even. if somebody's going to come through and. play well um. it's hard to sustain that when that. hasn't been what you've had to do. right. and cj me and cj didn't play our best in. that series you know right up to that. point and um. you know i think a lot of things go into. that you know we hadn't played that far. into the postseason sometimes you just. don't play well. um. and the season being longer you know i.

think teams now guys are able to rest. throughout the season you know in the. 80s game season. you know they might not play. back-to-backs and they at the end of the. year maybe they played in 61 games you. know that's 21 nights off as opposed to. you know the way our team has been set. up we've we've had to fight every night. we have to play every night and you know. that can be exhausting and that's. something that as i've gotten over you. realize that. um when you plan on playing further into. the postseason you gotta you gotta play.

chess you know you gotta make sure that. your body and your mind is able to be. there for the long haul and um i think. all of those things played a part in us. not being able to. you know actually get get to where we. wanted to get to. you got 30 million dollars under the cap. you have two lottery picks. dame is the general manager. what we go what we looking for how how. do we get how do we get. portland to be what we see the phoenix. sun we saw them go eight and on the. bubble continue to build the next year.

and here they are they have to have the. best record in the nba. how does dane. do that in portland he's the general. manager you got 30 million under the cap. and you got two lottery picks. um if i'm the general manager i'm. looking at like you just said i'm. looking at. what phoenix did you know nobody saw. phoenix coming you know it was like man. you know you had. people saying devin booker should should. leave and devin booker should do this. and. phoenix says you know they want they. were considered one of the bad teams you.

know right. me playing against them four times a. year i always knew that they had the. makeup it was just. they need a piece here they need a piece. there so. um if. if i'm gm i'm looking at how phoenix did. it. because. they went from the bottom literally to. the top. that's not easy but if you look at what. they did they had devin booker you know. they had a. really good player a star and they got a. lot of they got the number one overall. pick with devin booker deandre ayton was.

the number one overall pick while they. had devin booker but the thing the the. piece that they got was a chris paul. okay so how do how do we trade for a. piece this is the thing they got chris. paul but they also got jay crowder yes. and they also have something with. mikhail bridges yeah. i mean it's not just and then you look. at like cam johnson and. you know the campaign. campaign you look at the players they're. putting out there's. it just goes together you know right so. like and i think we're in a position to.

do that like i'm here. we already have me. we have a a quality center you know we. already have aunt like ant is. yeah man he coming he coming that young. fella coming dave he coming so like now. it's like okay we're gonna end up with. two picks most likely two. two lottery picks most likely we got. money. we have. the full mid-level you know we got a lot. of tools we got a lot of flexibility. it's just a matter of us.

using what we have to to fill in those. pieces. in the way that the sons did what if. they trade those lottery picks and go. get you a proven. all-star. all-nba player you cool with that. definitely because we i mean we have a. uh a very big trade exception that we. get into so right. um. if i'm the gm all of those things are in. place you know what i'm saying. my son.

all of those things are in play are from. the gm but that's why i said we got a. lot of tools you know we got a lot of. things that that we can do to put. ourselves in a much better position. next season. damn you've been one of the guys one of. the few guys. that's a superstar that says no. you did it you're you're staying you. want to stay you want to build you we. saw what happened with giannis because. they were saying the same thing about. giannis. but what helped giannis is that they. went and got a holiday yeah they like.

you said they surrounded okay we got. chris middleton we got giannis and you. put another piece holiday was the guy. that put them over the top i don't care. what he giannis is giannis but holliday. could could lock the opposing team's. best player down hold him above below. his average and go give you 20. yeah. i mean that's. that's what it is you know what i mean. like giannis. was this giannis before drew holiday got. there yeah exactly like he was the mvp. and the defensive player of the year. before this correct they went and got.

the drew holiday they went and got bobby. portis you know what yes. these are these are very good players to. me because i play against them i know. what they're capable of which is why. i understand it but to you know the. average person they're gonna be like. he's not you know. a star they not this or that but i know. what they bring to a team and that's all. that's all giannis needed and i'm not as. gifted as giannis i'm not seven seven. feet. all that.

but i can but i have things about me. that i bring to the table that. i know how to dominate a game. and i know that you know if we're able. to go out and get the tools that. can compliment me and and nerd and. knives and you know josh hart and joe. ingles who i love for us i love joe. english for us. coming off an injury um. but like when you get when you when. you're in a position that we're in we. can go get some guys that are very good. players like you said that can also.

complement what we have and that can. take us to that level so that's what i'm. looking at you know going into this off. season. i know chauncey i uh i was in denver. when chanting was in high school now. he's your head coach what has he brought. to the table what is it about chauncey. that you love so much about his coaching. style. uh i think the number one thing is um. you know he's a player's coach you know. from a. from a a position of. um. you know he's with us like it's not like.

me and him have a tight relationship but. you know he don't really deal with cj. elliott you know him and see like he's. literally cool and has some type of. connection to everybody you know and. part of that is because he played you. know correct. he has that clear energy about him like. he'll come out there and shoot and. before practice starts to see him out. there shooting and playing one-on-one in. the post and. um you know he's just not afraid to call. it as it is you know he call it how you. see it he'll call you out in practice.

he'll call you out in the game. um. you know he's won as a player he's won. in his league and you know he knows what. it looks like and what it feels like and. he's. he's very demanding of that with our. team. um and i think because people have to. respect it because they know that he's. he's done it and he's been around a long. time i think it goes. um you know it goes a little bit further. that way and that's my favorite thing. about him is he's not in there just. trying to be friends with everybody it's. like. it's a certain um command that he has.

over the room you know when he's walking. out of his office onto the court and um. that's probably my that's probably my. favorite thing. you said something very interesting. because having uh being an ex. professional football player. coaches would call even the superstars. out but i noticed in basketball it's. very rarely that if you're a superstar. to the the dame lillard the kevin durant. the lebron james the the top tier the. top eight nine players.

they normally call that somebody else. when they're really talking to they're. really talking to dame or they're really. talking to kkd or talking lebron you. said i like that about chauncey because. if i mess up i want you to tell me that. i messed up so i can fix it yeah i mean. don't nobody want to just. offer themselves to get yelled at you. know what i'm saying i didn't tell you. that they just lying you know. i don't like to get yelled at or like to. get called out but like i accept that. you know i'm a perfect player or i don't. you know i shouldn't be called out for.

my mistakes because i make them all the. time but. i think um. with chauncey is it's a. level of respect there to where. you know and i had the same thing with. terry if he was to say something to me i. would accept it but right um. as long as it's not mean-spirited it's. not as long as you're not abrupt hold on. now come on now you do realize i'm a man. i understand that you're the coach. you're in a position of authority but. let's not be disrespectful with the. correction don't disrespect me but. that's why i say it's a level of respect.

like yeah. i say i want to win and i say that i. want these things to happen like i'm. gonna allow you to do your job so you. can help me do mine to the best of my. ability and that's that's what it is you. know it comes with that are you one of. these guys that when you're not playing. basketball i don't watch basketball. because. what am i watching it for i can't do. anything i'm not playing or are you. watching are you following what's going. on now. no i'm not i mean i'm a i'm definitely a. student at a game you know i haven't. usually like during the season when i'm.

playing i'm like rushing home for. four o'clock to make sure the first game. on the east coast that come on you know. detroit against indiana i'm gonna sit. there and watch it okay cause i'm always. looking for actions you know i'm looking. for who's playing well what type of. things do they run and i'm seeing that. what they run like oh that's our version. of. right never whatever you know and i that. helps me. um not have to play. super hard or waste a lot of energy as. opposed to just thinking through the. game and manipulating situations when i.

come across these teams so. um and i just like to watch who so i. mean. i do watch a lot of basketball but since. i haven't been playing. um. a lot of the i guess. extra a lot of the extra parts that come. with professional sports. have jumped out louder to me that now. that i'm not playing so it's it's less. attractive so you know i don't. i guess i'm not watching as religiously. but i'm watching a lot you know right.

because i love to watch the game. see that's what i couldn't like if i'm. going to play and you're going to play. everybody so it's a lot harder for you. not to watch someone on television. because you're going to play every. single team at least twice home and away. but see if i'm playing a team game i. couldn't watch because i feel it was. going to give me a false sense if they. played really bad i'm thinking to myself. man we about to run through these dudes. if they play really really good now all. of a sudden i'm thinking like oh man we. got our work cut out tonight so i don't. want to watch anybody that i might have.

to play. no but i mean but for me like i said i'm. gonna go home and i'm watching all these. games so. i might see. who. i might see utah played three times. right over a matter of seven days i. might see them play three times and we. play them next week so. you're gonna see them play well and blow. somebody out then you might see them. play a team that's struggling and barely. beat them then you're gonna see them. lose to a good team then you're going to. see them win two in a row. play them in two games so like it ain't.

like i'm watching them two days before. we play them only and then they blow out. a good team and i'm like man like. we might get hit too you know like. i'm watching so many games that i'm. seeing them have their good nights i'm. seeing them struggle i'm seeing them get. in the close game and give one up at the. end and i'm seeing them. come back on the team you know i'm. seeing so many different things about. these teams but. throughout all of that i'm seeing. them execute i'm seeing where they. struggle you know where they struggling.

how steph is killing him defensively. okay how did kyrie kill him. how did this person kill him how did. this person play against him how did. they guard this guy you know like. so i'm able to piece together without. put writing down notes it's like. mentally i'm just noticing these things. right and then when i actually watch the. clips i already know what i'm getting. ready to see you know what i mean so. like absolutely different. i got two core i got court-sized seats i. got two tickets you and your wife go.

into the game. what current nba player who are you. going to see you got you got courtside. seats who you going to see. i got court-sized seats. um. i'm going to see kyrie irving. i just love the way kyrie play i love it. i just love the way his game looks. ridiculous he's ridiculous dave he. ridiculous with them handles man that's. ridiculous how you do it. it it it's his handles but it's just the. way he move and how he can play the game.

like he got the most beautiful game ever. like just the way it looked. i'm going to see kyrie irving and um i'm. going to see devin booker. you like books game book my favorite. player in the nba the thank you for the. love it used to be the big dump the ball. down to the big he turned around now. it's the three but you mentioned guys. they got the mid-range game book is good. i mean he can shoot the three but book. is the mid book is like 15 to 18. kyrie. got it all kyrie is kyrie is the best.

finisher in the paint for his size as a. guard that i've ever seen. from the three point to the rim. it ain't been very many people that can. see kyrie irving with his handles i'm. not saying he's the best player but when. you you you watch him like you said you. love watching his game he can shoot the. three he got the mid-range the english. the arc in which he can put on the. i can finish with either hand at the at. the rim it's just crazy it's because. it's not athleticism. it's skill you know what i mean like. he's not above the rim hanging in.

it's craftiness and touch and feel it. you know i mean it's just a knack for. doing it and it's it's a gift you know. you can tell he worked on it but he had. a gift to begin with so. i i agree with you i agree with you damn. we go all sports go through this. the old guard seemed to be so unwilling. to credit the new guard well this guy. could he could have played in my day ah. he ain't tough enough why do you think. it's so hard for the older players to.

give this current generation regardless. of sport basketball football baseball it. doesn't matter why is it so hard for. them to give credit where credit is due. i mean i think just so they don't. so they don't they don't feel forgotten. i think part of it is like them making. sure that they're not forgotten like. yeah but it was hard when i did it. before i give them some credit i got to. give my i got to make sure people know. get my. it was different you know what i'm. saying. sometimes that's true you know what i'm.

saying like. sometimes it's true but um i think more. people recognize it than the people that. make those comments right real lives you. know like. i know that you know i the game might be. harder if you know some guys play in the. 90s just like if some guys from the 90s. played in this era. it might be a little bit too. much like this yes and. the guards that was you know killing in. the 90s might come to this era and the. coverage is now is like.

you ain't we ain't you know we we don't. let him come off and shoot threes but. he's not getting anything we gonna be in. the drop you know you right it's. different coverages and. you know some people couldn't handle the. ball that great they might have got. trapped and made them a little more. uncomfortable and. the physicality might have bothered some. people in our era a little bit more. right. lack of foul cause and the pace of the. game being slow and being in a half. court more might have limited some guys. now that like to play in transition so. right.

it's a lot of things there's a lot of. factors that go into that but i mean. i think it's mainly because people don't. want to be forgotten you know it's. always like. well tell me if you agree with this. statement. i'm not saying the guys are better. in today's game but i'm saying you guys. are more skilled there's more guys that. can shoot the ball the equivalent if not. better than larry bird because back then. there were only a handful of guys that. could shoot the ball like you. steph.

clay kyrie kd book. there's only there was only there were. not that many guys that could shoot the. ball especially from distance. and even in the mid-range like you guys. shooting. i mean like. a lot of i mean it is it's tough to. think about you know who shot the ball. is that way you know like. just going back you know well nobody. shot the ball because now in today's. game there is no bad shot. you pull bruh you pull it up from 40.

that's a great shot the only time you. shot that shot back then in the 90s is. that it was the end of the half or the. end of a quarter you didn't shoot that. shot with 15 seconds on the shot clock. got to pull up in transition from 30 now. maybe like from from from deep is much. lower but if you go look at my mood. abdullah yeah you like how coming off. the stream quick race. that was his game like that's where i. that's where i started when i was in. college and i started to watch like.

flips and stuff and him in high school. and him at lsu and all that like. that's when i started to like come on. screen quick raids. cross cross quick rage between the legs. split pull up like i started on that off. of him you know what i'm saying so like. but it wasn't a lot of people doing that. stuff like no people pulling up and. taking tough contested threes and stuff. like that it was definitely not. definitely no they were they weren't. taking contested threes. like you guys take the waste you and.

steph and clay and guys shoot the three. even with a hand in their face you. better make that you better make that. guy put that ball onto the floor and. move up that three because if you just. run out into my eye. i mean that's like you said guys are. more skilled it's the training you know. the. the pace that that guy's training at now. and. how often people train now yeah you. you're right that's 360 not damn ain't. no off time even if you guys do i don't.

know how much you play golf or you have. you obviously you're wrapped we're going. to get into that but guys train so much. more now they're always they're. constantly working on that crap there's. no sitting the basketball down for three. months i ain't touching a basketball for. three months and i'm gonna pick it back. up you guys are constantly in the lab. trying to create a better version of. yourself. when i came in the league and it just. shows you like how fast it changed i. came in the league in 2012.

and i when i got to my first training. camp it was 40 year olds you know i'm. coming in with jared jeffries and i'm. and other people who are coming into. camp like in training camp was when they. got in shape like right they touched no. ball this is when i touched the ball you. know. they telling you like man when the. season's over you got to take a break i. wouldn't touch a ball until august you. know and you're hearing that it's like. what like that just sounds crazy. right it shows you now like. when the season ends people take a. couple you know two weeks they might go.

on vacation come back and vacation and. only catch and shoot. get a little sweat in some light work. and then you build from there right it. used to be like you just completely. stopped until i got basketball again. so like the creativity and the amount of. work. um that you put in on that creativity. and adding things to your game is just. on a different level now all the way. starting from elementary school you're. seeing. eight-year-olds out here shooting deep. threes and playing off the dribble. floaters both hands and. crafty with the ball so is.

i think players now are definitely more. more skilled and they work on it a lot. more. damn you're in the era of the player. empowerment. whereas before. you stayed with a team until that team. decided to get rid of you now you're. like look here. get me some help or get me up out of. here. are you okay with that because a lot of. like i seem like the old guard are not. okay with that they don't like that. lebron james was able to do what he did.

they don't like that kd they don't like. that some of these other guys like you. know what bro y'all trying to win here. i'm going somewhere else where they're. trying to win and they're gonna help. bring players in to help me win it seems. like the old guard is that they had to. stay in one locale until they got old. and couldn't really do it anymore and. then the team moved off on him are you. okay with the player empowerment. movement. i mean i think first of all to each his. own you know like if that's if you if. that's what. feels fine to you and makes you right.

then you should do it um. i think you should do it um you know. like you said for brian. ron has won the championship everywhere. he's done it at right. you know he even circled back to. cleveland and won the championship and. so like. you know and kd the same you know he. went to go to state he won his two um. it's to me it's to each his own but it's. it's not gonna work out for everybody. you know right you'll have some people. do it and it won't work out and you just.

got to be prepared to deal with the. downside of that you know what i mean. like if you don't if you do decide to do. it. and you don't win. and now they like is not working and. this team get blown up now you want. another team. and you know you end up on three teams. you know or whatever in a in a short. period of time and now you use that. power and now. you know people that you've used that. power against is gonna be looking at you. like no when you was the man and you was. making all these demands and you had all.

the power now i got the power you know. right and. they gonna do you wrong because they. feel violated you know but i don't. i don't think it's always. um. that type of vibe when people say look i. want to go somewhere else and win i. don't think it's always that but more. times than not when guys are. um handling it in a way of like i got. the power you know then you just you. just making people. uh are you putting people in the. position where they gonna wait to that. opportunity where your power is gone and. they got the power back and you know.

they're gonna try to do you wrong and. you just you gotta be willing to deal. with those consequences if that happens. damn you gotta deal with the. consequences either way because if you. don't win they're gonna say you didn't. win and then if you go join another team. then he's like well he jumped on the. bandwagon they criticized kd for going. to golden state they criticized lebron. and if you stay they're gonna say well. dame is one of the best players to never. win a championship so you're gonna get. the criticism so you might as well be. happy with whatever you're doing because. you're gonna get criticized either way. to me and that exactly and to me it.

ain't about the criticism. like and that's why i say to each his. own because that's right you know and to. me it's not about the criticism you're. gonna get criticized correct at some. point regardless that's what comes with. our job that's what that's why we make. the money that we make and that's why we. play at the level that we play at. because like. we're the best of the best why aren't. you playing well. why didn't you step up in this big. moment like that's that's all a part of. the game. and you're going to get criticized and i.

accept that but. that's why i take the stance that i take. because there's no way around the. criticism or even if i do win the. championship the following season after. that if we don't win it i'm going to get. criticized after i just. taking it out so like right it's going. to happen. so for me it's like if i know that i'm. just gonna i'm gonna stick to my guns. and do what i know fulfills me and what. makes me happy and what i want to see. happen because i'm gonna deal with that. regardless and then.

when i'm done playing. you know they gonna talk about me every. six months when they talking about some. old story whatever but these. a lot of y'all are not gonna be thinking. about us like that you know y'all gonna. be thinking about brian and kd. and. i don't know and giannis you know what. i'm saying like. hey name's gonna come across it because. of you know they multi mvps and did all. this stuff but. i mean you're not gonna be talking about. us like that so i don't you know i just. i know that it comes with it i want to. win a championship i want to win an mvp.

that's what would make me happy you know. what i'm saying. that would make you happy. but it would make you more happy if you. were able to accomplish that in portland. winning a championship winning an mvp in. portland would make you more happy than. winning it winning those two accolades. somewhere else correct am i hearing you. correctly yeah i mean it. i would be extremely happy regardless. you know and i think one thing that. people misunderstand when i say it is. like they think like man you gonna be. happy regardless and i'm like i know i.

would be extremely. happy. but i'm just saying like you know nobody. know me like i know me. go home at night and when i turn that. light off and i lay my head down. don't nobody's gonna see it with those. feelings and what's in my head like i do. you know you know that too right like i. want to do that and be happy with my and. be happy with myself the way that i want. to be happy with myself you know what i. mean and i know what that looks like and. that's the way that i'm trying to get it. done. russell westbrook is having one of his.

worst seasons on the biggest stage you. know when you play with a team like the. lakers with what's expected of this team. championship or nothing you play with a. kevin durant or you play with the boston. celtics. if you could give him some advice if he. were to call you says dame bro. bro you see you know they only you hear. they only. how you think i should do what what what. how should how what should i say. what should i do what what's going on. bro what what do you see. what what advice would you give him.

uh i mean. i. i if i had to tell him anything i was. just telling him just. you know me. face the music with it you know um like. i just said the criticism like. it's gonna happen and you playing in one. of the biggest markets so i would just. face it you know i would just whatever. the questions y'all ask me whether i. think it's a dumb question or something. that is self-explanatory or whatever. just face it and deal with it or. whatever like his his.

russell westbrook's career and legacy is. undeniable like that's just the bottom. line the player the career he's had what. he's accomplished the things that he's. done. nobody else has been able to do it like. with all these triple doubles i don't. care if you stack chasing. or whatever people want to say. if i try to go every game and get a. triple-double for a whole season i can't. do it and there's a lot of other people. that can't do it either like. that's hard in itself to actually do it. whether you're trying to do it or not.

right i mean he's what he's done you. cannot it's undeniable so um. you know like i was just saying we're. gonna get criticized regardless you know. his may be a little more harsh because. he's russell westbrook. um he's playing for the lakers he's. playing with lebron like. you know it's gonna be more harsh but um. you know i would just face it and be. like look you know i'm i'm struggling. i'm still working at it i'm trying to. get through it it might not be what. y'all want to hear but i'm just. i'm trying but you would acknowledge it.

you you would acknowledge that i am. struggling that i'm not playing up the. par. and you would not be dismissive of a. question that they asked because i think. sometimes he become confrontational bro. we see you can't say you're not. struggling when you go 2 or 17 or you go. 421 you can't say you're not struggling. because am i supposed to believe my eyes. or you what you're telling me. i mean sometimes you struggle but. because of the situation you're in the. market you plan and the amount of.

attention you put on everything it makes. everything so much worse like if you. actually look at. his numbers you know there's people. shooting a worse percentage and very. people. um. averaging worse number like his numbers. are not bad numbers it's just the actual. like the way the game is being played. may not be what people want to see or. what's expected um because the ball. ain't in his hand all the time he's not. as much in control of the game as people. are accustomed to seeing and that's a. major adjustment right nobody's ever.

been in in that position to go from i've. been russell westbrook my old career and. now i'm off the ball way more you know. what i'm saying it's just so much more. of a different situation for him but. nobody got to live that so it's easy. to kick somebody when they down and all. that. but if i had to tell them something i. would just face it and just you know and. just deal with it but i do think. like it didn't go into the extreme you. know as far as it's almost like people. just see something that they think. everybody's going to agree with if they. just talk about russell westbrook.

so everybody's just throwing their stuff. at him and saying you know it's going. overboard at this point in my opinion. like it's just crazy to me. oakland you grew up in oakland. when dame. was seven eight nine ten years old. what did they what did dame want to be. did they want to obviously basketball. you had to play basketball but did did. rap come into them did cup route come. into the mix because there's a lot of. going on you got two shorts you got. marshawn lynch you got gary payton. so it's it's rich soil.

for a lot of different things you got a. football got a football player a. marshawn you got two short who's a. rapper you got gp who's on the 75th. anniversary team like yourself so what's. going on in young dame lillard's mind. i mean when i was younger man i was uh. you know i grew up in the neighborhood. so i was around everything you know i'm. saying i had. people was outside you know let's just. put it like that people. and things were going on and i was.

around them and it was i had a decision. to make every day you know am i going to. choose right or wrong you know whether i. think i'm gonna get caught or not am i. gonna choose right or wrong and i think. when you're faced with that type of. pressure and those type of decisions. every day you know it shapes you in a. certain way you know especially you when. you're around these things um you know. but like you said you we knew who. marshawn was you know like my brother. was cool with marshawn my brother the. same age as marshawn my dad.

you know went to high school with rafael. sadiq and new gp and b shaw and all. these dudes you know so they. uh and you probably don't even notice. when you was on the broncos y'all won a. super bowl my cousin my dad's cousin is. darian gordon yeah i know dg. yeah. that's my cousin so like. when you when you're around all this. stuff it's just that little bit of. positive that you need you know you just. you just need that little bit of. inspiration and i always you know at. school everybody's like gary payton my.

cousin and this person is my cousin and. i know this person you know it was. always that type of energy. and i think i held on to those types of. things a little bit different you know. just that little bit of positive you. like hold on you know jp if he got out. well he came from here i can get out. raphael d too short marshawn they from. this area they got out why can't i. no i i always. there's one thing i'll say is i always. held on to those things like a little. tighter than i think.

a lot of the other kids was like right. like i i never forget you know on the. freeway on uh. on the 580 freeway in oakland like you. come in. you know it goes from henryville all the. way to hayward you know all the way. through and when you're on that freeway. it's like all of the you know the. the town homes up against. against the hill but then at the top you. got the oakland hills and you can always. see b shaw. you can always see b shaw house the. pillars on his house all all the way.

from the freeway. i used to always look up there like. i'm a. i'm going to give me a house give me a. crib. care about be sharp. like when i go to the league and. that's like. i always held on to that because it was. like i could literally see his house. from the freeway and like i didn't know. how to get there but i knew. like you could see it from the freeway. so just all of those things are always. held onto it real tight you know like. man it's possible. did you play did you play any other.

sports growing up did you play football. did you play baseball or was it just. strictly basketball i played baseball i. played football i ran track hold on hold. on what position you played football i. play receiver i played running back. i did everything i was nice and football. so. this is the thing my my my mom's only. brother has always been a football coach. he was my coach. all my cousins like i'm the only.

my cousin is that's on our team for the. blazers keljen blevens that's my cousin. me and him the only two basketball. players in our family everybody else. played football. so. you you were nice with the football. that was nice. so what what how old were you when you. decided to say you know what. basketball is the way i'm gonna get that. house up there by bishop how old were. you when you made that decision say you. know what i'm gonna set baseball aside. i'm gonna set football aside and i'm. gonna focus strictly on basketball well.

i stopped playing baseball early like. right about right about middle school i. got. i got hit right here and i was done. football i stopped once i got to high. school. once i got to high school and i had like. i. and it was like i saw how big dudes was. and people was getting hurt and all that. like. it was like major injuries too i'm like. acl. breaking the legs dislocated like i was.

just oh that's how i was like i'm cool. and then at the same time i was also. just getting i was getting better so. much better in hope naturally you know. before i started to seriously train like. that i was just the more i was playing i. was. getting more athletic i was able to. shoot. and you know my feel for the game just. making the right plays and stuff like. that was getting so much better. and then i played varsity as a freshman. and that was that was it. so who did who today what players did. dame like when you were growing up what. basketball player you like man hit the.

game nice i like that who who did you. who did you follow closely when you were. growing up. um when i was a kid i was a big iverson. fan okay. like ai was. and it's crazy because. it wasn't the details of his actual game. as much as it was his swag and. like him being like one of the smaller. players. and he's a i was the. one of the few players that gave me the. energy of people that i was around like.

he gave me like. allen iverson felt like he could have. been from my neighborhood yeah. tattoos the braves he wore tall tees he. was sagging the way he spoke it was like. it was like i knew that i knew his his. type you know what i mean i knew his. type of person and it reminded me of a. dude that was from what i was from right. and you know how hard he played you know. and it was almost like he was he was.

with whatever against whoever and he was. never surrounded by all the best you. know what i'm saying and that's kind of. why i'm like. that's kind of like what i'm that's your. mentality yeah you're not the biggest. you don't have you're not you don't have. top 10 players all time around you to. play with but you say you know what. i'm six foot tall 6-1 i can get it done. i saw a i do it hey i led a team to the. nba finals he wanted mvp hey i think i. think i'm nice like that too.

exactly but he i always liked ai like he. he had the style that like that appealed. to a kid like me like everybody. everybody in my neighborhood loved ai. like it was. like how much this how much everybody in. my in my neighborhood love ai. we got to do the. name we had a dude named paul murray in. my that was from. oakland he ended up going to saint. mary's college and he was like the. person from oakland that was supposed to.

like. go to the league. but he ended up messing up his knee he. still was good played overseas for a. long time. but i remember him playing against a. dude from my neighborhood. for a hundred dollars and a pair of. irises. they played one-on-one for that you know. what i'm saying. it just just showed you like he was. a.r was everything right i don't know if. they're gonna let you show up to the. game how ai used to come to the game. because commissioner stern he changed. that dress code you can't come with 4x.

teeth when you when you're a medium or a. large and you definitely can't come with. the fubu. that's acceptable in that tunnel today i. bet you i could get away with dressing. iris and dress because you think hope. what do you not be saying with people. i do i think somebody's dude i don't. know where to go i mean i saw cool's. been handled had a sweater that was a 50. extra large i don't know where he get. that sweater from you wear that i could.

wear a tartan. like come on man. i read where you gave them passion to. speak you were very young. um i want you to tell me how old you. were when you told your mom says mom i'm. gonna go to the nba i don't know if your. mom believed you at the time i don't. know if the people that around that. heard the conversation believe like. little bro. we don't know nobody in the nba. we we get regular jobs we you know we. work nine to five we don't go become. professional athletes.

when you were telling your mom this do. you believe that she believed you did. you believe the other people that heard. you tell her this do you believe they. believed you. uh i mean i don't think nobody out there. could leave you. keep hunting i don't think nobody. believes it but i remember the date i. remember the day like it was it was. yesterday because. you know my mom the job that my mom. worked she. um. my mom went to work every morning at 4. am my whole life until i got to the ebay.

she went to work 4am got off at three. and you know they would always give her. a hard time you know like my mom lived a. hard life and they would have a hard. time about her production and this and. that it was always something. um. and she was just having a real tough day. that day and every day. for me growing up like when i when i got. out of school like we caught the bus you. know what i'm saying like from age we. caught the bus like me my brother all my. cousins. we caught the bus and we never went home.

all of us called the bus back to the. neighborhood to my grandparents house. and. when our parents got off work. they would all come pick us up from. there so it would be you know five. o'clock every day on school days. whatever. around five o'clock you know my mom. would be pulling up from san ramon and. then my auntie van would be pulling up. and then my auntie levada would be. pulling up and it would be about six. six cars outside just parked in front of. the house and we would all just be. outside you know it was like a summer.

day but it was like like a school day. and we would all just be you know our. parents pulling up from work to pick us. up my grandmother's finished finishing. up cooking we all about to eat and then. that was when we went home that was like. an everyday thing. so i saw all my cousins and all my aunts. and everybody every day because we all. get picked up. and they would sit outside in the car. you know chopping it up or whatever. and we would all be outside playing so. you know this day my mom was sitting in. the car by herself and my auntie van got. in the car with her.

and i could tell because monty van is. her oldest sister. her second oldest sister but her oldest. sister lived in. um in south carolina okay so. um i see my auntie van kind of like you. know talking my mom down and kind of. like being a big sister to her and i can. see i know what my mom is going through. it so i look like you know. and i see my mom kind of going through. it and that's when i when beyond the. glory remember the show beyond the glory. was like a big thing. and i'm like i just kind of went into it.

like look we don't this ain't gonna last. long like i'm gonna do this and i'm. gonna do that and this you know this is. pretty much how it's gonna go. and you know from that point on it was. like this yo beyond the glory story you. know that's right just kept saying. everybody that was out there but it was. almost a joke you know because i was. like announcing it to everybody right. and um i honestly don't think nobody out. there really believed it you know they. would like they liked the fact that i. was saying it but i don't think they. really thought like right i don't know. if i really believed it for real like.

you just trying to make mom feel better. you try to live mom spirits i would like. to do this but i don't know if this. actually gonna happen right. you go to you go to we go to weber state. what's going on you like hold on did. anybody ever go to the nba from weber. state. so i'm gonna be the first i'm i'm gonna. make history i'm gonna i'm gonna be the. guy that changed. the uh uh. the curse the pro the poverty curse. that's stricken my family that got us. living here because i know i want better.

for my mom i want better for my kids i'm. gonna be the one that break this curse. but i'm gonna have to do it from weber. state i'm not going to duke north. carolina ucla kentucky yadda yadda i. will do it from right here at that point. i was delusional. that was probably my biggest that was. probably my biggest strength is. how delusional i was at that point right. because. when i showed up on campus i literally. was like i'm gonna go to the league i.

never thought like how many people made. it from weber state or. you know if scout our scouts don't come. watch for none of that like i said that. time date at that time at that time dame. how tall are you how much do you weigh. when i got to weaver i was about 5 11. maybe 165 okay. and then i got there and. you know i realized that you know i. didn't i didn't work hard enough and you. know i didn't play hard enough i didn't. play fast enough you know i started to.

just realize like man this is a little. harder than our i thought we had our. first conditioning test and like oh i. damn near died you know like. and i was just like man like if this is. how hard it is at weber state like can i. is this really what it meant for me you. know what i'm saying like i really. questioned that after the first date of. myself yes this is hard. and um. the most important thing in that. experience was i met phil beckner who's. my trainer right now.

you know he was the person and obviously. i had you know. my aau coach another father figured to. me raymond young phil taylor. dame jones you know like all of those. dudes kind of grabbed me in high school. and they're the ones that helped me get. to that the point where i was getting. recruited because i wasn't getting. included for a long time but. when i got to weber i met phil becker. who was my trainer now and. he. he was on my ass like you're not good. enough you don't play hard enough you. don't shoot good enough your handle.

ain't tight enough you don't get enough. rest you rather be you know hanging out. you don't get in the cold tub how many. shots did you make get to like he used. to be waiting outside of all my classes. that started at nine o'clock at 8 50. like you need to be here like. he taught me what it meant to work hard. and you know everybody on campus thought. me and phil was crazy because it was. like we was working out on campus in the. arena. at a local rec center we was just all. over the place just working working. working working.

and you know i just made a jump from my. first year. to the end of my from the start of my. first year to the end of my first year i. was first team all conference as a. freshman. in my second year i stayed so between. that first and second year i stayed at. school with phil the whole summer. and we just worked out worked out worked. out the next year i was mvp. and then i got on the draft boards after. that like i was on the draft board after. my sophomore year. and he just kept pushing me it was like. nothing nothing was good enough so like.

once i got that little bit of taste i. saw my name on that mic draft and then. phil. was like blowing up adidas you know like. he was sending it like he he still. probably got it to this day a hundred. emails just sent him begging him to let. me come to. adidas nations where you know scouts. will be there maybe players play the top. college players would play and. i never forget on my birthday it was my. birthday i was in utah during the summer. july 15th and uh.

they sent the the email came back and i. got in like two dudes like it was. somebody from baylor and somebody from. kansas pulled out and i got in and i. went to chicago. and that was the first time where like i. played in front of scouts and all that. stuff and then. that was pretty much it. damn we're gonna i'm gonna get you out. here on this one when it's all said and. done. what's damn little story how how does. dame want his story written how does. dame lillard write his story.

i mean i'm writing it as i go you know. but i think when i'm done playing i want. people to look back and be like. you know not only did dame have a great. career on the floor you know he. accomplished a lot on the floor. but i want people to to look back and. and understand how much bs goes on you. know in this industry and what happens. behind the scenes versus what people get. told publicly and the narratives and all. these different things. you know i want people to remember me.

like he got it done on the court and. everything that. people said about him and everything. that he said about himself and. everything that he said he stood for. everybody we've ever talked to checked. it off and said it was it was the. realest of real and there was no. do this behind closed doors and do. something different publicly like that's. what i want people to remember me for. the quality of the. the quality of the person that i've been. able to. to be along with the quality of you know. player that i've i've become you know in.

the status and all the things that i've. accomplished in my career. i'm gonna get you out of here on this. one i need to. rush more rappers. or guys my rushmore and i need your. mount rushmore nba players. now rush more rappers i'm gonna go with. um. tupac. i'm gonna go with jay-z. i'm gonna go. tupac. jay-z.

um. lil wayne. and i'm gonna go. biggie. that's a hell of a list. okay nba players. nba players i'm gonna go. mj. lebron. kobe. and.

i'm gonna say uh magic. nice list nice list. like i really like the i really i really. like the uh uh. the uh the rap. because. i don't know how you have a mount. rushmore if tupac ain't on it. i don't care what anybody say i know. there's some great young rappers and if. you if you got them out rushmore and. tupac ain't on it i'm throwing your list. in the trash. i gotta be honest. damn i really appreciate you giving me a.

little bit of your time today i know. you're busy. heal up i need you to come back as damn. dollar because i need you letting them. go for the logo. like you did before this injury i know. you will best of luck again thanks my. man. hey man don't worry. trust me. all right. you know i got you know i got you on my. hand you hold up your head i got you on. my head. yup for sure appreciate it bro all my. life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price.

wanna slice got the roll of dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. all my life been running all my life. sacrifice plus will pay the price. wanna slice got to roll the dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life. [Music].