Damian Lillard has had several issues with the NBA and its corresponding media in the past, thanks to being left off the NBA All-Star team this year despite putting up career numbers of 25 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds per game, and generally being left out of elite player discussions, despite consistently turning in elite performances year in and year out, highlighted by his buzzer-beating, game-winning, series-clinching shot to beat the Houston Rockets in the 2014 playoffs.
It’s become such an annoyance for Lillard that he doesn’t even have to be the person being overlooked to take issue with whoever’s doing the analyzing. Earlier today, ESPN NBA analysts Cari Champion and Chris Broussard put together lists of five players that they would select to build a team around, and Champion left former MVP and multi-season scoring champion Kevin Durant off her list. Despite Broussard’s incredulous reaction, Champion stuck to her guns, justifying her decision by saying that she doesn’t feel that Durant has as much “heart” as some of the other people on her list. Don’t believe it? Watch the clip for yourself above.
Lillard caught wind of the segment, and forget not being named on any of the lists himself, he coudn’t believe that Champion said what she said about Durant, and casually asked where ESPN finds their analysts.
This woman on ESPN didn’t put KD on top 5 players to build around because “he doesn’t have heart” lmao … Where do they find these ppl smh
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) February 22, 2016
When a Twitter user responded to Lillard saying “this woman” in his tweet, possibly insinuating that he was being sexist, Lillard clarified with the following.
I’d say “this guy on ESPN” https://t.co/EabOmHVThB — Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) February 22, 2016
NBA, and ESPN you’ve been warned. Damian Lillard is fed up.
