Evan Giddings on Damian Lillard lacking major accomplishment on resume: "One of the only guys that gets to have his cake & eat it too”

When Damian Lillard was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary team, many criticized him for making the list given his lack of an NBA title. Simply put, there were an incredibly select number of players who never won championships to make the NBA 75 team.

With players like Klay Thompson getting snubbed from the list, many questioned Lillard's spot. With players like Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson, who never won a ring, on the list, Dame's spot was heavily debated. It further added fuel to the fire regarding whether a championship is a make-or-break metric for determining a great player.

During a recent sitdown on 95.7 The Game, analysts Evan Giddings and Matt Steinmetz spoke about Lillard's status. The way Steinmetz sees things, if Lillard were to go join a championship-contending team in order to get a ring, it wouldn't mean he's a better player. According to Giddings, that isn't the case. Steinmetz kicked off the show by saying:

"Damian Lillard, according to Evan, he's the one player who gets to have his cake and eat it too. Damian Lillard, I don't know if you said the only, but one of the only players in the league, he gets to have his cake and eat it too? Please explain."

Evan Giddings responded, explaining his position by saying:

"For a player in Damian Lillard who makes $50 million a year, that has never won a title through no fault of his own ... has never played on the team that we thought should have won the title, it does seem like every single time we talk about Damian Lillard, there's only nice things to say."

You can see the conversation below beginning at the 4-hour, 19-minute mark.

Does Damian Lillard need a ring to legitimize his career?

As the two went on to debate, although Lillard has never been on a team that was projected to win a title, analysts and fans have criticized other players for far less. Considering how much Damian Lillard is making in a year, Evan believes that he deserves the same criticism players like Russell Westbrook do.

Portland Trail Blazers Media Day.

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The conversation continued to circle around Damian Lillard, while the pair went back and forth discussing the legacies of players like Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley. In the case of both men, neither has a championship title to their name, however, as Steinmetz pointed out, a lack of a championship doesn't diminish their careers.

Players like Robert Horry, who won seven championships while only scoring more than 10 points per game twice throughout his career, were discussed as well. As Steinmetz explained, although Horry has seven rings, he'd much rather have the career Charles Barkley had, despite his lack of a ring.

Steinmetz went to bat for the Weber State alum, pointing out how impressive it is that a two-star recruit has ascended to his level of greatness. Although it seems as though Giddings isn't sold on the matter, we want to hear from you.

Are championships necessary to legitimize a player's career, or are the careers of players like Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley just as impressive without titles? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

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