Damian Lillard snubs Steph Curry from NBA's 5 most skilled players list in old playoff rival's favor

Milwaukee Bucks superstar point guard Damian Lillard recently participated in a Complex poll asking NBA stars to rank the league’s top five most skilled players. While most of his list featured expected names, Lillard surprised many by snubbing two-time MVP Steph Curry in favor of his former playoff rival.

Like most of the players Complex polled, Lillard’s most skilled players list featured Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. They were followed by Irving’s co-star Luka Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, and the league’s reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

However, in between those two, Lillard gave his fourth spot to LA Clippers star wing Paul George. Notably, the two had a well-documented beef following the first round of the 2019 playoffs when Lillard’s then-Portland Trail Blazers eliminated George’s then-OKC Thunder 4-1.

Lillard famously hit a 37-foot buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close out the Thunder in Game 5, finishing with a then-playoff career-high 50 points. Afterward, George infamously made headlines by calling his game-winner a “bad shot.”

A year later, after George joined the Clippers via trade, the two continued their feud on Instagram. During their back-and-forth exchange, Lillard memorably called out the nine-time All-Star for “running from the grind.”

However, the two later made up after teaming up on Team LeBron during the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. Lillard hit a 2019 playoffs-esque deep triple to win the game for his and George’s squad. In his postgame interview, George praised the eight-time All-Star for his “crazy” range, noting that his deep 3 was a “great shot.”

Lillard was subsequently asked by a fan on X/Twitter if he saw George’s comments, to which he replied that the two “shook hands” and made up. Lillard added that he ultimately decided not to hold a grudge against his former rival because “life is short.”

Three years later, Lillard recognized the 33-year-old as one of the league’s most skilled players, further proving that their feud is a thing of the past.

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Damian Lillard snubs Steph Curry from most skilled players list despite being winless against him in playoffs

Markedly, Damian Lillard was one of the few players in Complex’s poll who didn’t name Steph Curry as one of their top five most skilled players.

Like Paul George, Lillard had playoff battles against Curry during his time with Portland. However, he fared far worse against the four-time NBA champion, going 0-10 in head-to-head playoff games.

Curry’s Golden State Warriors eliminated Lillard’s Trail Blazers during the 2016, 2017 and 2019 playoffs. That includes a 4-0 sweep in the 2019 West finals, Lillard’s lone conference finals appearance.

Nonetheless, for reasons unknown, the 33-year-old doesn’t view Curry as one of the league’s five most skilled players.

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