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Damian Lillard expresses unconditional loyalty to his franchise, the Portland Trail Blazers in his latest freestyle verse. He appeared on 'Bars on I-95' and in his freestyle, he rapped his thoughts on staying with the team that drafted him.
Many recognize Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers as Dame D.O.L.L.A., arguably the NBA's best rapper.
'Bars On I-95", a Connecticut-based Rap and Hip-Hop platform, traveled to Portland, Oregon to have Dame D.O.L.L.A. on their show. A lot of fans loved his freestyle verse because of its incredible flow and lyricism, but certain lines stuck out. The lines in the verse go like:
"Dame Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal, trill...Me not wanting to join a super team might end up being my Achilles’ heel...Hector, I’m on my shield...Trying to get next to Freak and Dirk on that lonely hill..."
Damian Lillard mentioned "not wanting to join a super team" and called it his possible Achilles Heel. He is a generational talent who was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. It is quite easy for him to join forces with other superstars and win championships but he prides himself on staying with one team.
However, given how he called it an Achilles Heel, he might not be super thrilled about staying in Portland. The franchise didn't make a splash in the offseason and now the Trail Blazers might be heading towards another mediocre campaign.
He also included shoutouts to Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki in his verse. Nowitzki played for the Mavericks for 21 years and is universally recognized for his loyalty while Antetokoumpo is building a similar legacy.
The two all-time great players are known for bringing a championship to the franchise that drafted them and Lillard has mentioned on numerous occasions that he wants to do the same.
Damian Lillard wants to be remembered for his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard was at the center of a lot of rumors during the offseason. While he was representing the USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, chatter picked up about his time in Portland being over. The front office made no significant moves in the offseason and hastags such as "#FreeDame" and "#GetLillardHelp" started trending on social media.
Not only did they not re-sign Carmelo Anthony and Zach Collins but also signed subpar players like Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore and Tony Snell.
According to the rumors and speculations at the time, it seemed inevitable that Damian Lillard would demand a trade. However, he came from Japan and announced his decision to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers.
He posted a photo of himself on Instagram, surrounded by Portland fans at the Moda Center with the caption, "Back for more...#RipCity is my city."
Lillard mentioned his loyalty in the same freestyle verse, saying,
"Season 10 coming soon, I still don't lack the passion...They wanted me to jump ship, Rip City back in action...Not me, I can't jump around like a Pogo"
He mentioned the buzz of everyone wanting him to "jump ship" or change teams but he says "Rip City back in action."
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently 3-2 in their first five games of the 2021-22 NBA season and Damian Lillard will need to put up another MVP-calibre season for the team to make noise in the West.
Poll : Will Damian Lillard win a championship in Portland?
Yes
No
72 votes
