Being left off of the Western Conference All-Star team has unfortunately become a tradition for Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, whose strong numbers weren’t enough to secure him a spot on the 2017 squad.
Choosing to turn a negative into a positive, Lillard is electing to fuel his play on the court with an inner fire created by being snubbed again, and like he did during his post-game interview Friday night following a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, he’s not afraid to admit that.
“Not sub-consciously, consciously,” Lillard said when asked whether the snub is sub-consciously motivating him. “Anytime something like that happens, you gotta find the right place to put it. You can’t make yourself get too much into it, and take yourself out of what the team is doing. You’ve gotta try throw yourself into the team and be better. That’s what I gotta do. I gotta be better, and that’s the bottom line.”