When Damian Lillard joined the Portland Trail Blazers straight out of college, he and everyone around him knew he was destined for greatness. He was unanimously awarded Rookie of the Year in the 2012–2013 season. That cemented his stellar reputation.
A decade later, he continues paving the way for his team, the Trail Blazers, with his award-winning resume. Lillard is fondly called ‘The Dame Time” by his fans because of his ability to score in clutch moments. He has gone from winning Rookie of the Year to getting six NBA All-Star and All-NBA Team selections. He blazed the trail as the first player to do so from his team. An Olympic gold medal in 2021 is also a part of his prestigious accolades. He has joined the ranks as one of the NBA legends and was named one of the National Basketball Association Top 75 Greatest Players.
Hence, with “Dame Time’s” success, he is often compared to another NBA legend who was with the Portland Trail Blazers for a long time, Clyde Drexler. Veteran NBA fans are sure to remember Clyde “the Glide” Drexler as a fantastic player who made the famous Olympic Dream Team and led his team to the finals twice.
Fans can not help but compare Lillard and Drexler because of the trajectory of their careers, albeit Drexler’s was a couple of decades ago. However, Lillard seemed to finally get out of his Clyde Drexler’s shadow in the latest game of the Trail Blazers versus the Oklahoma Thunder.
Clyde “the Glide” still had the record for the highest career point in Trail Blazer history before the game against Oklahoma City last night. But he is not fated to hold it any longer. Damian Lillard entered the game just 21 points shy from beating Drexler’s record. In the 3rd quarter of the game, he finally did it when he scored his 18,041st point.
Lillard’s former and current teammates are quick to express their congratulations. LaMarcus Aldridge was the first to take to Twitter and say, “Congrats Dame Lillard! Legacy moves.” Lillard’s family was also present to witness the historic moment. They were also posted on the Trail Blazers’ official Twitter account.
Joe Cronin, the General Manager of the Portland Trail Blazers has commended Lillard saying, “Damian’s commitment to Portland is now encapsulated with this prestigious career milestone.” He further said, “His dedication, humility, and hard work have been pillars for his path to this very moment. On behalf of the organization, we would like to congratulate Damian on this great achievement and look forward to many more.”
Damian Lillard and his fans will remember last night’s game against Oklahoma City. After last night, the comparisons between Damian Lillard and Clyde Drexler will hopefully have an ending. They might have started on the same team, yet it is pretty clear to NBA followers that they have different roads to travel. Not only that, but their careers are also decades apart.
The future looks bright for Damian Lillard. He’s on a roll and can only go forward and do so much from here.