Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard fired back at Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who thought teammate Paul George deserved to be an All-Star. ESPN’s Nick Friedell reports:
“I respect Russ a lot, so it was kind of disappointing to see him say that,” Lillard said prior to Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “Because he’s played against me, he’s played against our team, he knows what I’ve accomplished. Not just this year, but over my career. So it was a little bit disappointing, but I know that I earned my spot this year. And that’s pretty much what it is: I earned my spot.”
Westbrook took what many believed to be a shot at Lillard on Tuesday while speaking to the media in the wake of George’s exclusion.
“Unbelievable. I think it’s just outrageous, in my opinion,” Westbrook said. “I don’t know who else made the team but got four people from one team, you’ve got guys complaining about getting snubbed until they get in, you’ve got guys just talking about it all the time. But the guys that deserve it — should be in — are not. I just don’t understand. Doesn’t make any sense.”
Lillard, who is averaging 25.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds, will be playing in his third All-Star Game.
