Over the weekend during a discussion of Indiana forward Paul George, Fox Sports NBA analyst Chris Broussard warned the Fresno State product who has played his entire career with the Pacers that signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, as some have reported he is wont to do if and when he becomes a free agent, might not be the best decision. Broussard's reasoning? That it's hard to make the All-Star Game in the West playing for a losing team. And his example? Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard...
"For me, it’s not about the All-Star game," said Lillard to Broussard and Mark Willard. "My thing is this: You said if he goes to the Lakers and they lose, then he’s gonna have a hard time making the All-Star game. The last four years, I haven’t been a loser, so my question is why was my name mentioned or used for that example? The production has always been there, we’ve been in the playoffs."
It ends up being a cordial conversation, with Broussard doing a little backtracking while also explaining the (very reasonable) point he was trying to make. Granted, the point didn't require using Lillard as an example, but noting that it's harder to make an All-Star roster in the West on a team with a losing record isn't really even debatable. Broussard also gets in some flattery as well by expressing his opinion that Lillard is better than Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who has made the All-Star Game the last two seasons while Lillard watched at home. From there the conversation moves on to the 2017 NBA Playoffs, during which time Lillard notes that he doesn't care which team emerges victorious.