Damian Lillard In Response To Philly Fans: I'm 10 Toes In Rip City
Damian Lillard was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from fans of the Philadelphia 76ers during their game on Monday. Lillard has been a long rumored trade target of the 76ers as they shop Ben Simmons.
"Honestly, it doesn't shift my focus either way," Lillard said. "During starting lineups, they were booing everybody and then they cheered when I came through. I thought that was funny. That comes with professional sports. It's fun, it's a public thing, so I'm not uptight about it or acting like I don't recognize it.
"I know what it is and I know what it's about. But I'm a Trail Blazer. I appreciate the love. I appreciate the respect that they showed and the desire or whatever but I'm 10 toes in Rip City, and I've said that time and time again and tonight I laughed about it during starting lineups but that was that."
Twice during the game, there were brief "We want Lillard!" chants.
"Yeah, I heard it," Lillard said, before adding with a smile, "I mean, it's the City of Brotherly Love, I guess. They showed the brother some love. They showed me some love, but that was it."
Lillard finished the game with 20 points and 10 assists, but shot just 7-for-20 from the field during the Portland Trail Blazers' loss to the 76ers, who were without Joel Embiid.
"I always look at struggles as an opportunity to show my true character," Lillard said.
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, Khareem Sudlow
