Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is one of the more entertaining players to watch on a nightly basis in the NBA. Lillard, as part of the NBA’s “This Is Why We Play” marketing campaign, is featured in a new commercial put forth by the league.
He explains the mindset behind what inspired him to “give them a show” whenever he takes the floor.
“Basketball made me happy. I could be going through anything but, for that two hours, I was able to be happy because I had that much love for the game.”
On the back of a star-level performance from Lillard, the Blazers are off to a tremendous start to the 2016-2017 season and, when the point guard is on the floor, Portland plays a highly watchable style that revolves around his deadly long-range shooting and high-end ability as a playmaker.
The former Weber State standout was doubted throughout his rise to the professional ranks, but his playing style does not reflect that. Instead, his style of play is a direct representation of the joy that he describes in the privilege that is taking the floor for an NBA game.
Lillard has earned the reputation as one of the game’s best guards, and that is no surprise given the backstory described here. On Wednesday evening, the spot above will debut during ESPN’s doubleheader of Warriors vs. Raptors and Grizzlies vs. Clippers, and the basketball world will gain just a bit of additional insight into Lillard’s motivation.