As the NBA world remains on Damian Lillard trade watch, the star point guard responded to a Twitter “mishap” in which he liked a tweet suggesting that Trail Blazers governor Jody Allen should sell the team.
The tweet, which came from Portland fan Daniel Redelk said “[Trail Blazers] please sell to Phil Knight he’ll talk [Damian Lillard] into staing and doesn’t care about goin into the luxury tax. Please sell to him,,,he’ll (sic) [Seahawks] are already there please don’t let Portland suffer we’d like to see [Lillard] win a title here in Portland.”
Lillard responded to the controversy in an Instagram live on Friday night, where he said it was an error and that he has a good relationship with Allen.
“She’s been solid,” Lillard began. “Behind closed doors, regardless, and I would never disrespect Jody or anything like that so it was a real … literally a mishap. I would never do no funny s— like that or try to be funny in no way like that. As far as Jody, she’s been very solid to me in many ways that has nothing to do with the Trail Blazers or basketball. Don’t run with that at all. Jody has been very solid to me.”
@Dame_Lillard clarified that he did not mean to like the tweet stating that Jody Allen should sell the team, and states that she has been nothing but good to him, and that he would never disrespect her like that. pic.twitter.com/2dFIlKUihU
— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 ⚡️🎯 (@TwoWayDav) July 15, 2023
Lillard has been the team’s franchise player for over a decade, but requested a trade earlier this offseason due to his desire to win a championship and to not be part of a rebuild. Portland selected point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick in the draft last month, indicating that the franchise wanted to build around a young core.
Lillard would prefer to be traded to the Heat to play alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, but to date a deal has not materialized.
