Many fans look up to Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors as an inspiration. However, even the stars that he plays against have expressed how much they admire the Warriors star. One of the All-Stars who have gone on the record and spoken highly about Curry is Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard. Recently, the All-Star guard revealed that he “chased” the success the four-time champion had during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Curry and Lillard often faced each other before the latter was teammates with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Because both stars were in the Western Conference, fans were greeted with plenty of contests between the two.
During the first episode of the show “Eye for the Game,” hosted by former NBA star Austin Rivers, Lillard talked about how he chased Curry’s success.
“I would say Steph,” Lillard said when Rivers asked him who his biggest competition is. “I’ve played more playoff series against Steph, and obviously being in the West, we played against each other all of those times. We played them in the preseason.”
“With Steph, it’s always like Steph was … He took off, and I was like, I’m chasing … I want what he has,” the Milwaukee Bucks star told Rivers. “He’s winning the championship. Everybody’s talking about what he’s doing, so like I was very competitive with Steph, especially in those years where I’m like, ‘No, I can do that too.’”
During his time in Portland, Lillard and the franchise faced Curry and the Warriors three times in the postseason. Through all the seven-game series the two teams played in, Golden State always ends up sending the Blazers home.
The first meeting between the two was in the second round of the 2016 playoffs. The Warriors sent the Blazers packing after five games. The following year, the two teams played against each other in the first round and Portland was swept.
In 2019, Lillard had his first conference finals appearance. However, they couldn’t stop the Warriors and were swept.
The Milwaukee Bucks star believes he still has enough to play until he’s 40
The Milwaukee Bucks need Lillard’s presence before the start of the playoffs. However, the star player and the organization want to be cautious and take the necessary steps as he’s been diagnosed with blood clots in his right calf. According to the Bucks, the star guard is out indefinitely.
Even with the setback, Lillard remains to be determined that he’ll return and play until he’s 40.
“I definitely don’t see myself as somebody who’s just hanging on. I know I’ll be able to play until I’m 39, 40,” the nine-time All-Star said.
Lillard finished his 13th season in the league and has not shown signs of slowing down. The only problem he’s facing is the blood clots he’s been diagnosed with.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
