Portland star Damian Lillard says the rivalry on display during the 2019 NBA playoffs between himself and current Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook never reached a “dislike” level.
“I think it’s a competitive rivalry,” Lillard told Omar Raja of House of Highlights in a newly released interview.
“I respect him a lot. He respects me a lot. I was disappointed that people tried to make it a dislike-type of rivalry, because me and Russ is actually cool. I don’t have a problem with him. He don’t have a problem with me.”
Cameras captured Lillard and Westbrook taunting each other at various times throughout their first-round postseason series, which ended with Lillard hitting a 37-foot shot at the buzzer to win it.
In the immediate aftermath of that Game 5, Lillard continued to go after the eight-time NBA All-Star in his media interviews.
But within days, Lillard’s tone softened considerably, with the four-time All-Star guard explaining that they are friends off the court.
This week, in his interview with House of Highlights, Lillard expounded on the dynamic between himself and Westbrook, the league’s 2017 Most Valuable Player (MVP):
That dude is super competitive, and so am I. He ain’t friendly. He’s open with his meanness [and] louder about it. I’m not friendly, either. It’s all competitive, that’s all it is.
Now 29 years old, Lillard averaged 33.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the Blazers in the 2019 postseason series versus the Thunder. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Westbrook tallied 22.8 points, 10.6 assists, and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Now with the Rockets, Westbrook gets his first chance for revenge against Lillard when the Blazers visit Houston on Monday, Nov. 18.
