Having rubbed shoulders in the big leagues for over a decade now, LeBron James and Damian Lillard have become good friends over time. But their relationship has not always been so cordial… A few years ago, Lady D.O.L.L.A had publicly turned on the Chosen One.

If Russell Westbrook had not joined the Lakers in 2021, it would perhaps be Damian Lillard who would have been the new leader of the Purples and Golds.

Because before LeBron James lobbied for Brodie, it was the franchise player from Portland who had been considered to relieve the Los Angeles star in attack. The latter would not have been against it, very much appreciating the game of ROY 2013.

The two men have been competing on the courts for more than 11 years and over time, they have become quite close. Who would have thought that after the 2011 Finals…

At that time, Lillard was still playing in college at Weber State and was originally a big fan of the man who then played for the Heat. But after collapsing against the Mavericks in the fight for the title, he was entitled to big reprimands!

Damian Lillard furious after LeBron fiasco in 2010-11

 

I don’t feel bad for you, you weren’t really focused. I feel bad for D-Wade and MYSELF because I wanted him even more than you did. LeBron, I was one of your biggest fans. But during this series, you played like a piece of shit.

Clearly, Dame was particularly upset after the fiasco of 2011. On the other hand, he is not the only one even today…

Indeed, the failure against Dallas continues to taint LBJ’s CV, with a famous journalist even saying that it discredited him in the debate around the GOAT. Coming back to Lillard, the latter apologized to the Chosen One some time after arriving in the league. Not only for his comments on the 2011 Finals, but also for his reaction to Bron’s departure from Cleveland to Miami a year earlier:

He cooked pic.twitter.com/uWvBc1snnR

— Nathan (@jakeIayman) September 14, 2023
Did LeBron “take your talents to South Beach”? All you did was choose the spotlight and your ego. You left your talents in Cleveland haha

Between The Decision and the disappointment of his first finals with the Heat, LeBron James had attracted the wrath of a lot of budding basketball players. Some, like Damian Lillard, however, ended up joining the NBA and therefore finding themselves facing the winger, which must have given rise to somewhat awkward situations…