542 days since his last NBA game, Damian Lillard truly turned back the clock. Coming off his Achilles tear, the 9-time All-Star ended with a game-high of 25 points. Former three-time All-Star Deron Williams was quick to apologize and clarified that he never labeled Dame as "washed."
"Man, I want to apologize," Williams said on To The Baha podcast
. "Not flowers. Apologize. I want to first I'm going to give him his flower but first I want to apologize cuz this is my dog too Dame Lillard. Because what had happened was, I had said something about him not averaging 20 points a game.
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"And it was good for him, like, you know, older, you know what I mean? I'm sorry. You going to definitely average 20. Your game is timeless, my brother. You could still shoot that rock. Coming off the injury he came off of, I'm going to give you your flowers today. Also, Haliburton. Both these boys came off of two of the worst injuries you can have, missed a whole season, and came out balling."
"I didn't think Dame was washed. I just said, kind of like LeBron, where he don't have to do as much now. You go ahead and do your thing. You go ahead and average 25."
When a respected NBA voice recalibrates his take, it signals a deeper conversation about legacy and respect. Subscribe for the analysis that captures these pivotal moments in basketball.
While Damian Lillard didn't react or comment on Williams' initial remarks, the season opener against the Suns became the perfect platform to prove his doubters wrong.
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Lillard torched the defense for 25 points in just 24 minutes of play, hitting six 3-pointers and leading a 124–83 blowout victory. He repped the Portland Trail Blazers
jersey after 1,309 days and didn't miss a beat.
With a loaded team around him, Damian Lillard isn't being asked to create everything himself anymore. That's why Williams compared his situation to LeBron James'. The 41-year-old is now part of the Philadelphia 76ers, featuring Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe.
It was Maxey who led the team against the Knicks with 28 points; meanwhile, Bron had his impact with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. He didn't need to average 20, as Williams alluded to.
Apart from Edgecombe, LeBron James took fewer shots compared to other starters. Even Damian Lillard took just 12 shots in 24 minutes and still ended up with a team-high 25 points. All-Star forward Deni Avdija had 16 shots, and 22-year-old guard Scoot Henderson had 14 shots off the bench.
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Williams' assessment of Damian Lillard was not wrong either. After three preseason games, the Blazers star averaged 17.3 points in 22.7 minutes. Plus, Portland is managing his workload. Yet Dame Time exploded by going 6-for-10 beyond the arc. That's why former NBA star Williams was quick to apologize.
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