Interview: Damian Lillard Q&A with Basketball Insiders

Recently, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard took some time out of his busy summer schedule to chat with Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy about a plethora of topics. In the Q&A, Lillard hints at the Blazers' implementation of an up-tempo offense, denies having ever recruited players in free agency, and gives his reaction to all major Blazer-related occurrences this summer.

A notable segment of the interview was Lillard's confident claim that he could imagine himself retiring a Trail Blazer. He went on to express how comfortable he feels in Portland:

This is just my kind of place. After growing up where I grew up, you just want to be in a nice, peaceful place. You want to be somewhere where people respect you and somewhere that you have built something.

The two-time All-Star also addressed the increased responsibilities he will shoulder this season as the team's clear leader and number one option:

This will be my first time being in that position in the NBA. It kind of reminds me of my sophomore year in college. I played my freshman year with a lot of good players and the MVP of the league and then everybody left. A new group of guys came in and I ended up being the leader right away.

Finally, for those who have followed Lillard's entrance into the rap game and listened to his weekly new tracks, he not only confirms that a Dame DOLLA album is on the horizon, but tells us that it's already been completed.

If I do put something out, it's not something that I need to do now, it's already done. I recorded a lot stuff.