Damian Lillard Shames Summer Workout Critics with Video

NBA summer workout videos are an unmistakable trope, prevalent in the weeks between the end of Summer League and the onset of the regular season. “Added 20 pounds of muscle!” and, “Look at those handles!” and, “He’s practicing threes!!!” are to basketball analysis what the Macarena and Chicken Dance are to parties. Everybody rolls their eyes, but almost everyone participates.

Portland Trail Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard has been noticeably absent from the summer video workout furor. While teammate CJ McCollum ran with Carmelo Anthony and big men Jusuf Nurkic and Meyers Leonard showed off individual workouts, Lillard remained camera shy. This led some people (dredging the bottom of the armchair analysis barrel) to speculate he was more interested in his music career or selling shoes than getting better at basketball...a charge Lillard and his supporters vociferously denied.

Today Lillard answered his critics in the form they most craved, tweeting a workout video that cannot be missed. Here it is, straight from his Twitter account, for your enjoyment.

Expert analysis says that Lillard may not have added 20 pounds of muscle, but that’s at least 7 pounds of cape and racquet. Should help with both dunking and shot-blocking. Solid work.