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Last week, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith vomited up a request for Damian Lillard to depart the Trail Blazers for the Knicks. On Monday, former NBA wing Jalen Rose provided a counter argument for the stars that are currently in the NBA’s smaller markets.
In the minute-long clip, Rose delivered a well-reasoned argument for reasonable basketball takes in the media and highlighted Lillard’s career accomplishments in Portland.
Here is the clip of Rose’s defense of small-market stars:
STOP TRYING TO GET PLAYERS TO LEAVE SMALL MARKETS! @JalenRose is tired of the disrespect players like Dame Lillard and Bradley Beal receive because of where they play. pic.twitter.com/6cPFL6ajfS
— Jalen & Jacoby (@JalenandJacoby) March 8, 2021
“I like that Dame stayed with the Portland Trail Blazers. Put your anchor down, like those guys have done. It’s not stopping you in endorsements. Who gets more commercials than Dame? Does anyone get more commercials than Dame? It ain’t because he is in a large market. It’s because he’s a great player.”
In the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Lillard’s 32-point outburst trailed only Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 35-point performance. So far this season, Lillard is averaging 29.8 points and 8.0 assists per game.