Dame’s Big Day
PORTLAND, Ore. – Damian Lillard is joining some illustrious company. Thursday he was named to the All-NBA Second Team. That means he joins Clyde Drexler as the only Blazers to ever earn All-NBA honors four times.
The star point guard is now also eligible for the NBA’s Super-Max contract, meaning this summer he can sign a 4-year extension worth almost $200 million to stay in Portland.
Here’s the team’s official press release:
DAMIAN LILLARD NAMED ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM
Lillard earns All-NBA honors for fourth time
PORTLAND, Ore. (May 23, 2019) – Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been named to the All-NBA Second Team by a vote of the media, it was announced today by the NBA.
Lillard averaged 25.8 points (44.4% FG, 36.9% 3-PT, 91.2% FT), 4.6 rebounds, a career-high 6.9 assists, 1.10 steals and 35.5 minutes in 80 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2018-19, helping Portland to a 53-29 record and the third seed in the Western Conference. He finished the year ranked ninth in the NBA in points per game, tied for 11th in assists per game, third in free throw percentage, sixth in minutes per game, fourth in free throws made and sixth in three-pointers made.
With career highs of 2,067 points and 551 assists, Lillard became the first player in franchise history to record at least 2,000 points and 500 assists in a season. He was one of four players in the NBA to average at least 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists this season (Booker/Harden/James) and joined Oscar Robertson and LeBron James as the only three players in NBA history to have at least 1,500 points and 400 assists in each of their first seven NBA seasons.
Lillard was selected as an NBA All-Star for the fourth time in his career and was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week ending March 31. On March 15, Lillard (12,209 career points) moved past LaMarcus Aldridge for second place on the all-time franchise scoring list and playing in the 548th game of his career on April 7, he became the third-fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,500 career three-pointers.
This marks the fourth All-NBA honor for Lillard, who was named All-NBA First Team in 2017-18, Second Team in 2015-16 and Third Team in 2013-14. He joins Clyde Drexler as the only Portland players to be named to an All-NBA team four times. Lillard is the seventh Trail Blazer to be named All-NBA, joining Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas, Jim Paxson, Drexler, Brandon Roy and Aldridge.
