In this episode of The Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green interviews NBA star Damian Lillard about the perception that Lillard does not receive the respect he believes he deserves. Lillard argues that his on‑court performance—averaging around 30 points, 8 assists, high shooting percentages, and multiple 50‑plus point games—merits higher MVP consideration and All‑Star recognition, yet he feels overlooked because he is not outspoken on social media. He contrasts his low‑key public persona with the louder narratives surrounding players like Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving, suggesting that media visibility and team success (rings, star teammates) influence award narratives. Lillard also discusses how the quality of teammates and the historical context of who a player has shared the court with affect public and league perception. Throughout, the conversation remains conversational and reflective, with Lillard expressing both confidence in his work ethic and frustration at the disconnect between his statistical achievements and the respect he receives.
Chapters
What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. I thought, I think everybody thought, and you were outspoken about it in 2016, 2017 when you were snubbed for the All-Star Game both of those years.
Yeah.
And obviously you made All-Star every year since except this year due to the injury. But, and being snubbed that way, I also thought last season you should have been higher up. Like with the year that you had, you averaged 30 and 8, you shot 40% from 3. I thought you should have been higher up in the MVP conversation just based on what you were doing. And you know, when guys, when other guys get those numbers, you're talking MVP, runner-up MVP right away. Didn't quite seem like the same to you. Do you feel like you still don't get the respect that I personally think you should get or that you think you deserve in this league? And as far as what you've accomplished and how you go about your business and what you bring to the table every night?
I think I get the respect. I think people respect it. I think is, I just think that because what I do is not loud. My game is loud. Like I have 60 and 10 and 7 and we'll win a bunch of games. Like I have loud performances, but I'm not loud. I don't get on social media, say crazy shit. When stuff is happening, I don't respond crazy. Like every once in a while, if I feel challenged or somebody like pushing the line on me, like they think something, like they think something sweet, then I come back and I say something real aggressive and then it'll be like a headline. You know what I mean?
Absolutely.
But like, because I'm not outspoken about everything and I'm not loud, you know, I don't think that's really attractive. Like I don't give 'em enough of a topic, you know, for them to be like, 'cause in reality it's like, for example, last season when y'all, Who y'all lost to, the Lakers in the playing game?
We lost to the Lakers, then the Grizzlies.
Then the Grizzlies. So last year, like Steph going on this crazy run, right? Steph is going on a crazy run.
Absolutely.
Like he's going crazy. Y'all lose to the Lakers, y'all lose to Memphis, but there is a significant amount of people out there saying, "He should be MVP." You know what I'm saying? Like, and in my eyes, I'm like, "He probably should be MVP." Like, he probably should be 'cause what he's doing is that crazy with what he's playing with.
Mm-hmm.
But for me, I'm averaging 30 points, 8 assists, damn near 5 rebounds. 46% from the field, 40% from 3, 90% from the line. CJ missed 2 months, Nurk missed 2 months. Everybody done been hurt. We get to the playoffs and it's like, "Yeah, Dame's having a great season, but they the 7 seed, they the 8 seed." So like, I say that to say, bruh, that like, I get my respect, but people are gonna respect what I've done and how consistent I've done it. When I'm done playing more than they would now.
Absolutely.
And you know, it's a thing where like, if I, when you say the truth, sometimes people say you crying. Like, you know what I'm saying? When you say the truth, it don't line up with what they want it to be, you crying. Or, "Oh, he's saying this," or, "He's saying that." But like, that's just the truth, bro. Like I've, I definitely should have been up there in that MVP, bro. They like, when you weigh in, when you weigh into like everybody's situation and what you able to make happen, like for us to get into the playoffs, bro, we had to really come from behind. And I'm coming out here, I had 60 against y'all, I had 60 against Brooklyn, I had 60 against Dallas, 50 against Philly, 50 against Denver, 50 against the Lakers. Like, bro. This is the season where I'm like, player of the week, 52. I literally was averaging 52 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds for player of the week. Then the following week I averaged 47 points with 10 assists and 9 rebounds. And it's like, had that been anybody else, they would've been ready to hand them the MVP, bruh.
Like—
Absolutely. I'm just saying, like, this shit is like, So for me, bro, I've accepted my place. You know what I'm saying? Like when you ask, when you ask like a lot of college players and like young players, like, who you, you know, who you fuck with? Like they fuck with me, bro.
Absolutely.
Because they know I'm solid. I say what I mean. I mean what I say. I ain't no hater. I don't be jealous, bro. I just do what I do. But I do feel like what I do is not, is respected, is not appreciated and valued as it should be. Like, that's just what it is. That's what I see.
Do you think, and I actually agree with that 100%. I think in Steph's case, it could be a little different, but I'll ask you this question 'cause I would love to hear your opinion. Do you think for Steph, it's viewed a little differently because he already has rings as opposed to not? Because however, I think even in what you're saying, there are still other guys in this league that don't have rings, but they'll still get that nod. But I think in Steph's case, it could be a little different because he already had the rings. Do you feel that? Do you think that? Or am I a little off with that?
I mean, I don't think into it that deeply. You know what I'm saying? For me to weigh all of those things, like, I always tell people, you know, like people ask me like, you know, what about this? Like kind of like along the lines of what you saying. What about Steph? What about this person? And I'll be like, at my position, Steph is the one person that I'm like, you can say what you want. Like if you say, who's the best at this? Who's first like this? Steph is the one person that like I can accept coming behind. Because Steph came from a mid-major. Like Steph went through injuries. Steph's team struggled. Like Steph is a 2-time MVP, 3-time champion. Like I respect Steph, you know what I'm saying? Like I have no—
Absolutely.
I take nothing away from Steph. I respect it 1,000%. But like after that, like I ain't put, you know what I'm saying? Like I can't, I can't take a back seat after that. You know what I'm saying? Like in our time, and I'm not talking about numbers or none of that. I'm just talking about lining it up. You know what I'm saying? And Kyrie too. Like people don't give Kyrie enough credit because they be worried about the wrong shit. You know what I'm saying?
Like they be worried—
Absolutely. Them the ones. So like, I don't really like, I think it is, you know, certain people gonna have certain things based off of what they've done, you know, what they've accomplished. But I think you gotta, anytime you start to have these conversations, you gotta weigh in the positions that everybody's been put in. Like, look at who, look at everybody who, the teammates that everybody at the top have had.
Yeah, okay.
Who has Steph played with? Who has Draymond Green played with? Who have you played with? Who has AD played with? Who has Russ played with? Who has James played with? Who has CP played with? Like, if you look at everybody that all these guys have played with, everybody has played with each— with— everybody has played with everybody. And had a chance, and they didn't have to leave their teams for that to happen.
Yeah.
So some cases might be like, "Well, you could go and do this and go do that." But like, in many cases, nobody has had to do anything. They've been afforded these opportunities to play with the best. I have not.
