Apr 23 2020
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One year ago on this date, the greatest shot in NBA history occurred. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but it was definitely the best shot of last year’s playoffs. What’s that I hear? Is that someone…. Laughing? Oh crap, my bad Kawhi. Can I just say it was one of the best shots in playoff history and most disrespectful moments ever? That seems fair. Let’s do that.

Surely you know what I’m talking about by now. Of course you remember when Damian Lillard buried a step-back jumper from the Canadian border right in Paul George’s grill to eliminate the Thunder from the playoffs. You have to remember Dame immediately waving goodbye to the Thunder bench and the immortal meme of him staring at the camera as his teammate dog-piled on top of him.

But do you remember how the Trail Blazers erased a 15-point deficit with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter? Do you remember how that shot capped off Lillard’s career night of 50-points, 7-rebounds and 6-assists? What about Portland advancing to their first Western Conference Finals since 2000? How that shot re-shaped the entire league? Or the future of the NBA?

You see, Damian Lillard didn’t just wave goodbye to the Thunder’s season — he bid adieu to an entire era of Thunder basketball and changed the trajectory of the entire NBA.

The End of an Era in OKC

Photo by Wesley Hitt / Getty Images

Lillard’s now iconic goodbye wave began as a Hall of Fame sign of disrespect, but turned out to be an eerie sign of foreshadowing. The post-Durant era in OKC was trapped in a vicious cycle of uninspiring first-round playoff exits. Westbrook’s 2017 MVP, while incredibly sentimental in Oklahoma City, was the biggest (worst?) example of a narrative-driven award winner in modern history. (I should note that I would’ve voted for Westbrook in 2017 and still would, but Harden clearly should have won.)

Thunder GM Sam Presti realized the Thunder would never truly be in title contention with their current roster construction, so he took a page out of Masai Ujiri’s book. In separate transactions, Presti traded away both Paul George and Russell Westbrook after the season.

While the Raptors targeted a superstar, Presti had his eyes on the future. He caught the Clippers bent over a barrel in their pursuit of Kawhi Leonard and used every ounce of his leverage. The Thunder acquired George in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five future first-round picks, and two future pick-swaps, a mind-boggling, unprecedented haul. One day later, Presti traded the face of the franchise Westbrook for Chris Paul, two future first-round picks and two future pick swaps.

It’s surreal to think Westbrook would never suit up as a member of the Thunder again after Lillard’s shot. He was the last vestige of the greatest “what-if” dynasty of the 2010’s. The man who stood up for his team after Durant left in 2016. The 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player. The man who chose to stay as the bright lights of Los Angeles constantly called. The irony is that Lillard at least got to wave goodbye to Westbrook in person. Oklahoma City fans would never get that opportunity.

The Butterfly Effect

Photo from CBS Sports

Losing in such dramatic, embarrassing fashion was likely the tipping point in Presti looking to trade George and Westbrook. If that series is elongated, it’s possible Presti doesn’t engage in trade talks regarding his stars at all.

Hypothetically, let’s say Presti holds onto George and Westbrook. That dramatically changes Kawhi’s market. He is left to decide between a star-less Clippers team, a return to Toronto and a superteam with LeBron and Davis. Kawhi could’ve gone to the Clippers and asked them to trade for a different superstar, but nobody available was of George’s caliber. Bradley Beal makes the most sense, but he’s nowhere near as good as George. Is a Clippers team with Beal more attractive than running it back in Toronto or joining LeBron and AD? Probably not.

Kawhi joining the Clippers changed everything across the league. The superteam era temporarily ended because of it. If he doesn’t sign with them, the Lakers coast through the Western Conference to the Finals (barring injury) whether they sign Kawhi or he returns to Toronto.

Eastern Conference powers Boston and Philadelphia made dramatic roster changes last summer, while Milwaukee largely held steady. Does any of their plans change if Kawhi returns to Toronto? Maybe the Bucks go all-in on a third star or the Sixers try harder to bring Jimmy Butler back?

Oklahoma City holding onto Westbrook essentially strands Chris Paul in Houston. Paul and Harden seemed poised for a brutal divorce after two unsuccessful postseason bouts with the Warriors. However, Paul’s contract was nearly untradeable at the time; Westbrook’s availability was a blessing, considering his hefty contract and friendship with Harden. Houston would have to get creative and hope one of Milwaukee or Philly got desperate. (Considering the version of CP3 that balled out in OKC, both of those sound incredible in hindsight.) In all likelihood, Houston brings back Paul and it leads to a “it’s me or him” situation, which potentially leads to Harden demanding a trade.

The three biggest storylines of the NBA season are the three-team title race between the Bucks, Lakers and Clippers; the MVP race between Giannis ridiculous and LeBron’s late push; and Houston’s “microball” experiment. Two of those three, arguably all three, can all be traced back to Lillard’s shot. The ripple effects of his 37-foot splash will be felt long into the future, culminating when the Thunder select Bryce Maximus James in the 2026 NBA draft with the last of the Clippers’ draft picks.

The Blossom from Underrated to Unforgettable

Jaime Valdez/USA Today Sports

In case it wasn’t clear from any video of the shot, Trail Blazer fans are a passionate bunch. That’s how it is in small markets, especially in cities like Portland, when the Blazers are the only major sports team in town (unless I am dramatically underestimating the Timbers’ fanbase). Blazer fans are also fiercely loyal, which is good considering the franchise hasn’t had much luck in their fifty seasons.

In the late 1970’s, Portland was a budding dynasty. They won the 1977 NBA title, but Bill Walton’s injured left foot quickly plagued his career and stunted the Blazers title hopes. A few years later, the Blazers picked second in the 1983 draft. Hakeem Olajuwon went first overall, handing Michael Jordan to the Blazers, except they took Sam Bowie instead.

The Blazers somehow survived passing on Jordan. They made the Finals in 1990 and 1992, but fell to the Bad Boys Pistons and Jordan’s Bulls. (As a Bills fan, I can empathize with losing championship in the early ‘90s.) After six straight first-round exits, Portland returned to title contention in the late ’90s, right as Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers came to power.  

In 2006, the Blazers brilliantly crafted a pair of draft day trades for LaMacus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. Then, they held the number one selection in 2007 and took the can’t-miss center of a generation, Greg Oden, over a lanky wing named Kevin Durant. Oden and Roy were unquestionably gifted basketball players, but their bodies weren’t designed for NBA success. Roy’s knees gave out by 2011 and Oden didn’t even last that long.

The 2018-19 Blazers didn’t win the title or make the Finals or even win a single game in the Western Conference Finals. But their playoff run meant a helluva lot to those in Portland and their fans across the country (like myself). We shouldn’t just throw those memories out the window because they didn’t win a ring. (If you do, you’re never allowed to discuss Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” again; sorry, those are your rules.)

Yeah, Trail Blazers didn’t win the title, but here’s the thing — they were never going to. They were already a flawed team and then lost their second-best player (Jusuf Nurkić) late in the season. Realistically, the Western Conference Finals was their absolute ceiling. And they achieved it. That’s a rarity in sports.

Lillard’s shot is the seminal moment of Portland’s 2019 playoff run, obviously, and of his career. The Trail Blazers drafted Lillard sixth overall in 2012, when he was billed as an undersized, four-year guard from an irrelevant conference with minimal upside. Then, he immediately proved any doubters wrong, winning the 2013 Rookie of the Year award over #1 overall selection and generational prospect Anthony Davis. Ironically, Lillard’s first career buzzer-beater came that season against Davis’ Hornets.

In his sophomore season, Lillard earned his first All-Star nod and led the Blazers to the playoffs. That’s when he made the shot that changed his career. In Game Six, the Blazers trailed the Rockets 98-96 with 0.9 seconds — less than one second — left in the fourth quarter. Portland actually drew up the play for Aldridge, but Mo Williams told Lillard “F- the play — go get the ball“. So he did.

Lillard buried the buzzer-beating, series-clinching game-winner in his first career playoff series. That shot ended Portland’s 14-year playoff series drought. For 99.9% of NBA players, it would’ve been the shot of their lives. While Lillard admits that shot changed his career, it was just another chapter.

Lillard has since blossomed into one of the best players in the game. He’s up to five All-Star appearances and four All-NBA berths. He’ll become Portland’s franchise leading scorer within two seasons. With his series-clinching dagger against Oklahoma City, he gave one of the most unforgetable playoff runs in Portland history a defining moment and laid perhaps the final stepping stone in his path to become the greatest player in Trail Blazers history.

In an era of forming super-teams and chasing big markets, Lillard never wavered on Portland. He’s had opportunities to ask out, but every time he’s stood by the city that drafted him. Even with all the accolades Lillard’s earned and the moments he’s created, his greatest gift is his loyalty.

I don’t know which was my favorite part of the shot. Was it the shot itself, the wave goodbye? Maybe it’s the chaotic celebration or the merciless stare into the camera? The postgame press conference were pretty great, too, when George insists it was a “bad shot“, while Lillard says it was a “comfortable range“. It might be when Lillard told his friends and family “I’m getting rid of these motherfuckers tomorrow” the night before Game 5.

When a moment like Lillard’s shot happens, it deserves celebration. And when a player like Lillard is responsible, it deserves remembrance. 

Posted inBasketball Featured NBA
Tagsdamian lillard kawhi leonard los angeles clippers Oklahoma City Thunder paul george portland trail blazers russell westbrook

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