I agree it is better for the Blazers that Dame does not play on the National Team. However, there are many responses that would have been better than the one Dame gave. Here is just one idea. “It would be an honor to play for the National team. However, my team, the Blazers, will have 10 new players next season. My summer will be spent getting to know my new teammates, and preparing to lead our young team next season.” I am sure this talented group of posters can come up with a better diplomatic response than mine. Feel free to add your response idea that Dame could use in the future.
I wish he would have said, "FIBA is a silly tournament, played on a silly court with a silly ball with silly referees enforcing silly rules, and I'm not interested."
We want athletes to be honest, until their honesty offends our sensibilities. I'm fine with Dame's answer, because it's the truth, and I'm tired of diplomacy.
He's should say, "I'm sorry. I'm too busy working on DEFENSIVE Drills for the beginning of the season. Don't want to let my critics down..... For the win!
I prefer the truthful answer. Besides, I rather he prepare for the upcoming season. He already has enough on his plate as the franchise player getting ready to play with 4 new starters.
He can't say it's about Coach K because Coach K is like a hero for a lot of people (don't ask me why), so he said "why bother, i didn't make it last year"...if you think deeper about that line then you understand that he thinks he is worthy of being on the team just like he was worthy to be on that team last year, but he knows politics will piss him off again.
So you want a PR shrill to do all the players speaking? It's really not a big deal. If anyone listens to Dame talk for more than a misleading soundbite quote they know he's got a great attitude.
Kind of reminds me of how matthews use to look like a dick when media asked him baited questions. Just giving them a straight answer and spitting bait back in their face.
Then he needs to stop whining like a crack baby every time he is not picked for a team. He has a lot of shoes to sell, and won’t get it done if he keeps killing his own public image.
To me he is ---- hurt and he is sticking it to Colangelo and Team USA. It's a semi red flag. So you weren't good enough to make it last year so you're going to quit? Or you're going to be childish because they didn't take you last year? Wow. It's not a good sign. On the bright side it does allow him more time to drop some bars. And create another single or two.
He tells the truth without thought of omg is this good for my image. Its refreshing. To me this was holding back. What he meant was the selection process is bullshit as proven by selecting injured rose over healthy dame. so why waste my time and bless them with my presence now that they may need me?
"I'm so angry, Batum is going to play for Team France again! He doesn't care about the Blazers!" "I'm so angry, Lillard isn't going to play for Team USA! He's a quitter! He hates 'merica!" "I'm so angry, Olshey should have gotten 3 2nd round draft picks instead of 2! He hates hording assets!" Welcome to the off-season, where fans get angry over things that don't really matter.
If he was 'that' good, DRose wouldn't have been selected over him. Leaving him off the team should have been a message to him that "hey, I'm not good enough. I'm going to continue to work at this until I am' Not take your ball and go home.
The ironic thing is they all have impact on the team in some way. Case in point, with Batums fatigue issue last year DUE to playing for Team France. You don't think that Dame won't improve overall and help the Blazers by participating in Team USA? And I go back to Neil, his failure to not get more not only in this deal but many others has set this team back. So it does have some significance, Sly.
Well said Dog. And I suppose it's only gonna get worse in the dog days of August and early September when there's even less going on. Oh joy.....
You don't think Lillard will improve this off-season even if he doesn't play in a mini camp for Team USA? He's been working out, working on his game almost every day this off-season. His twitter feed is full of pics of him working. Even when he was in China for Adidas he still put in long hours with a trainer and coach in the gym. To assume that you know what is best for Lillard or even worse, to actually believe he doesn't want to get better is absolutely ridiculous. Dame's most disappointing season in the opinions of many people I've read on here was this past season, the season after he spent working his ass off for Team USA. Why not stop making assumptions about the guy and trust that he knows what's best for him, his career and how to improve his game in the off-season.
Wrong. The message from Team USA was "we had already selected the team before the tryout." Lillard: screw that. I've been in the same situation, myself.
