Things are getting heated up in the NBA bubble as the season progresses. Old rivals are coming face to face and clashing on the court. Last night, the Portland Trail Blazers took on the LA Clippers, which brought Damian Lillard up against his rival Paul George.
Not only did things get intense during the game, but also off the floor far away from the NBA bubble. With the family now involved in expletive-filled rants, this feud has gone far beyond animosity on the court.
Damian Lillard's sister and Paul George's girlfriend make things personal
Damian Lillard's sister La’nae made things personal with some abusive name-calling. She called out Patrick Beverley for his mocking actions on the bench and also used several derogatory terms to describe Paul George's girlfriend Daniela Rajic, saying:
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"I’m getting personal with it. I don’t care"
Daniela Rajic hit back at La'nae Lillard on an Instagram story where she called her a cow among various other expletives. The rivalry has gone far beyond NBA basketball, with these abuses being flung around by the players' family members.
The rivalry between Damian Lillard and Paul George was clearly on display last night. Down the stretch, Lillard missed two crucial free throws with just 18.6 seconds left on the clock in a one-point game.
LA Clippers' guard Patrick Beverley was seen celebrating the missed free throws by mocking Lillard's nickname with his 'Dame Time' hand signal. Marcus Morris was enjoying the show as well. Paul George chose to wave Lillard goodbye after the Clippers won the game.
When asked about these antics, Damian Lillard seemed unfazed and reminded everyone about his previous successes against Paul George and Patrick Beverley saying:
"The reason they reacting like that is because of what they expecting from me, which is a sign of respect and it just shows what I have done at a high clip more times than not. I am not offended by it."
Paul George and Damian Lillard took things further on social media with multiple comments and stories on Instagram calling each other out on their past failures. Paul George commented that Lillard would be sent home this year. He also said that 'Dame Time' is running out.
Damian Lillard hit back by saying that he did not run away from the grind by switching teams. He also added that he would bounce back from this and we fully expect him to do so.
Damian Lillard's history with Paul George in the NBA
The rivalry between Damian Lillard and Paul George dates back to the Western Conference playoffs in the NBA last year where Damian Lillard sunk a 37-foot three-pointer over Paul George to eliminate the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Damian Lillard famously waved the Thunder goodbye with a shot that led to a complete overhaul of the Thunder franchise. The animosity between the two NBA stars has been high ever since that hard-fought series.
In light of all of these events, one thing is clear. This latest NBA rivalry is nowhere close to being done. As the situation unfolds with family members getting involved, things could get ugly before the two players call it a truce.
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