NBA-CHINA/DAMIAN LILLARD NBA player Damian Lillard aiming to be 'his best self' next season

Record ID: 151889

  • Title: NBA-CHINA/DAMIAN LILLARD NBA player Damian Lillard aiming to be 'his best self' next season
  • Date: 22nd June 2015
  • Summary: SHANGHAI, CHINA (JUNE 22, 2015) (REUTERS) NBA PORTLAND BLAZERS GUARD, DAMIAN LILLARD, WALKING ONTO STAGE
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABBFJS2SEVXHZGGJKHJC3UBYKU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: NBA Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard said that he is aiming to be better as the Blazers look to improve on last season's first round play-offs defeat.
    Last season, the Blazers clinched their first Northwest Division title since 1999, but were then beaten 4-1 by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference play-offs.
    Speaking at a promotional event in Shanghai, China on Monday (June 22), the 24-year-old, 1.91-metre guard said he just wanted to be "his best self".
    "Hopefully we will have the same team. I think we will be better in that way. But you know my goals for next season is just be my best self that I could be for the team, regardless what happens. I just try to be better but I guess hopefully we will all be back together on the same team and try to improve on the season that we had this year," Lillard said.
    Lillard was impressed by the welcome he received in Shanghai and said that he thought more Chinese players would come to the NBA following on from the success of Yao Ming who played for the Houston Rockets from 2002-11.
    "Because the first thing I notice is that when I got off the plane is that there are a lot of people here are huge fans of the game. Right now, there is no Chinese players in NBA but there has been and I'm pretty sure there will be more players to come out to be in NBA," he said.
    Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft, was not the highest profile rookie entering the season but he quickly claimed the spotlight to be the unanimous selection for the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013. He has been named an NBA All-Star twice.
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