Damian Lillard Says He Can Be an NBA All-Star and MVP

The Rookie of the Year is basically locked up, but Damian Lillard has much loftier career goals. Lillard thinks he can eventually become an All-Star, and win the NBA’s highest individual honor. Per CSNNW: “After losing to the Utah Jazz 112-102 Monday night at EnergySolutions Arena, Damian Lillard sat at his locker stall, slouched over with a ice bag wrapped on his bruised right shoulder. You could tell he wasn’t in the mood for talking. Even after he set an NBA rookie record for most three-pointers made in a season by breaking Stephen Curry’s 166 threes made during his 2009-10 rookie campaign, Lillard still wasn’t in the mood for a conversation. His team had just dropped its fifth game in a row and they’re without their All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge who is sidelined with an right ankle sprain. The losses don’t appear to be ending anytime soon considering their tough remaining schedule. Eventually, Lillard did speak. Briefly. ‘It’s an honor to be able to do that in my first season,’ Lillard said in a way you knew he didn’t want to talk about it. ‘I wish I would have did it in a win. It’s bitter sweet.’ […] The simple fact is, Lillard wants to win and he has bigger goals he wants to accomplish rather than just setting a three-point record. He feels he can be one of the very top players this league has to offer and he’s on a mission to prove that. ‘I think I can be a first team All-NBA, I think I can be an All-Star, I think I can be an MVP,’ Lillard said. ‘That’s just my opinion. I don’t know when, but how I plan to work and how much better I want to be, I feel like anything is possible.’ […] ‘I’m not saying I deserve those things right now. That’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is that I set high standards for myself,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to come out and try to force myself to be an MVP next season, I’m going to be myself and hopefully all the hard work that I put in will get me to that point. I can get a lot better.'”