NBA veteran Reggie Miller recently shook up the basketball community with his take on Damian Lillard. Miller said he would put Lillard on his top 10 list.
Because he did not specify the nature of his list, many assumed he was giving Lillard a top-10 spot on the list of greatest players of all time. During a recent appearance at Run it again On the show, comedian Ian Karmel reacted to Miller’s opinion and gave his opinion on Lillard’s standing in the league.
Karmel said Dame definitely deserves a spot on the top 10 list, but the list needs to be filtered since he is not a top 10 player of all time. As a Portland Trail Blazers fan, Karmel said he would rank Dame among his top three players of all time for the franchise.
Miller’s opinion even surprised Lou Williams, who called it “hot take” and it’s not something most basketball fans would say. Karmel also spoke about Lillard’s inclusion on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He said, “We were all very excited that he was in the top 75 of all time, and I thought that was a generous and lovely thing to say about him.”
As for the top 10 list, Karmel said he would place Lillard in the list of the top 10 Oakland guys, but the all-time list seems to be a stretch. The show’s other two hosts also agreed that Miller’s list needs to be refined a bit, but either way, Lillard is a great player who could possibly end up on most people’s top 10 lists.
Damian Lillard’s inclusion in the 75th anniversary team
When the NBA released the 75th anniversary team roster, it caused quite a stir in the basketball community. Several players who couldn’t make the list were furious and others were angry because some people made the final cut. Lillard’s inclusion on the team was something that didn’t sit well with some people.
However, the eight-time All-Star showed his gratitude for being selected.
He said he understands that there have been many great players in the history of the league and to be considered eligible by the selectors to be a part of this historic event is a humbling experience. But that was just his opinion, seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry, on the other hand, was furious that Lillard was chosen to be part of that team.
Horry had a problem with Lillard and Anthony Davis making the cut. He said, “They’re just not old enough yet.” and therefore should not have been selected.
