NBA Daily: Why Not Both?

Damian Lillard made a great point last week.

About two weeks after releasing his third rap album, BIG D.O.L.L.A., the Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard had a message for those who believe that he’s not invested enough in improving his game during the offseason.

“Since I started putting out music and taking it seriously I have been better as a player. It’s balance,” Lillard tweeted. “I don’t broadcast my training or have pick-up game highlights that y’all love… but when the real thing comes we see who was doing what when the cameras were off!”

You’d think after what we saw from Lillard and the Blazers in the postseason — maybe, just maybe — the public would understand the true superstardom he possesses. In a career-high 16 postseason games this spring, Lillard bounced back from his worst playoff stretch in 2018 and turned into arguably the most dominant player in the league over that span.

Should a man who took the next step in his career and played his heart out to the literal end, separated ribs and all, have his passion for the game questioned because of a summer music project? The answer is an unequivocally easy one: No.

This isn’t anything new, folks. Lillard has always had two passions. In Oct. 2017 and Oct. 2015, he dropped his first couple of albums, respectively. The third came a little early this month, but this is the norm for what the All-Star does at this time of year.

Too bad that darn music distracted him from developing as a player.

See how foolish that sounds? That’s why Lillard’s tweet was perfect. There’s a balance we all need to find in our respective lives. And if we find it, there’s a chance it only makes us strive for more while finding our niche.

Just because he’s not posting videos in the gym every day doesn’t mean Lillard doesn’t take his career seriously, nor does it mean that he isn’t getting work in. What’s currently being shared on social media isn’t the end-all, be-all of what happens when the lights shine the brightest. Those who want to get better and are willing to grind for hours upon hours through workouts will likely be rewarded. Sometimes it’s private, other times it’s publicized.

There’s a multitude of options for players to stay occupied until this dead period ends and training camp begins. Plenty of them elect to run fives at a local pro-am, a training facility or even just an open gym.

A perfect example of this is The Crawsover league, a Jamal Crawford-run Seattle tradition since Doug Christie handed him the reins in 2004. There’s also the popular Rico Hines competitions at UCLA, a place from which you’ll inevitably see a lot of those viral videos coming from. In addition, Los Angeles is also the home of the Drew League, where a mixture of college and pro hoopers unite and go head-to-head in tournament play.

Seeing Ben Simmons actively work on his jump shot is nice, of course. But it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see him confidently take those in games just yet. James Harden is apparently adding a one-legged stepback to his arsenal. Devin Booker unintentionally sparked a debate of whether double teams in a pick-up setting are appropriate or not.

We can’t forget international basketball, either. Team USA had quite a few dropouts — yet they’re still full of promise, showing the player depth the nation has regarding the sport. It’s also a real indicator of how widespread and diverse the association has become — especially from a talent perspective — congratulations on a historic win last weekend, Australia!

LeBron James is up at 5 a.m. going to workouts aching to get back on the court for his 17th NBA season — but he still gets to do Taco Tuesdays. Side note: This is the longest hiatus from basketball he’s had since his rookie season, so look out, world. And as it seems, his former teammate, Kevin Love, has been spending the summer by both exploring the world and getting in the best shape of his career.

It’d be shortsighted to not mention all of the philanthropic, selfless acts many players in the league have put forth. CJ McCollum just did another kids camp in his hometown. Larry Nance Jr. continues to give back with his Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis organization. There are many foundations these players have that onlookers are unaware of, or finally just caught wind about.

In the age of sports social media, it’s easy to get caught up in that dangerous mantra of it’s-one-or-the-other. Fans are so starved to see absolute perfection that they overlook the fact that athletes are humans with interests and passions outside of their full-time occupation, just like us. These professionals should be able to enjoy the offseason however they see fit — without outrage and scrutiny — because six months of their year are essentially all work, no play. And those that do commit themselves to this game every day, including the summertime, should be commended too.

But like Dame said, it’s all about balance.

So don’t let the internet fool you the next time a video of Stephen Curry playing a round of golf in August goes viral — because he’ll still drop 50 on your head in June.