PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS NBA ALL STAR IN THE HOUSE

One NBA All Star is too many for the Portland Trail Blazers?

No one is listed, but Damian Lillard in the Portland Trail Blazers NBA All Star.

He wasn’t voted in, or chosen as a reserve, and it won’t matter.

The Blazers are exceeding expectations, and Lillard leads the way.

In a season ripe for tanking, Portland is nipping at the number eight spot in the playoff line up.

How is this possible for a team that lost four out of five starters from the year before?

Two words: Damian. Lillard.

If an All Star is supposed to be a game changer, he’s it.

So why isn’t he an NBA All Star?

The starting back court is Steph Your Game Up Currie and Russell Mean Mug Westbrook.

Two point guards along with Kobe Bryant, a former two playing the three.

If it weren’t for Kobe calling his last season, would he be on the team instead of Lillard? A reserve might step up to the starting job and open a spot.

The reserves are Chris Paul and James Harden. Can’t have too many guards on the West All Stars.

But still no Lillard.

Maybe it’s the Portland Trail Blazers record that did him in.

And maybe it’s the Spurs record that got former Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge in. Good for LaMarcus.

With 2/5 of San Antonio and 3/5 of the Gold State Warriors team on the Western All Stars no one will be lonely from the top teams.

But still no Lillard.

An All Star birth isn’t like a Heisman Trophy campaign. NBA players face each other all season where Heisman guys make a name based on their college schedule and conference play.

You hope they get the Heisman right each year, yet questions always remain.

One thing we know for sure here is that University of Oregon Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota was the right pick.

Lillard is an All Star in play, if not name.

Since when is that good enough for the Portland Trail Blazers?

A quick example, then I’ll wrap:

My kids were soccer players as grade schoolers and football players later.

We took a drive by the middle school one Saturday and saw a football field full of kids.

It was the local Punt, Pass, and Kick event. We stopped and signed up.

One of the dad’s was in charge of measuring distance. His kid was leading the pack in his age group.

My kid was in the same group and warmed up.

He punted further. He passed further. He kicked further.

After all the other kids finished, the adults added up the scores.

The dad in charge of measuring announced his kid the winner. My kid was disqualified because he wasn’t on the football team.

Instead of going ‘crazy parent berserk’ I asked about the math, then the rules. Did I like the answers? No.

So we left, kid and I, and talked about it on the way home.

“You beat everyone on the field today,” I said.

“Uh huh.”

“You punted, passed, and kicked further than everyone.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then you got cheated.”

“I got cheated? I’m not on the team. How did I get cheated?”

If I didn’t love my kid enough, I did now. He took the results in stride.

We were driving around and stopped to throw and kick a ball. Now we were going home and he was good with it.

I had a problem, he didn’t. To make it worse, later in the week I stopped by a trophy shop and bought him a trophy.

Did I feel like helicopter parent, over indulging parent, false enabler parent?

All of the above.

Things happen in sports you never quite understand, but have to accept. Like the 1972 Olympic basketball finals between USSR and USA.

It’s a lesson for the ages, and Damian Lillard is a player such a lesson isn’t lost on.

Now the rest of the NBA will see why he’s an All Star.