In December 2022, Damian Lillard has passed Clyde Drexler for most points By one of the Trail Blazers players of all time, from that moment on, and especially since he asked Portland to trade, Lillard has been much talked about as the best Blazers player in their franchise history. He could be said to be their best player in their history, their all-time leading goalscorer, and/or their all-time best player, but he is simply not the best player ever.
Bill Walton and Drexler both had better jobs in Portland than Lillard. Before we get into an elite bio of Walton and Drexler, let’s first pay some respects to the name Lillard. After being drafted sixth in the 2012 NBA draft from Weber State, Lillard won Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star seven times, and was selected All-NBA seven times (All-NBA first team once).
He was also named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team prior to the 2021-2022 season. Lillard leads the Blazers franchise in total points, PPG, made threes, free throws made, FT%, and player efficiency rating. So why were Walton and Drexler better than him in the black, red and gray uniform?