The Dame D.O.L.L.A. lyrics are on a track called “About that Time,” with G-Eazy, P-Lo, and White Dave. There’s a theme of being on a mission and cutting dead weight.
Ay, I’m on East Oakland time
Either eat or get fed to the lions
Came from the bottom with the grind
Real town biz, I’m a problem in my prime
Lillard just turned 31. Time is of the essence and a theme. Lillard’s famous for “Dame Time,” when he obliterates opponents with big shots in crunch time, then taps his wrist.
I was shrinkin' the circle before the cake came
Now I make it do a back flip
Try to play me, probably end up with a fat lip
And you know I gotta stack chips
So you know what time it is if I tap wrist
The most certain thing in Blazerworld is that Lillard’s value is sky high around the NBA. He’s the preferred teammate of half the league, and a constant presence in trade speculation from the 76ers, Knicks, Warriors, and beyond.
Lillard’s value is so high that, in weeks past, the word from well-placed sources has been that Lillard simply would not be traded for two reasons:
- He won’t be a free agent until 2024, so he has little leverage.
- Having him on the roster helps the team valuation as Allen prepares to sell.
That math may have changed. The primary thing pushing down the team’s valuation, if sold today, is the appearance of broad disarray. Imagine being some billionaire planning to shell out a couple of billion for a sports team, and knowing the moment you did Stephen A. Smith would be on TV saying you had taken over a joke of a franchise? Billionaires can be ever-so sensitive.
Also: imagine if the team doesn’t trade Lillard, and then—like Anthony Davis in New Orleans—things become untenable. What new-to-the-NBA billionaire wants their first move to be ripping the heart out of Rip City? It’s easy to picture suitors to purchase the team asking Jody Allen to first stabilize the franchise.
