And while they do have share some similarities — both were selected with the sixth overall pick of their respective drafts out of small schools — there doesn’t seem to be much connecting the two outside of their chosen occupation.
But sometimes, basketball is enough. So despite the fact that, on the surface, it doesn’t seem like Lillard and Kaman would be likely to form much more than a casual working relationship, a somewhat unlikely friendship has formed between the two since Kaman signed as a free agent before the start of the 2014-15 season.
“I think we’ve got a really good friendship that goes beyond basketball,” said Lillard. “Like, we’ll be friends if and when he leaves the Trail Blazers. I think it’s because, him coming in, I knew he was a good basketball player but I didn’t know him as a person. And him coming in, I’m a young point guard, been on an All-Star team, so I can see that he wouldn’t know what to expect out of me as a person. I think, when he came here, I liked the person that he was more so that just having to deal with a teammate. I like the person that he was, he was cool. And I think I’m different than what he probably expected, so I think that kind of just turned into us being friends. I talk to him all the time on the bus, all the time on the plane, all the time after practice, before practice, we text. It’s constant communication, it was effortless. It just happened.”
The Trail Blazers are the fifth team that Kaman has played for, so at this point, he’s somewhat adept at getting comfortable with new teammates. That’s not to say he hasn’t had his issues finding where he fits in — he readily admits that some transitions have been rougher than others — but at this stage in his career, he’s played with enough guys with whom he’s had little in common with to know that having similar likes and dislikes isn’t really necessary when it comes to forming bonds with teammates.
“I guess I would say it doesn’t matter where you come from,” said Kaman. “We obviously have different interests all together, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with somebody because of your interests. We don’t have a common ground, we’re not going to go hangout and watch a rap video. He understands my position, I understand his position and I don’t make fun of him for it and he doesn’t make fun of me for it. But more than anything, it revolves around basketball. He’s a good person as well, is a good teammate and I think he does well with all the guys, not just myself, of treating everybody with respect.”
