When Damian Lillard received the news that one of his new teammates had a checkered reputation, Lillard immediately took steps toward building relationship and rapport. But that wasn’t an exception he made for a difficult teammate; that’s been Lillard’s style in general.

He is the Portland Trail Blazers’ brightest star and unquestioned team leader. Lillard has made it a point to always embrace his peers and offer as much conversation and encouragement as possible.

Rodney Hood, another newer addition to the Trail Blazers roster says, “He never has an off day as far as attitude. A lot of guys in his position care about themselves first. But he is always checking up on guys … texting me after a good game, a bad game, telling me how important I am to the team. He’s a rare leader in this league. And that’s a big reason why Portland has sustained its success. He’s leading the way.” Hood’s words about Lillard are consistent with the testimonies of many other current and former teammates.

Upon receiving the news that he was being traded to the Trail Blazers, Hassan Whiteside reacted with boyish jubilance on an Instagram video. “We got shooters,” Whiteside exclaimed. “Let’s go!!”

However, Lillard knew the upcoming season would have its share of challenges, and that Whiteside would be an important piece to the Blazers’ puzzle of championship aspirations. So upon receiving the news, Lillard called Hassan.

“I said, ‘Listen, I understand you are going to get mad sometimes. I understand you are going to get frustrated with Coach. I understand that if that is who you are, that is who you are. But this you need to understand: I’m here to bring the best out of you. If we are going to win, I’m going to need you, and you are going to need me.’”

Potential Preaching Angle: No matter how much we've achieved or what our status, we all have the power to build a culture of trust through consistent encouragement.

Source: Jason Quick, “As the West gets tougher, Damian Lillard has been making his own moves behind the scenes” The Athletic (7-6-19)