Damian Lillard Reveals Truth About ‘Personal’ Rivalry With Russell Westbrook

Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook have had very heated battles in the NBA

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, back, comes into a conversation Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, right, following the end of the game at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Oklahoma City won 123-114. Mandatory Credit: / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

For years, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook have had some of the best point guard battles in NBA history. The two players aren't in the same primes that they once were before, but those moments are ones that Damian Lillard will remember forever.

Damian Lillard was a guest on Jeff Teague's Club 520 podcast where he opened up about his personal rivalry with Russell Westbrook. According to Lillard, his battles with Westbrook were the most fun ones he had in the NBA, despite Westbrook being a bully to him.

"Honestly, them was the most fun with Russ. My first 5-6 years, he was the bully," Lillard said. "They was on T.V. all the time, Russ it didn't matter if it was a big matchup, if somebody was hurt and he was playing against the backup - he didn't care. He tried to do it to everybody."

Lillard started taking his battles with Westbrook a little bit more personally when he realized that Westbrook was going out of his way to have big games against him. From that moment on, Lillard knew there was something a little extra there.

"I just remember when I was like a rookie or second year, he used to try to give me 50 every time," Lillard said. "He would be shooting on me so much that KD would be getting mad, like, "Pass the ball!' He's shooting every time. Once I realized it was like that, that's when I started taking it personal. I know he always on go against everybody, but he really try to come get me. That was when it became personal."

Once the Portland Trail Blazers decided to rebuild the franchise around Damian Lillard, the young guard took that opportunity as a means to bite back at Russell Westbrook. That's when the art of trash talk really started occurring between the two.

"I start going back and then I start having the ball more once we did our rebuild," Lillard said. "He noticed that I was having it more, so I was being more aggressive back at him. That's when it turned into talking... Every game, it was automatic. I came to the arena knowing it's on tonight, something happening."

Despite all of the trash talking between Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook on the court, the two have no problems off the court. In fact, Lillard was very complimentary of him.

"He a cool dude, Russ is cool," Lillard said. "Off the court, we cool. But on the court, he took that approach, and ain't nobody punking me, I don't care who you is."