Last night, after the Portland Trail Blazers suffered a 108-107 loss in Minnesota, Damian Lillard was heckled by fans waiting by the Blazers' team bus outside of the Target Center. One of the fans in the crowd captured video of Lillard confronting the individuals, but the footage did not include what the hecklers had said to warrant such a response from Lillard.
Despite the fact that the video only shows Lillard asking the fans, "Which one of y'all said that?," sources have told ESPN's Chris Haynes that two fans in the crowd shouted anti-gay slurs at the Blazers point guard as he was leaving the arena.
"I don't bother nobody," Lillard told ESPN. "They were straight disrespectful."
According to Haynes, a woman in the area pointed out one of the individuals who ultimately apologized, and no further action was taken against the hecklers.
Lillard was, understandably, not in the best mood to begin with after last night's loss, as the Blazers squandered a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter. Lillard had a chance to win it for Portland in the final seconds but he was unable to get a clear look at the basket, something he spoke about with reporters after the game.
"On the last play of the game, I'm trying to get open, and the guy's just hugging me from the back," Lillard said. "Literally hugging me. It's three referees out there. Somebody's got to see it. Somebody's got to see that stuff, man. It's happening the whole second half of the game. ...
"I had a chance to make the shot, but what I'm saying is it was just all night. I attack the rim as much as anybody in this league and I shoot one free throw in an entire game, and that was a technical free throw."
Lillard and the Blazers, now 16-14 on the season, will host the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow night.
