Damian Lillard famously hit a deep three overPaul George during the 2019playoffs .- The shot ended the OKC Thunder's playoff run, and George called it a "bad shot" after the game.
- Two years later, George admitted it was "a great shot" after the All-Star game.
Anyone still sleeping on Damian Lillard's elite long-range shooting ability received a blistering wake-up call thanks to his standout performance during Sunday night's
Even fellow All-Star Paul George - who has famously experienced the Portland Trail Blazer guard's lethal marksmanship first-hand - has finally come to appreciate
"I mean, I see this guy's range is crazy," George said after playing alongside Lillard for Team LeBron. "The ability to knock those shots down, it's not like it's a half-court heave. These are shots that are well in their range."
George was not nearly as impressed with Lillard's shooting prowess when it came at his and his teammates' expense. Dame ended the Blazers' five-game series against the
"That's a bad, bad shot," $4. "I don't care what anybody says. That's a bad shot."
It wasn't, and anyone who had ever watched Lillard play knew it. George faced plenty of blowback for the comment, but he refused to recognize his error publicly for nearly two years.
On Sunday, George watched as Dame exploded for 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc. And after Lillard iced the All-Star game with $4, George finally admitted his mistake.
"Well, I guess I was criticized for the right reason for calling Dame's shot in the playoffs a bad shot," George said. "It's a great shot. Two thumbs up."
Check out George's full answer about Lillard and the newly-defined shooting range in the
-Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) $4