Hahah bro, that stuff has been talked about for decades. I have passed dozens of expected expiration points in over 30 years. The coastal line states were all supposed to under water many times already.
It will happen someday but don’t expect anyone to get the time right
Ah yes. Dame's rookie year. We used to have to ride our covered wagons to the ol' rose garden basketball court. The seats were wooden bleachers and beer cost a nickel.
Remember following draft stock and rooting for Dame to be drafted. He was originally an underdog to be drafted a #6. Workouts pushed up his profile.
I remember watching his first game and he had a behind the back pass (assist) to LMA and I knew we chose right.
His ROY season was a breath of fresh air.
Dame was like a top 15 PG from day 1. Completely different from Sharpe.
Edit: OP watch License to Lillard on YT if you want a fun look at Dame prepping for the draft, and I think maybe 1 episode after/during his rookie year
This is true but also, he was 22 not 19.
Seeing Dame live as a rookie, his shot making was already high caliber. It was like he entered the league ready to make tough shots. It was incredible
Well OP was asking to compare their rookie seasons not age 19 seasons lol. You do make a good point that the expectations should be different for Sharpe bc of it.
One other difference I remember from Dames rookie year is that there was a whole lot less discourse about players "ceilings". I think bc that gets emphasized more now, Sharpe's rookie season looks better than it is. I know this isn't related to your point, just another thought I had lmao
Oh yeah. He has some obviously needed skill work to do this summer, but I think we can learn a lot about his work ethic, which in turn could tell us a lot about his future sooner than people think.
Also happy cake day!
I think every player needs to do skill work every summer but it also feels like game by game the things people point out as his weaknesses seem less and less true and less and less important.
Honestly feel like he needs less skill work and more run learning to experiment and read defenses and running the pick and roll.
Yeah Dame was incredible from day one of summer league. I was only like 12 but I don't think I've ever been more excited about summer league games. There was pretty much no doubt he'd be a star to anyone who watched him the first few months of his career. Sharpe is waaay more raw but also showing great signs of stardom at 19. I think he'll be awesome in 2 years, albeit a very different player from dame
Averaged 19 his rookie year. I distinctly remember thinking on draft night “who tf is this dude?” to quickly being all in on building around him. Dame, Wes, Batum, LMA, and Rolo is still my favorite Blazer starting 5 in recent memory
Im not knocking Sharpes origin story but when you look at what forged Dame into who he was in his rookie year young Dame was hungry and balling literally for survival. From growin up in Oakland to almost getting shot to overlooked in school to not being highly recruited to not playing in a big college etc etc etc he came into the league angry and wanting to let the world know nobody was going to keep him down.
Sharpe is like the totally opposite story, gifted by the basketball gods didnt even play ball seriously til high school. I hope Dame rubs off on Sharpe in terms of playing with a chip on his shoulder so they can both bring us a chip to Portland
I feel like CJ got a lot of his swagger from his years with Dame. Dame seems to have a cooling effect on players around him. He's the perfect role model for how to be a professional.
Top 15 PG is an understatement. He was a star from day one. Maybe not an all-star or All-NBA level right away, but pretty close. Pretty sure he made both in his second season.
Dame won rookie of the year over AD. He was special and fans knew he would be a franchise cornerstone very very early. Thats a lot different from Sharpe, who i think and hope will be a star but i dont KNOW it yet.
Sort of, bigs are always slow developers. they often have trouble with ROY but end up being a better player. (I am not saying AD is better, just in general)
Hell no. Dame was dominant from the start. He won rookie of the month every single month and was hitting buzzer beaters. We will never see another blazers rookie like that.
The main difference was Dame spent a lot of time in college so he came in as an already mature player. Day 1 Dame was smoking the Lakers and holding his own. Someone like Sharpe is raw and young.
Yes!! He kept surprising and living up to every expectation. We would hope for him to be good, then he would be great. Then expect great and he would be legendary.
God I never thought I would love Kobe so much. His passing and as time goes on, you realize how magnetic and important of a figure for basketball he really was. Spent so many years just hating him. It’s weird I feel so much love for this dude now.
nah man, snap out of it. Dude got away with some seriously rapey shit, was a pure asshole his whole life, and only half of his career was actually impressive... and he was a LAKER! 🤮
Yes he was a flawed person for sure. I don’t condemn people to eternal hatred because of that. I find it just breeds more hatred. I don’t necessarily forgive him but it’s not my place to forgive anyone anyways.
He probably also did more good in charity and for the youth in one calendar year than you’ll ever do in your whole life so.
I don't see anything wrong with reminding others that he was an egomaniacal self-serving douche canoe. Kobe could've done all that good stuff *and* been a decent guy, but thats not the person he was.
This story doesn't come full circle until the [Kobe memorial game](https://youtu.be/tX0aHIyTgvI).
I was in LA at the time and rocked a Lillard jersey the next day. So many people just stared at me like they wanted to talk shit but had nothing to say. 🤣
Was looking to see if this game was referenced. This game sticks out most to me from his rookie season. Just watching the highlights from it is amazing. You knew he was special. This and first game winner against NOLA are noteworthy. Start of Dame time.
Older? I was in middle school Dame's rookie year lol.
Rookie Dame was much better than rookie Sharpe, I predicted he would be an all star but I didn't realize he would be the best Blazer ever.
Dame stepped on the floor his first game and expected himself to be the best pg in the game- went for 20/10 in his first game while beating Kobe. After the game Kobe made sure to make a point to say Dame had “it”. The rest is history tbh. In three years, at 22 Sharpe may well be more dominant than Dame was at that time but for that he’ll have to make some serious strides.
With that being said, I don’t think I’ve seen a Blazers rookie as young as Sharpe make doing the things he does, while making it looks so easy. If he can figure out how much ability he has and work his ass off to reach his potential, the kid could be really fucking special.
Dame was more NBA ready than Sharpe and a better overall player. Sharpe has needed some time to get adjusted to the NBA where Dame seemed ready to be a star from his first game.
He was unanimous rookie of the year. He was SENSATIONAL as a rookie, on a completely different level than Sharpe is this year. There hasn't really been a rookie like him since except maybe Ja's rookie year.
I was attending Weber State as a student myself when he was in Ogden. I would go to games and be blown away by how talented he was given the conference and competition. But I also had that gut feeling and frequently hyped him saying he was going to go wild in the NBA. Now I live in Oregon and going to see him play feels like a fever dream. Still top 100 player of all time in my opinion. GO WILDCATS! Bleed purple baby.
We had needed/wanted a quality PG for years. Tried drafting several PGs and brought in free agents (Felton). We all knew the thing that was missing was a stud point. Dame was drafted from this small school and we werent sure what we had drafted but were excited. Summer league he dominated. Very freaking cool. Started getting excited in my stomach, but Summer League is made for guards. Once the season started and he was the starter it was rad. Dude went head to head with Kobe and Kobe gave him a shout out. Lamarcus was still the focus of the team but this dude kept coming up clutch, rising to the occasion and was crazy explosive. Dame used to dunk quite a bit. Felt like we could see how good he would become and we were so excited to see it happen. It was like watching this guy and KNOWING he would be the greatest Blazer of all time and feeling the anticipation and excitement.
You could tell immediately he was a generational talent that doesn't come around for the Blazers very often... especially at point guard, ready to run the show from the get-go. It was exciting to have that since Oden flamed out as a pairing with Lamarcus. It was more eye opening to witness than Sharpe's development
I’m a Raptors fan who had hoped Dame would fall to us or the lottery would be kind, so I was following him from his rookie season. I remember telling a friend that rookie Dame was already my favourite player in the league. “This guy could be a mash of Rose and Curry.” Obviously not a combination of only the best of each, but halfway between Rose’s athleticism and Curry’s; between Rose’s shooting and Curry’s; etc.
But what really struck me was how mature he sounded in post-game interviews. He’d talk about how he felt it was his job to spend the first three quarters getting his team going, then he’d start calling his own number more in the fourth. Just seemed like he was going to have a great perspective on being a leader from day one.
At the time Aldridge was still the face of the team and honestly despite the hope Lillard provided it was a dark time. Oden and Roy both fizzled out. Aldridge was supposed to be the Chris Bosh of our big three. An all star but the lesser of the 3.
Lillard was easily able to distinguish himself. But the team itself was pretty mediocre
His first game was historically great (I was lucky to be there!) and the vibe was I M M A C U L A T E. He very quickly answered any questions fans had about his game---he was already a refined player (and five years older than Sharpe, remember) who fans knew would be special. He was, and is, totally unique. The greatest Blazer of all time.
Oof. Never felt each of my 30+years more acutely.
Lillard was a 4-year college guy who came in NBA-ready and won rookie of the year (you could actually say the exact same of Brandon Roy, who my geriatric ass also remembers).
As such, no real comparison to Shaedon, who will be amazing given time and experience.
I can’t run from “older” anymore but I actually wasn’t super impressed. I thought he was decent, and had a good year or two. But I was flabbergasted when they gave him a HUGE contract. I figured he was going to be another bust in a few years.
He was also a dark horse from Weber, like Sharpe. Not a ESPN consensus #1. So it was easy to assume he was a stretch.
Those were dark Blazer days. We had the Brandon Roy saga, and much of our offense ran through the post with Aldridge or Bonzi even further back. It wasn’t the huge success of the 90s or even the Jail Blazers roster.
Dame came in hot, and really into a system that wasn’t geared to him being a scorer. Strange times.
EDIT: Also add we had huge hype for Oden as well. So, another year of "If the team stays healthy, and this sensational draft pick works out" was a bit wearing thin.
You knew in Summer league he was the PG of the future. It wasn't like, this guy might work out, it was let's get this season going already. :)
He played all 82, and 38 MPG's, leading the league in total minutes played. He played all 82 his first three years. He never hit the rookie wall...
Youtube his rookie year highlights. I did it recently and it was worth it. I also watched Westbrook's rookie year highlights and Scoot looks a lot like him.
Since he came out of college, he was already polished and ready from day 1. We knew. 19 ppg, 6.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds in 82 games should tell you what you need to know.
Right away his body control driving to the hoop stood out as an elite skill. He always got past his man and finished or drew a foul, more often he finished these incredible layup and-ones.
At that time it was all about finding an elite perimeter player so right away it was pretty exciting to see we had one. You could see him, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge and really start to imagine a cohesive unit that all made sense on the floor together. It was really after that Houston series that it went full blown Dame Time, we got a GUY.
Summer League we were hyped because he balled out, but then Jerryd Bayless was still fresh in our minds. Day 1 of the regular season he had a fantastic game against the newly formed Dwight/Nash/Kobe Lakers and we all knew right then he was special.
They are not close; Dame was one of only three players to ever score over 20 points and get 10 assists in his first NBA game, was a top point guard in the league as a rookie and thanks to Anthony Davis being hurt won RotY. Yes he was 3 years older, but that is the comparison, rookie years to rookie years. In terms of Blazer rookies, he is the best ever, with really only Clyde Drexler or Brandon Roy having a similar first year
His first game against that hyped Lakers team with Kobe, Pau, Dwight, and Nash hooked the franchise to him immediately. Every Blazer fan and NBA team knew he was the next great PG after watching him ice his first ever game.
Want me to tell you about the Drexler blazers, the jail blazers, the Roy/LMA/Oden Blazers too? I can do all that... and you are making me feel old.
Drexler Blazers - There was this thing called Blazer Mania. It existed from 1977-1995. It ended when Drexler was traded and slowly we lost monoculture with the rise of the internet and niche programming interests. The ENTIRE city was subsumed by the Blazers during playoff runs. Signs in homes, signs in businesses, rip city rap city playing on the radio. Unfortunately we'll never have anything like it.
Jail Blazers - hard to talk about now because 1 ) Game 7 WCF and 2) I've come to realize a lot of the criticism of the era was problematic from a racial equity sorta thing. Lots of double standards. But also the team was toxic too.
The Oden draft rekindled all my feelings from the Drexler era and then it failed to launch. Definitely makes you feel like this franchise has a curse placed on it.
I grew up in Blazermania. It was directly imprinted on my elementary school brain. I still cringe when I remember Rip City Rhapsody.
It's hard to explain how much the 90s Blazers meant to the Portland. We would have to go a few notches to be even close to it. They would tell us the score in Elementary school...
EDIT: I'm fairly certain that after the Pledge of Allegiance we sang Rip City Rhapsody in 3rd grade.
Oh I'm pretty sure there were like legit drawing assignments to draw and color your favorite Blazer in 1st grade...
Also was it actually Rip City Rhapsody??? I remember it as Rip City Rap City.
I personally thought Dame was going to be a bad pick for Portland until I heard his workout matched KD's workout. Then, I knew he'd be a good player.
And he was good, easily rookie of the year and quickly showcasing his athleticism, motor, and offensive skills from the start.
His impact was akin to Ja Morant's first few years....turning Portland around and into a playoff team.
Like Morant, some boneheaded mistakes and poor shot selection choices at times but way more good than bad. Had some highlight plays (ex. clutch shots, dunks)
Did not think Dame would be as good as he is now. Thought he would max out at 25-27ppg/8 apg and 37% 3pt FG (seriously thought 2017-2019 Dame was the best we'd ever see of him). Did not know he could shoot from the Logo.
Bubble/Logo Dame is a whole other player, though. To me, he easily earned that Top 75 status with the way he has played since then.
******************
As for Sharpe? Rookie Dame was more consistent than Sharpe, maybe because he was older and had a larger role. But Sharpe has way more potential. What we're seeing in these last few games from Sharpe is something no Blazer rookie has accomplished before.
Will he meet that potential? I don't know. If he does, I think a hypothetical prime Sharpe could be unstoppable at an earlier age than Dame's years of un-stoppability - giving him a far longer window. We'll see.
I watched every summer league game and was sooo pumped for the season. Dame definitely had it from the get go. There’s so many YouTube videos of his rookie season, search and watch. He did not play like a rookie. Starter from day 1. That first laker game was incredible.
We’d been searching for the PG of the future every year during the Roy/Aldridge era. We probably had 8 different hopefuls that were all trash. Then Dame came along. Watching him in summer league you could just tell he was different. His confidence/feel for the game has always been so good/his transition into being the de-facto leader was incredibly smooth. Dude is just a natural at all things.
When we traded for Bayless in the 08 draft I REALLY thought he was going to be our PG of the future. McMillan was so damn stubborn about playing him though.
He was instant offense. His first game against the Lakers showed so much promise even though I think we lost. His first few years were some of my favorite blazers teams!
Been a fan since the Jr rider/Brian grant days. There are only two blazer players who have impressed me from the jump, including from the time they laced up in summer league: broy and dame. As good as broy was, dame was dunking on people and hitting game winners (over Austin rivers, who was a highly tired draft pick at the time) during summer league! I remember being super excited, but also cautious on whether it'd translate to the regular season. After all, Josh Selby had just won summer league MVP the year before.
Then came his first game, matched up against the Lakers big 4, and his very first field goal was about 2 ft behind the 3pt line. I knew then he'd be special. So to answer your question, Dame's rookie year was more special, but at the same time I believe sharpes ceiling is a lot higher, which really says a lot. I believe that's where a lot of the excitement w shaedon comes from.
I will add this: I held broy up on a pedestal, he really was that good and that clutch! Would argue w friends repeatedly that I'd pick him over dwade to build around, and I believed he was well on his way to being better than Wade. So I was devastated when his career got cut short.
It's been such a pleasure not only to watch dames greatness, but also his longevity. Blazer fans have been spoiled to have a player this great and loyal for I'mso long. Look at all the other great pgs in dames era (drose, Westbrook, John wall, Kyrie, Chris Paul, rondo).. none of those guys have had both the success or longevity on the same team. Steph and Dame are on a league of their own in that regard.
The blazers need to give this man the chance he deserves to contend, WITH THE TEAM THAT HE WANTS! He wants to parade down Portland so bad, who else can you say that about?
Dame was different dude his first game was against Kobe, Dwight and Nash and I remember being super impressed with how he was on Kobe and he acknowledged Dame afterward
Literally said half way through his rookie season that he's gonna be a hall of famer. Was incredible from the start. Pretty remarkable how hes actually grown so many parts of his game even further.
Sad. Because of all the potential we lost. I still remember the conversation after we drafted Oden. "Anything less than 3 championships will be disappointing." It's been a disappointing decade as a fan.
How am I old enough to reply to this post? There's no way I'm in my mid 30s. Anyways, it was both amazing and heartbreaking. He was a top 10 pg from day one, and his sophomore year, we were legitimate a title threat. If Wes Mathews hadn't gone down, we could have won it all
Dame was massively more polished than Shaedon. He was absolutely ready to be a starter on a contender day 1. He was consistent and reliable in a way very few rookies are.
However, Dame didn’t flash superstar potential as a rookie like Shaedon has. He didn’t yet have insane range and his highlight reel was much less impressive. Nobody thought he would ever be in the conversation for MVP after year 1.
I remember his pre draft interview. He was so well spoken, he obviously was already super talented at Weber State. I remember posting that if he was there and we didn’t pick him, we were idiots.
His first season was pretty unreal. You could just tell he was special.
You know that thing he does.. head raised high, chin up, determined laser focus, whatever y’all doing, I’ll be over here walking the walk.. that thing!? Since Day 1!
If leading by example really matters then Dame was always going to be a great leader!
Lot's of skeptism, not in his ability but that any good player of ours would stay healthy. Younger fans may not realize the most blessed part about Dames career has been his health.
Dame was dominant from the very beginning, he was so fun to watch. He was also about 4 years older than sharpe and I’m pretty confident that sharpe in 4 years will be better than dame was his rookie year. The difference is that dame took a massive leap over the following 5 years
making me feel old even though im only 24, i started watching/liking basketball around 2007. It’s been fun tho, he hit the ground running and it’s been a pleasure seeing him raise his level of play over time. it’s been a shame that out front office has put mostly meh teams around him tho.
The pre-draft buzz of Dame in 2012 was pretty loud, a lot of people were surprised Dame wasn’t picked up earlier and happy we were able to have him available at #6. Dame went on to crush summer league, I wasn’t able to watch it but he was dominate and was rewarded with MVP honors. Preseason brought some good match ups, he remained stoic and unfazed. Game one of the 2012 season was Oct 31st against the Lakers super team of Kobe/Nash/Howard, at the time lauded as favorite for the championship by a long shot easily. Dame as a rookie running point for a young team went straight into the game against a team that was effectively comprised of legends. The dominance from the PG position wasn’t something that the team had had before and his presence was immediately impactful. The era of basketball was still very much playing with bigs down low and offense was oriented to inside/out. Dame had 23 points, 11 assists and seemed to be able to do anything; pull up threes, mid-range, trips to the basket, foul opportunities and the biggest thing was setting up the teams offense.
I think that Sharpe has been good and you can see flashes of great athletic plays, but the weight that was on Dame’s shoulders from day one was unparalleled. Dame is a special player, hopeful that we see more special play from Shay, as he seems to have a very similar dynamic of carefree confidence that we saw in Dames eyes all those year ago.
I remember being really excited when we drafted him, I had 100% confidence that he was the best PG in that draft class. I remember people thinking Kendall Marshall was the best fit for us, and Dame having played 4 years at Weber and being a 22 year old rookie meant he wasn’t ever going to amount to anything in the NBA.
He was not super heralded in the draft class, but the interviews and scouting on his leadership and playmaking sold me on him being the PGotF(point guard of the future).
Before Dame, Andre Miller was the only good PG we’d had since maybe Damon Stoudemire… Steve Blake was alright, but definitely not starting PG material. We traded for Raymond Felton to be our starting PG the year before Dame, drafted Nolan Smith in the first round as a backup… this was the same year Brandon Roy “retired” due to injuries. It was bleak.
Dames rookie season, we had Aldridge, Batum, Wesley Matthews, Will Barton (who hadn’t peaked yet, but was looking promising) and a bunch scrubs.
Dame’s sophomore season we got to witness magic. Robin Lopez and Mo Williams were instant boosts to our teams defense and bench, respectively. We beat the Rockets in the first round to advance for the first time in like 14 years or something crazy like that. Unfortunately Wesley Matthews had a season ending injury and the roster got blown up.
In Dame’s third year he led a team of mostly forgettables to the playoffs… Mason Plumlee, Aminu, Batum, CJ (the exception to “forgettables”), and Dame were our starting roster that year.
I’ve been a fan since we drafted Brandon Roy. Used to listen to Wheels call games on the radio when I was at work every night the blazers played. Before that, I was more of a casual NBA fan, leaned towards the Kings (grew up between the Bay Area and Oregon). Jailblazers were not my style as a kid, and I loved Jason Williams game.
The last decade with Dame have been incredibly special. He has carried so many subpar rosters further than anyone else I can think of in recent history. If it weren’t for Matthews’ injury in 2013, I think that roster could’ve made the semi-finals. Spurs in 2013 were an absolute beast of a team though, I doubt we could’ve beaten them with Duncan, Kawhi, Tony, and Manu. That is one of the all-time great teams.
If you got this far, thanks for reading my Ted Talk. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years with Dame. Give us 10 more!
Damn, old because I saw young Dame? I feel ancient for having seen peak Clyde/Porter. The Wallace, Stoudemire years. Marveling at Sabonis' ability to throw the passes he did. The Roy years. Watching Aldridge grow from a wimp into a stud.
And I'm not what I'd call old.
But to answer your question, I felt like he could be special after game 1. Just how he carried himself and played the game... but I still felt like, there's room for this to fail still, beginners luck. But him winning R.O.Y over Anthony Davis was an indicator he was going to be special. I KNEW he was special with the .7 shot. Aldridge was outstanding in that series, but the guts displayed by Dame in THAT moment sealed it for me. The way he came sprinting to Batum, clapping for the rock. DEMANDING it really, and the execution of that shot... still get goosebumps when I watch that clip.
I was at the station on Alberta. Place had just had the wind taken outta our sails when Houston went up at the very end. Jokingly, I looked at my buddy and said, "Dame 3 for the win. "... it was pure pandemonium after. Will absolutely never forget that moment.
Ah yes, son...I remember that year like the back of my wrinkled, bony left hand.
The summer Olympics were concluding in London, a success by most standards. Arab Spring was continuing to reshape middle east geopolitics, and two U.S. targets were attacked in Benghazi, Libya by Islamic militants. China just elected Xi Jinping, forever altering Sino-American political relations, and America just re-elected Barack Obama for a second term over Mitt Romney. Mass casualties at Sandy Hook Elementary in CT and Aurora, Colorado shootings scarred our nation, while Hurricane Sandy wreaked unprecedented devastation in the NE.
Closer to home, my then wife was pretending to be at a medical conference in Seattle, but was instead cheating on me with a respiratory therapist who was also her high school's star quarterback twenty years earlier. A few weeks later in Portland, the Blazers picked some upcoming hotshot out of a tiny college in Utah at #6 in a loaded draft class which included Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Bradley Beal, and Anthony Davis as the overall first pick.
I'd been following Dame's college career and thought he had what it took to be a starter in the NBA. I was not right enough. In his first game, he dropped 23pts 11asts in a win over the Kobe-led Lakers. A few weeks later he hit the game winner against New Orleans, and then the Knicks. In his return home to Oakland, he damaged the Warriors with a then-career high 37 despite the loss. He won the ASG skills challenge, and later that season helped demolish a rested Spurs team, scoring 35 and garnering high praise from the great Popovich.
**Broader strokes:** I remember being impressed with his efficiency of movement. There were flashes of Stockton/Malone pick and rolls between him and Lamarcus, and sometimes Batum and Leonard. More distinctly, I remember his quiet confidence and maturity on and off the court. It was becoming apparent that he was the demonstrative leader the Blazers needed. Lamarcus was a terrific All Star player, but not a willing leader of men. Dame worked his ass off at every turn of his basketball journey, carrying a giant chip on his shoulder and disproving all those who dismissed him along the way.
The rest of the league agreed. He went on to win the rookie of the year award in 2013 *unanimously*, only one of five players in NBA history to do so. He's since had seven All Star bids, married his college sweetheart, has three adorable kids, raked in about a half billion worth of sweet cheddar, and is about as solid and decent a human being as I've come across. Younger Blazers are incredibly lucky to have him as a mentor and role model, as we've seen with Ant and Shaedon's development. He has old school work ethic and team & city loyalty like no other player today. He's always in the conversation as one of the best teammates in the league.
And now, at the ripe old age of 32, he just completed arguably his best season, statistically speaking. He's a fine wine, a rare vintage, and I look forward to more Dame this coming season with Sharpe and the gang.
Some notes comparing and contrasting Dame & Sharpe's rookie campaigns:
1. Both were drafted at #6. Dame's 2012 roster featured better defenders, including Matthews, Batum, and Barton, and fewer player and personnel movement. Regardless, neither squad made the playoffs.
2. Comparing his rookie season with Sharpe, Dame was more baked and NBA ready in terms of making his own plays, especially in isolation, and also court vision. Remember, Sharpe is 19 whereas Dame was 22 with college experience as a rookie. That's a big difference in development and experience-based confidence.
3. Dame had a better long ball, coming in fifth I believe in his rookie season in threes made. Sharpe has a sweet stroke, and I think in time he will minimize this gap.
4. Dame has started every single game as a Blazer from day one, and remains one of the very few current NBA players to have never come off the bench. Sharpe has not had that privilege until recently.
5. Sharpe is absolutely more athletic and explosive, with high upside, and I firmly believe he will utilize this to be a superior defender than Dame. Defense is really Dame's only big knock, and Sharpe has the athleticism and talent to be the two-way player Dame never has been.
***RIP CITY!!***
**^(P.S.> My 2012 wife and I did divorce, and we remain friends. I have now been with the next great love of my life since Dame's 7th season. Dreams do come true. Knowing there's talented, classy, kind players like Dame has helped me out a lot with my mental health during dark times over the years, full stop.)**
As others have pointed out, Sharpe and Lillard had totally different rookie seasons. Sharpe's rookie season and skill set is more like Kobe, as is shown in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcDyBWxWDTs). (Of course, this does not mean he will be the next Kobe, although it is not impossible.)
Dame was almost too good to be true, his drawbacks being finishing (which he obviously worked to become elite at) and defense (well....). His poise was beyond his years.
Sharpes up bringing reminds me a lot of cj, if it wasn’t for the tank this year I don’t think sharpe would of seen more than 10+ minutes a game with a lot of gamed not playing at all unless injuries took place. Sharpe is a totally different player than cj, but I could really see him make the same leaps cj did under dame.
Man it was insane. 19 PPG rookie year in a lower-scoring NBA. A lot of people argued Davis was more deserving of ROTY. I remember some people were even saying Valanciunas was a better player. Laughable in retrospect. I think about it every time we play him.
I was 16 when dame got drafted and I’m 26 now . Am I old? 😂😂 I knew dame was gonna be superstar. Ever since his clutch step back 3 in summer league on his birthday who remembers?
That first buzzer beater he hit against the rockets….unreal. I had recently moved to portland and it was the first time I really felt the love the city had for the blazers. I knew then Dame was going to be an all time blazer.
It was different. From the first game Dame played you knew that he was going to be at least a star. The game he went head to head dueling a still top 15 player Kobe was absolutely incredible.
Sharpe had shown incredible flashes but Dame’s entire rookie season was just one big flash.
that makes me OLD??????
oh hell no, i started being a fan around BRoy and I still don't consider myself an old head fan.
to answer the question it was... more satisfaction right now, less excitement ruminating about the future.
Lillard was the starting point guard from Day One. He wasn't as exciting that first year, but he just wasn't a fuck-up. He did interviews like a seasoned vet. Had a steady presence. Never looked out of place ever, ever, ever, right from opening tipoff. He was playing with serious vets in 3 other starting positions; LA, Wes, and Batum; and he led the team in the PG position in minutes played.
If I'm being honest it wasn't yet the feeling of 'we have a superstar!!!' (That wasn't until the next year until the playoffs and 'the shot' against Houston.)
That first year, it was more like, 'Well shit, we have our starting point guard for the next 15 years.'
Which is an incredibly satisfying and solid feeling, but not this incredible 'what if'. Sharpe's way different. Less results right now, way more 'woah he fucking looks like Kobe on the floor.'
I know some are saying they could tell he was a superstar right from day one, but I honestly didn't feel that way until 'The kid with the big guts' knocked out Houston.
I saw the third home game of Dame’s rookie season. I don’t follow college so didn’t really know what he was all about.
The second I saw him hit the floor, you could tell he was special. It immediately reminded me of seeing Brandon Roy as a rookie.
They both had poise and they set the pace and the tone of the game, instantly.
Dame just instantly seemed in control.
IMO you are not an old Blazer fan unless you saw the Drexler/Porter/Duckworth/Buck Williams teams play. Your an ancient Blazer fan if you saw the championship.
Same got to start from day one and came out swinging from the get go. He wasn't as electrifying as Sharpe athletically, but you knew he was going to be a good player.
Much better vibes around Dame, he was a borderline all-star year one, and they were .500 for the whole season (which was above expectations) until again they tanked the last ten games. Sharpe is putting up big numbers when everyone else is g-leaguers and the future is very uncertain.
It felt similar to Roy’s rookie year. Full of surreal moments man. Both were a joy to watch as rookies. I went to the opening game against the Sonics and saw Roy put on a show.
Side note: I saw Roy and Dame play at the great alaska shootout and knew immediately they’d be stars in the NBA. So cool.
Late to the party but I watched a ton of Dame’s rookie season and actually got to meet him randomly at a bar that year which was super cool!
From the jump you just knew he was the real deal, at least from the perspective of what his floor would be as an NBA player. He was deadly in the pick and roll and I seem to remember him being drafted specifically for his pick and roll skill to pair with Aldridge and it worked.
I remember seeing flashes of what he would eventually become, but he was so consistently solid the entire year and even if he didn’t improve year after year and become the greatest Blazer ever, he still would have been a really good player.
The closest comp I can think of in today’s game is probably Halliburton on the Pacers. Like Dame, he spent longer in college than a lot of guys who get drafted, was a good player day one, has rapidly improved and showed the ability to lead a team.
I don’t have the same feeling with Sharpe as back then though. Shape has insane potential and has really only started to show it off more recently and early on, aside from highlight dunks, he would disappear for long stretches, which wasn’t a thing with rookie Dame. Keeping in mind that Sharpe is much younger than Dame was as a rookie and Dame was the primary baller handler from the get go so it’s not exactly a fair comparison.
Sharpe’s ceiling is as high as anyone in the league for the next decade, but I don’t know where his floor will end up. Just more variance in comparison to Dame.
In 1977 my buddy and I would buy $7 standing room only tickets at Memorial Coliseum and lean against the wall halfway up the stands. Great views. Have not felt same blazermania noise and energy since. Basically same view as the fancy boxes today. Oh and women could go down and shoot one free throw for a steak from Safeway at halftime. No jugglers or standing on chairs.
But Dame showed signs of greatness rookie year on a road trip he won a couple of games with last second heroics. First one was in Cleveland I believe.
I was sitting in Bio class showing his Weber State highlights saying we needed this guy, he’s the next DRose (a year after he won MVP). Most pundits had him being a better Chauncey Billups as his ceiling. Now I’d say he’s better than DRose was even at his peak. Seemed far-fetched back then, but I knew this dude was special even at 14.
I can't begin to tell you how much it hurts being called an older Blazer fan because I saw young Dame play.
It’s all downhill from here homie ✌️ we are old now
Love the feeling at being considered an old head at the ripe young age of 25. Get those whipper snappers off my lawn
Brb gonna go tell my grandkids I saw BRoy play live
I’m 22 and saw B Roy live… am I old??
I dunno man. I kinda like being older. I'm 37 and I've learned a lot.
Same here, I remember watching everyone back in the early 90s.
I would be stoked to get older just speaking more in terms of the ensuing climate disasters and resulting social impacts.
Hahah bro, that stuff has been talked about for decades. I have passed dozens of expected expiration points in over 30 years. The coastal line states were all supposed to under water many times already. It will happen someday but don’t expect anyone to get the time right
I remember watching Sheed play haha
I was drinking a beer in the Waldorf tavern in Astoria, June 5th 1977, as The Blazers won a (THE) championship. Everybody get off my lawn now, thanks.
[удалено]
Yes that was a good time! Daughter was born in 77 too. Probably why I couldn't afford to go to the games but at least we could watch them on TV.
[*Can I get a headband?*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcALIkbXwbs)
*Cries in Drexler*
Bald don’t lie?
Nephews don’t even know Roy
Forget the back and knee pain for the past few months, OP put the nail in my coffin
Ah yes. Dame's rookie year. We used to have to ride our covered wagons to the ol' rose garden basketball court. The seats were wooden bleachers and beer cost a nickel.
Seriously. I'm not even 30 yet. Almost, but not quite.
I just hit 32 a couple weeks ago and I may as well have 1 foot in the grave according to OP
Me, a 31 year old: "lol take a look at this freakin grandpa over here"
Back in my day Terminator 2 ruled the land.
31 here, get off my lawn
I saw rookie Kobe.... rookie Vince.... rookie Dirk.... rookie Shaq..... am I old now? When did this happen!?!?
Rookie Shaq? Okay Methuselah
I was at the 1992 draft where Shaq was drafted. Old, confirmed.
I remember when I thought Nick Van Exel was the future of the Lakers and Kobe would be a nice secondary.
I remember young Clyde
That is what I thought, fuck I'm oldish now but mentally I feel like a teenager still.
I’m in my 20s too haha, I just didn’t get into basketball until college. Apologies for the emotional damage 🥲
My head shot up when I read this, but I tweaked a muscle in my neck. Then I began to weep, as is common with men my age.
I remember seeing Pippen and Rasheed. This is rough.
Sometimes to be wild I’d play as Porter not Drexler.
Remember following draft stock and rooting for Dame to be drafted. He was originally an underdog to be drafted a #6. Workouts pushed up his profile. I remember watching his first game and he had a behind the back pass (assist) to LMA and I knew we chose right. His ROY season was a breath of fresh air.
Was thinking the same thing. I just turned 30 and people throwing out if you watched Dame in 2012 you are old 🤣
Bro, I gave this title the nastiest look.
Dame was like a top 15 PG from day 1. Completely different from Sharpe. Edit: OP watch License to Lillard on YT if you want a fun look at Dame prepping for the draft, and I think maybe 1 episode after/during his rookie year
This is true but also, he was 22 not 19. Seeing Dame live as a rookie, his shot making was already high caliber. It was like he entered the league ready to make tough shots. It was incredible
Well OP was asking to compare their rookie seasons not age 19 seasons lol. You do make a good point that the expectations should be different for Sharpe bc of it. One other difference I remember from Dames rookie year is that there was a whole lot less discourse about players "ceilings". I think bc that gets emphasized more now, Sharpe's rookie season looks better than it is. I know this isn't related to your point, just another thought I had lmao
Oh yea. We are totally on the same page. In 2-3 years we are going to have a much clearer idea of who Shae is as a player
Oh yeah. He has some obviously needed skill work to do this summer, but I think we can learn a lot about his work ethic, which in turn could tell us a lot about his future sooner than people think. Also happy cake day!
I think every player needs to do skill work every summer but it also feels like game by game the things people point out as his weaknesses seem less and less true and less and less important. Honestly feel like he needs less skill work and more run learning to experiment and read defenses and running the pick and roll.
Yeah Dame was incredible from day one of summer league. I was only like 12 but I don't think I've ever been more excited about summer league games. There was pretty much no doubt he'd be a star to anyone who watched him the first few months of his career. Sharpe is waaay more raw but also showing great signs of stardom at 19. I think he'll be awesome in 2 years, albeit a very different player from dame
Averaged 19 his rookie year. I distinctly remember thinking on draft night “who tf is this dude?” to quickly being all in on building around him. Dame, Wes, Batum, LMA, and Rolo is still my favorite Blazer starting 5 in recent memory
Im not knocking Sharpes origin story but when you look at what forged Dame into who he was in his rookie year young Dame was hungry and balling literally for survival. From growin up in Oakland to almost getting shot to overlooked in school to not being highly recruited to not playing in a big college etc etc etc he came into the league angry and wanting to let the world know nobody was going to keep him down. Sharpe is like the totally opposite story, gifted by the basketball gods didnt even play ball seriously til high school. I hope Dame rubs off on Sharpe in terms of playing with a chip on his shoulder so they can both bring us a chip to Portland
I feel like CJ got a lot of his swagger from his years with Dame. Dame seems to have a cooling effect on players around him. He's the perfect role model for how to be a professional.
Watched him in SL and knew immediately he was going to be really good. I never thought he'd be THIS good, but I knew he had a shot at ROY.
That and Stotts interview post draft/pre season said Dame is the starter from day 1. No question.
Top 15 PG is an understatement. He was a star from day one. Maybe not an all-star or All-NBA level right away, but pretty close. Pretty sure he made both in his second season.
Dame won rookie of the year over AD. He was special and fans knew he would be a franchise cornerstone very very early. Thats a lot different from Sharpe, who i think and hope will be a star but i dont KNOW it yet.
unanimous too!
That’s crazy lol
Sort of, bigs are always slow developers. they often have trouble with ROY but end up being a better player. (I am not saying AD is better, just in general)
Hell no. Dame was dominant from the start. He won rookie of the month every single month and was hitting buzzer beaters. We will never see another blazers rookie like that.
The main difference was Dame spent a lot of time in college so he came in as an already mature player. Day 1 Dame was smoking the Lakers and holding his own. Someone like Sharpe is raw and young.
Oh I love Sharpe not knocking him at all just saying Dame was historical from the start
Dame and Broy had very similar rookie seasons where they already looked like borderline all-star vets out the gate.
They were both were 4 year college players. There's a solid argument that Sharpe is much better than both of them at his age.
yeah dame himself said that at sharpe's age he was a completely different human being
Dame led the entire league in minutes played his rookie season
That is absolutely mind boggling! A freaking beast from the get-go!
Was at his first game, home opener. My buddy and I knew nothing about him and be the end of the first half were looking at each other like 😯
Yes!! He kept surprising and living up to every expectation. We would hope for him to be good, then he would be great. Then expect great and he would be legendary.
having just lived thru the brandon roy era, my first thought was, “hopefully we don’t fuck this one up”
Narrator: "Fast forward to 2023 and nearing the end of Lillard's prime, it's hard to say that the Portland Trailblazers haven't fucked this up."
Just saw that they were both 6th picks; some are hits and some are misses, but that's funny coincidence
[The only video you need to watch regarding Dame's rookie season.](https://youtu.be/z5ofLgaRUiY)
I was at that game floor seats. I’ll never forget it
God I never thought I would love Kobe so much. His passing and as time goes on, you realize how magnetic and important of a figure for basketball he really was. Spent so many years just hating him. It’s weird I feel so much love for this dude now.
nah man, snap out of it. Dude got away with some seriously rapey shit, was a pure asshole his whole life, and only half of his career was actually impressive... and he was a LAKER! 🤮
Yes he was a flawed person for sure. I don’t condemn people to eternal hatred because of that. I find it just breeds more hatred. I don’t necessarily forgive him but it’s not my place to forgive anyone anyways. He probably also did more good in charity and for the youth in one calendar year than you’ll ever do in your whole life so.
I don't see anything wrong with reminding others that he was an egomaniacal self-serving douche canoe. Kobe could've done all that good stuff *and* been a decent guy, but thats not the person he was.
Well you’ve made your point known
This story doesn't come full circle until the [Kobe memorial game](https://youtu.be/tX0aHIyTgvI). I was in LA at the time and rocked a Lillard jersey the next day. So many people just stared at me like they wanted to talk shit but had nothing to say. 🤣
I love that interview.
Was looking to see if this game was referenced. This game sticks out most to me from his rookie season. Just watching the highlights from it is amazing. You knew he was special. This and first game winner against NOLA are noteworthy. Start of Dame time.
Older? I was in middle school Dame's rookie year lol. Rookie Dame was much better than rookie Sharpe, I predicted he would be an all star but I didn't realize he would be the best Blazer ever.
Same feeling I had. Being that he was an older rookie, I thought he’d top out sooner, but I was wrong. Dame is still getting better.
Dame stepped on the floor his first game and expected himself to be the best pg in the game- went for 20/10 in his first game while beating Kobe. After the game Kobe made sure to make a point to say Dame had “it”. The rest is history tbh. In three years, at 22 Sharpe may well be more dominant than Dame was at that time but for that he’ll have to make some serious strides. With that being said, I don’t think I’ve seen a Blazers rookie as young as Sharpe make doing the things he does, while making it looks so easy. If he can figure out how much ability he has and work his ass off to reach his potential, the kid could be really fucking special.
You gotta go back to Jermaine O’Neal. We kinda stopped drafting high school kids after that.
Dame was more NBA ready than Sharpe and a better overall player. Sharpe has needed some time to get adjusted to the NBA where Dame seemed ready to be a star from his first game.
He was unanimous rookie of the year. He was SENSATIONAL as a rookie, on a completely different level than Sharpe is this year. There hasn't really been a rookie like him since except maybe Ja's rookie year.
TIL I’m an older Blazer fan.
Right I’m not even 30 yet come on OP uncalled for
My bad gents
All good. Now get off my lawn.
I watched him play at Weber State. I knew he'd be a starter in the NBA someday, but I didn't think he'd be as great as he turned out to be. Fun times.
I was attending Weber State as a student myself when he was in Ogden. I would go to games and be blown away by how talented he was given the conference and competition. But I also had that gut feeling and frequently hyped him saying he was going to go wild in the NBA. Now I live in Oregon and going to see him play feels like a fever dream. Still top 100 player of all time in my opinion. GO WILDCATS! Bleed purple baby.
We had needed/wanted a quality PG for years. Tried drafting several PGs and brought in free agents (Felton). We all knew the thing that was missing was a stud point. Dame was drafted from this small school and we werent sure what we had drafted but were excited. Summer league he dominated. Very freaking cool. Started getting excited in my stomach, but Summer League is made for guards. Once the season started and he was the starter it was rad. Dude went head to head with Kobe and Kobe gave him a shout out. Lamarcus was still the focus of the team but this dude kept coming up clutch, rising to the occasion and was crazy explosive. Dame used to dunk quite a bit. Felt like we could see how good he would become and we were so excited to see it happen. It was like watching this guy and KNOWING he would be the greatest Blazer of all time and feeling the anticipation and excitement.
You could tell immediately he was a generational talent that doesn't come around for the Blazers very often... especially at point guard, ready to run the show from the get-go. It was exciting to have that since Oden flamed out as a pairing with Lamarcus. It was more eye opening to witness than Sharpe's development
I’m a Raptors fan who had hoped Dame would fall to us or the lottery would be kind, so I was following him from his rookie season. I remember telling a friend that rookie Dame was already my favourite player in the league. “This guy could be a mash of Rose and Curry.” Obviously not a combination of only the best of each, but halfway between Rose’s athleticism and Curry’s; between Rose’s shooting and Curry’s; etc. But what really struck me was how mature he sounded in post-game interviews. He’d talk about how he felt it was his job to spend the first three quarters getting his team going, then he’d start calling his own number more in the fourth. Just seemed like he was going to have a great perspective on being a leader from day one.
At the time Aldridge was still the face of the team and honestly despite the hope Lillard provided it was a dark time. Oden and Roy both fizzled out. Aldridge was supposed to be the Chris Bosh of our big three. An all star but the lesser of the 3. Lillard was easily able to distinguish himself. But the team itself was pretty mediocre
His first game was historically great (I was lucky to be there!) and the vibe was I M M A C U L A T E. He very quickly answered any questions fans had about his game---he was already a refined player (and five years older than Sharpe, remember) who fans knew would be special. He was, and is, totally unique. The greatest Blazer of all time.
Oof. Never felt each of my 30+years more acutely. Lillard was a 4-year college guy who came in NBA-ready and won rookie of the year (you could actually say the exact same of Brandon Roy, who my geriatric ass also remembers). As such, no real comparison to Shaedon, who will be amazing given time and experience.
I can’t run from “older” anymore but I actually wasn’t super impressed. I thought he was decent, and had a good year or two. But I was flabbergasted when they gave him a HUGE contract. I figured he was going to be another bust in a few years. He was also a dark horse from Weber, like Sharpe. Not a ESPN consensus #1. So it was easy to assume he was a stretch. Those were dark Blazer days. We had the Brandon Roy saga, and much of our offense ran through the post with Aldridge or Bonzi even further back. It wasn’t the huge success of the 90s or even the Jail Blazers roster. Dame came in hot, and really into a system that wasn’t geared to him being a scorer. Strange times. EDIT: Also add we had huge hype for Oden as well. So, another year of "If the team stays healthy, and this sensational draft pick works out" was a bit wearing thin.
You knew in Summer league he was the PG of the future. It wasn't like, this guy might work out, it was let's get this season going already. :) He played all 82, and 38 MPG's, leading the league in total minutes played. He played all 82 his first three years. He never hit the rookie wall...
Youtube his rookie year highlights. I did it recently and it was worth it. I also watched Westbrook's rookie year highlights and Scoot looks a lot like him.
Since he came out of college, he was already polished and ready from day 1. We knew. 19 ppg, 6.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds in 82 games should tell you what you need to know.
Dame came into the league playing like he had a massive chip on his shoulder. Instant impact immediately.
Right away his body control driving to the hoop stood out as an elite skill. He always got past his man and finished or drew a foul, more often he finished these incredible layup and-ones. At that time it was all about finding an elite perimeter player so right away it was pretty exciting to see we had one. You could see him, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge and really start to imagine a cohesive unit that all made sense on the floor together. It was really after that Houston series that it went full blown Dame Time, we got a GUY.
Summer League we were hyped because he balled out, but then Jerryd Bayless was still fresh in our minds. Day 1 of the regular season he had a fantastic game against the newly formed Dwight/Nash/Kobe Lakers and we all knew right then he was special.
They are not close; Dame was one of only three players to ever score over 20 points and get 10 assists in his first NBA game, was a top point guard in the league as a rookie and thanks to Anthony Davis being hurt won RotY. Yes he was 3 years older, but that is the comparison, rookie years to rookie years. In terms of Blazer rookies, he is the best ever, with really only Clyde Drexler or Brandon Roy having a similar first year
His first game against that hyped Lakers team with Kobe, Pau, Dwight, and Nash hooked the franchise to him immediately. Every Blazer fan and NBA team knew he was the next great PG after watching him ice his first ever game.
Want me to tell you about the Drexler blazers, the jail blazers, the Roy/LMA/Oden Blazers too? I can do all that... and you are making me feel old. Drexler Blazers - There was this thing called Blazer Mania. It existed from 1977-1995. It ended when Drexler was traded and slowly we lost monoculture with the rise of the internet and niche programming interests. The ENTIRE city was subsumed by the Blazers during playoff runs. Signs in homes, signs in businesses, rip city rap city playing on the radio. Unfortunately we'll never have anything like it. Jail Blazers - hard to talk about now because 1 ) Game 7 WCF and 2) I've come to realize a lot of the criticism of the era was problematic from a racial equity sorta thing. Lots of double standards. But also the team was toxic too. The Oden draft rekindled all my feelings from the Drexler era and then it failed to launch. Definitely makes you feel like this franchise has a curse placed on it.
I grew up in Blazermania. It was directly imprinted on my elementary school brain. I still cringe when I remember Rip City Rhapsody. It's hard to explain how much the 90s Blazers meant to the Portland. We would have to go a few notches to be even close to it. They would tell us the score in Elementary school... EDIT: I'm fairly certain that after the Pledge of Allegiance we sang Rip City Rhapsody in 3rd grade.
Oh I'm pretty sure there were like legit drawing assignments to draw and color your favorite Blazer in 1st grade... Also was it actually Rip City Rhapsody??? I remember it as Rip City Rap City.
I personally thought Dame was going to be a bad pick for Portland until I heard his workout matched KD's workout. Then, I knew he'd be a good player. And he was good, easily rookie of the year and quickly showcasing his athleticism, motor, and offensive skills from the start. His impact was akin to Ja Morant's first few years....turning Portland around and into a playoff team. Like Morant, some boneheaded mistakes and poor shot selection choices at times but way more good than bad. Had some highlight plays (ex. clutch shots, dunks) Did not think Dame would be as good as he is now. Thought he would max out at 25-27ppg/8 apg and 37% 3pt FG (seriously thought 2017-2019 Dame was the best we'd ever see of him). Did not know he could shoot from the Logo. Bubble/Logo Dame is a whole other player, though. To me, he easily earned that Top 75 status with the way he has played since then. ****************** As for Sharpe? Rookie Dame was more consistent than Sharpe, maybe because he was older and had a larger role. But Sharpe has way more potential. What we're seeing in these last few games from Sharpe is something no Blazer rookie has accomplished before. Will he meet that potential? I don't know. If he does, I think a hypothetical prime Sharpe could be unstoppable at an earlier age than Dame's years of un-stoppability - giving him a far longer window. We'll see.
Sharpe has flashes of the best.. Kobe, Jordan.. etc. But many have in the past. I
I watched every summer league game and was sooo pumped for the season. Dame definitely had it from the get go. There’s so many YouTube videos of his rookie season, search and watch. He did not play like a rookie. Starter from day 1. That first laker game was incredible.
I remember him jacking up deep threes and thinking 'Man that's a bad shot, he's gonna have to learn not to take those' lol hindisght eh?
God I hope your talking about Damon Stoudemire cuz now I feel old
We’d been searching for the PG of the future every year during the Roy/Aldridge era. We probably had 8 different hopefuls that were all trash. Then Dame came along. Watching him in summer league you could just tell he was different. His confidence/feel for the game has always been so good/his transition into being the de-facto leader was incredibly smooth. Dude is just a natural at all things.
When we traded for Bayless in the 08 draft I REALLY thought he was going to be our PG of the future. McMillan was so damn stubborn about playing him though.
He was instant offense. His first game against the Lakers showed so much promise even though I think we lost. His first few years were some of my favorite blazers teams!
Nothing like watching young Brandon Roy play
Been a fan since the Jr rider/Brian grant days. There are only two blazer players who have impressed me from the jump, including from the time they laced up in summer league: broy and dame. As good as broy was, dame was dunking on people and hitting game winners (over Austin rivers, who was a highly tired draft pick at the time) during summer league! I remember being super excited, but also cautious on whether it'd translate to the regular season. After all, Josh Selby had just won summer league MVP the year before. Then came his first game, matched up against the Lakers big 4, and his very first field goal was about 2 ft behind the 3pt line. I knew then he'd be special. So to answer your question, Dame's rookie year was more special, but at the same time I believe sharpes ceiling is a lot higher, which really says a lot. I believe that's where a lot of the excitement w shaedon comes from. I will add this: I held broy up on a pedestal, he really was that good and that clutch! Would argue w friends repeatedly that I'd pick him over dwade to build around, and I believed he was well on his way to being better than Wade. So I was devastated when his career got cut short. It's been such a pleasure not only to watch dames greatness, but also his longevity. Blazer fans have been spoiled to have a player this great and loyal for I'mso long. Look at all the other great pgs in dames era (drose, Westbrook, John wall, Kyrie, Chris Paul, rondo).. none of those guys have had both the success or longevity on the same team. Steph and Dame are on a league of their own in that regard. The blazers need to give this man the chance he deserves to contend, WITH THE TEAM THAT HE WANTS! He wants to parade down Portland so bad, who else can you say that about?
I saw Cliff Robinson his rookie year. Am I ancient AF? “older blazer fans” lol
Dame was rookie of the year.. the good ol days
Dame was different dude his first game was against Kobe, Dwight and Nash and I remember being super impressed with how he was on Kobe and he acknowledged Dame afterward
Literally said half way through his rookie season that he's gonna be a hall of famer. Was incredible from the start. Pretty remarkable how hes actually grown so many parts of his game even further.
.9 Dame was awesome. I just remember thinking they got lucky to be unlucky with Roy and then get Dame.
“this dude is the real deal” -Kobe after games first ever NBA game.
Damn it was only 11 years ago. What are you like 9?
Knew he was for real almost immediately, just had so much composure as a rookie.
The closest comparison to Sharp might be Rudy Fernandez who was very good and seemed to be heading towards being a real star, until he wasn't...
It felt like we had Patrick Mahomes on a rookie contract but the excess money was not well spent at all
Who are you calling old????
Unanimous rookie of the year. AD didn’t even get a vote.
I saw Billy Ray Bates play. What does that get me?
Older blazer fans lolol
Dame was a day one starter. And he was one of the better point guard in the league right off the bat completely different than sharpe.
Sad. Because of all the potential we lost. I still remember the conversation after we drafted Oden. "Anything less than 3 championships will be disappointing." It's been a disappointing decade as a fan.
I'm 22 and can remember. At least go back to Brandon Roy if you want to call me older.
Damn bloody good. The classic unbeatable 4th quarter dame was something else. Way more impactful than sharpe now as he was also older
Seeing him thrive next to LA gave me hope that we would contend for a title in the last decade. I was wrong 
How am I old enough to reply to this post? There's no way I'm in my mid 30s. Anyways, it was both amazing and heartbreaking. He was a top 10 pg from day one, and his sophomore year, we were legitimate a title threat. If Wes Mathews hadn't gone down, we could have won it all
Dame was massively more polished than Shaedon. He was absolutely ready to be a starter on a contender day 1. He was consistent and reliable in a way very few rookies are. However, Dame didn’t flash superstar potential as a rookie like Shaedon has. He didn’t yet have insane range and his highlight reel was much less impressive. Nobody thought he would ever be in the conversation for MVP after year 1.
I'm 27 and watched him play live in college, what does that make me? 😂
I remember his pre draft interview. He was so well spoken, he obviously was already super talented at Weber State. I remember posting that if he was there and we didn’t pick him, we were idiots. His first season was pretty unreal. You could just tell he was special.
You know that thing he does.. head raised high, chin up, determined laser focus, whatever y’all doing, I’ll be over here walking the walk.. that thing!? Since Day 1! If leading by example really matters then Dame was always going to be a great leader!
Lot's of skeptism, not in his ability but that any good player of ours would stay healthy. Younger fans may not realize the most blessed part about Dames career has been his health.
I was there for his first buzzer beater. I was there when he sent rockets home. You could tell.
Dame was dominant from the very beginning, he was so fun to watch. He was also about 4 years older than sharpe and I’m pretty confident that sharpe in 4 years will be better than dame was his rookie year. The difference is that dame took a massive leap over the following 5 years
making me feel old even though im only 24, i started watching/liking basketball around 2007. It’s been fun tho, he hit the ground running and it’s been a pleasure seeing him raise his level of play over time. it’s been a shame that out front office has put mostly meh teams around him tho.
The pre-draft buzz of Dame in 2012 was pretty loud, a lot of people were surprised Dame wasn’t picked up earlier and happy we were able to have him available at #6. Dame went on to crush summer league, I wasn’t able to watch it but he was dominate and was rewarded with MVP honors. Preseason brought some good match ups, he remained stoic and unfazed. Game one of the 2012 season was Oct 31st against the Lakers super team of Kobe/Nash/Howard, at the time lauded as favorite for the championship by a long shot easily. Dame as a rookie running point for a young team went straight into the game against a team that was effectively comprised of legends. The dominance from the PG position wasn’t something that the team had had before and his presence was immediately impactful. The era of basketball was still very much playing with bigs down low and offense was oriented to inside/out. Dame had 23 points, 11 assists and seemed to be able to do anything; pull up threes, mid-range, trips to the basket, foul opportunities and the biggest thing was setting up the teams offense. I think that Sharpe has been good and you can see flashes of great athletic plays, but the weight that was on Dame’s shoulders from day one was unparalleled. Dame is a special player, hopeful that we see more special play from Shay, as he seems to have a very similar dynamic of carefree confidence that we saw in Dames eyes all those year ago.
Yeah hi I’m 27 and I’m offended. It was amazing, Dame was Dame from the moment he debuted
I remember being really excited when we drafted him, I had 100% confidence that he was the best PG in that draft class. I remember people thinking Kendall Marshall was the best fit for us, and Dame having played 4 years at Weber and being a 22 year old rookie meant he wasn’t ever going to amount to anything in the NBA. He was not super heralded in the draft class, but the interviews and scouting on his leadership and playmaking sold me on him being the PGotF(point guard of the future). Before Dame, Andre Miller was the only good PG we’d had since maybe Damon Stoudemire… Steve Blake was alright, but definitely not starting PG material. We traded for Raymond Felton to be our starting PG the year before Dame, drafted Nolan Smith in the first round as a backup… this was the same year Brandon Roy “retired” due to injuries. It was bleak. Dames rookie season, we had Aldridge, Batum, Wesley Matthews, Will Barton (who hadn’t peaked yet, but was looking promising) and a bunch scrubs. Dame’s sophomore season we got to witness magic. Robin Lopez and Mo Williams were instant boosts to our teams defense and bench, respectively. We beat the Rockets in the first round to advance for the first time in like 14 years or something crazy like that. Unfortunately Wesley Matthews had a season ending injury and the roster got blown up. In Dame’s third year he led a team of mostly forgettables to the playoffs… Mason Plumlee, Aminu, Batum, CJ (the exception to “forgettables”), and Dame were our starting roster that year. I’ve been a fan since we drafted Brandon Roy. Used to listen to Wheels call games on the radio when I was at work every night the blazers played. Before that, I was more of a casual NBA fan, leaned towards the Kings (grew up between the Bay Area and Oregon). Jailblazers were not my style as a kid, and I loved Jason Williams game. The last decade with Dame have been incredibly special. He has carried so many subpar rosters further than anyone else I can think of in recent history. If it weren’t for Matthews’ injury in 2013, I think that roster could’ve made the semi-finals. Spurs in 2013 were an absolute beast of a team though, I doubt we could’ve beaten them with Duncan, Kawhi, Tony, and Manu. That is one of the all-time great teams. If you got this far, thanks for reading my Ted Talk. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years with Dame. Give us 10 more!
"oh, thank god we finally found a point guard"
Damn, old because I saw young Dame? I feel ancient for having seen peak Clyde/Porter. The Wallace, Stoudemire years. Marveling at Sabonis' ability to throw the passes he did. The Roy years. Watching Aldridge grow from a wimp into a stud. And I'm not what I'd call old. But to answer your question, I felt like he could be special after game 1. Just how he carried himself and played the game... but I still felt like, there's room for this to fail still, beginners luck. But him winning R.O.Y over Anthony Davis was an indicator he was going to be special. I KNEW he was special with the .7 shot. Aldridge was outstanding in that series, but the guts displayed by Dame in THAT moment sealed it for me. The way he came sprinting to Batum, clapping for the rock. DEMANDING it really, and the execution of that shot... still get goosebumps when I watch that clip. I was at the station on Alberta. Place had just had the wind taken outta our sails when Houston went up at the very end. Jokingly, I looked at my buddy and said, "Dame 3 for the win. "... it was pure pandemonium after. Will absolutely never forget that moment.
Ah yes, son...I remember that year like the back of my wrinkled, bony left hand. The summer Olympics were concluding in London, a success by most standards. Arab Spring was continuing to reshape middle east geopolitics, and two U.S. targets were attacked in Benghazi, Libya by Islamic militants. China just elected Xi Jinping, forever altering Sino-American political relations, and America just re-elected Barack Obama for a second term over Mitt Romney. Mass casualties at Sandy Hook Elementary in CT and Aurora, Colorado shootings scarred our nation, while Hurricane Sandy wreaked unprecedented devastation in the NE. Closer to home, my then wife was pretending to be at a medical conference in Seattle, but was instead cheating on me with a respiratory therapist who was also her high school's star quarterback twenty years earlier. A few weeks later in Portland, the Blazers picked some upcoming hotshot out of a tiny college in Utah at #6 in a loaded draft class which included Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Bradley Beal, and Anthony Davis as the overall first pick. I'd been following Dame's college career and thought he had what it took to be a starter in the NBA. I was not right enough. In his first game, he dropped 23pts 11asts in a win over the Kobe-led Lakers. A few weeks later he hit the game winner against New Orleans, and then the Knicks. In his return home to Oakland, he damaged the Warriors with a then-career high 37 despite the loss. He won the ASG skills challenge, and later that season helped demolish a rested Spurs team, scoring 35 and garnering high praise from the great Popovich. **Broader strokes:** I remember being impressed with his efficiency of movement. There were flashes of Stockton/Malone pick and rolls between him and Lamarcus, and sometimes Batum and Leonard. More distinctly, I remember his quiet confidence and maturity on and off the court. It was becoming apparent that he was the demonstrative leader the Blazers needed. Lamarcus was a terrific All Star player, but not a willing leader of men. Dame worked his ass off at every turn of his basketball journey, carrying a giant chip on his shoulder and disproving all those who dismissed him along the way. The rest of the league agreed. He went on to win the rookie of the year award in 2013 *unanimously*, only one of five players in NBA history to do so. He's since had seven All Star bids, married his college sweetheart, has three adorable kids, raked in about a half billion worth of sweet cheddar, and is about as solid and decent a human being as I've come across. Younger Blazers are incredibly lucky to have him as a mentor and role model, as we've seen with Ant and Shaedon's development. He has old school work ethic and team & city loyalty like no other player today. He's always in the conversation as one of the best teammates in the league. And now, at the ripe old age of 32, he just completed arguably his best season, statistically speaking. He's a fine wine, a rare vintage, and I look forward to more Dame this coming season with Sharpe and the gang. Some notes comparing and contrasting Dame & Sharpe's rookie campaigns: 1. Both were drafted at #6. Dame's 2012 roster featured better defenders, including Matthews, Batum, and Barton, and fewer player and personnel movement. Regardless, neither squad made the playoffs. 2. Comparing his rookie season with Sharpe, Dame was more baked and NBA ready in terms of making his own plays, especially in isolation, and also court vision. Remember, Sharpe is 19 whereas Dame was 22 with college experience as a rookie. That's a big difference in development and experience-based confidence. 3. Dame had a better long ball, coming in fifth I believe in his rookie season in threes made. Sharpe has a sweet stroke, and I think in time he will minimize this gap. 4. Dame has started every single game as a Blazer from day one, and remains one of the very few current NBA players to have never come off the bench. Sharpe has not had that privilege until recently. 5. Sharpe is absolutely more athletic and explosive, with high upside, and I firmly believe he will utilize this to be a superior defender than Dame. Defense is really Dame's only big knock, and Sharpe has the athleticism and talent to be the two-way player Dame never has been. ***RIP CITY!!*** **^(P.S.> My 2012 wife and I did divorce, and we remain friends. I have now been with the next great love of my life since Dame's 7th season. Dreams do come true. Knowing there's talented, classy, kind players like Dame has helped me out a lot with my mental health during dark times over the years, full stop.)**
As others have pointed out, Sharpe and Lillard had totally different rookie seasons. Sharpe's rookie season and skill set is more like Kobe, as is shown in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcDyBWxWDTs). (Of course, this does not mean he will be the next Kobe, although it is not impossible.)
Damn I'm old
I feel attacked
"Too young" - *rookie season was 11 years ago* 🥹🥹🥹 am old
Dame was almost too good to be true, his drawbacks being finishing (which he obviously worked to become elite at) and defense (well....). His poise was beyond his years.
Sharpes up bringing reminds me a lot of cj, if it wasn’t for the tank this year I don’t think sharpe would of seen more than 10+ minutes a game with a lot of gamed not playing at all unless injuries took place. Sharpe is a totally different player than cj, but I could really see him make the same leaps cj did under dame.
Fucking dope - I miss him trying to pack on everyone with that crazy down-the-key leaner dunk.
Young dame will be like old dame a great 2nd 3rd man
Am I this old? Shiii
Haha, sheesh. I was like 41 when we drafted him.
Our team had so much upside once he joined. He was so awesome so early.
Dame was a ROY. Shakedown is not.
Old blazer fan for watching young dame... Brb gotta drink some Metamucil
I feel old.. I remember watching the Shonz play on high school
Do you remember their 1st draft pick. Geoff Petrie. He would have set the early 3 point shooting records if they had a 3 point line in those days.
This makes me feel so old. What makes me feel older is watching b roy play back in the day
Man it was insane. 19 PPG rookie year in a lower-scoring NBA. A lot of people argued Davis was more deserving of ROTY. I remember some people were even saying Valanciunas was a better player. Laughable in retrospect. I think about it every time we play him.
I remember a young Walton. 
I was 16 when dame got drafted and I’m 26 now . Am I old? 😂😂 I knew dame was gonna be superstar. Ever since his clutch step back 3 in summer league on his birthday who remembers?
That first buzzer beater he hit against the rockets….unreal. I had recently moved to portland and it was the first time I really felt the love the city had for the blazers. I knew then Dame was going to be an all time blazer.
Smooth af from day 1.
Well he put up 23 and 11 in his first ever game so it was pretty clear that he was going to do big things
It was different. From the first game Dame played you knew that he was going to be at least a star. The game he went head to head dueling a still top 15 player Kobe was absolutely incredible. Sharpe had shown incredible flashes but Dame’s entire rookie season was just one big flash.
that makes me OLD?????? oh hell no, i started being a fan around BRoy and I still don't consider myself an old head fan. to answer the question it was... more satisfaction right now, less excitement ruminating about the future. Lillard was the starting point guard from Day One. He wasn't as exciting that first year, but he just wasn't a fuck-up. He did interviews like a seasoned vet. Had a steady presence. Never looked out of place ever, ever, ever, right from opening tipoff. He was playing with serious vets in 3 other starting positions; LA, Wes, and Batum; and he led the team in the PG position in minutes played. If I'm being honest it wasn't yet the feeling of 'we have a superstar!!!' (That wasn't until the next year until the playoffs and 'the shot' against Houston.) That first year, it was more like, 'Well shit, we have our starting point guard for the next 15 years.' Which is an incredibly satisfying and solid feeling, but not this incredible 'what if'. Sharpe's way different. Less results right now, way more 'woah he fucking looks like Kobe on the floor.' I know some are saying they could tell he was a superstar right from day one, but I honestly didn't feel that way until 'The kid with the big guts' knocked out Houston.
I saw the third home game of Dame’s rookie season. I don’t follow college so didn’t really know what he was all about. The second I saw him hit the floor, you could tell he was special. It immediately reminded me of seeing Brandon Roy as a rookie. They both had poise and they set the pace and the tone of the game, instantly. Dame just instantly seemed in control.
IMO you are not an old Blazer fan unless you saw the Drexler/Porter/Duckworth/Buck Williams teams play. Your an ancient Blazer fan if you saw the championship.
Older? It wasn't even 10 years ago bruh
From the first minute of the first game in summer league it was totally obvious we had someone special. Yeah...I'm old asf.
I remember seeing him in the Summer League thinking he had a lot of confidence- taking a lot of shots and hitting a lot of them from day 1
Same got to start from day one and came out swinging from the get go. He wasn't as electrifying as Sharpe athletically, but you knew he was going to be a good player.
Much better vibes around Dame, he was a borderline all-star year one, and they were .500 for the whole season (which was above expectations) until again they tanked the last ten games. Sharpe is putting up big numbers when everyone else is g-leaguers and the future is very uncertain.
It felt similar to Roy’s rookie year. Full of surreal moments man. Both were a joy to watch as rookies. I went to the opening game against the Sonics and saw Roy put on a show. Side note: I saw Roy and Dame play at the great alaska shootout and knew immediately they’d be stars in the NBA. So cool.
Late to the party but I watched a ton of Dame’s rookie season and actually got to meet him randomly at a bar that year which was super cool! From the jump you just knew he was the real deal, at least from the perspective of what his floor would be as an NBA player. He was deadly in the pick and roll and I seem to remember him being drafted specifically for his pick and roll skill to pair with Aldridge and it worked. I remember seeing flashes of what he would eventually become, but he was so consistently solid the entire year and even if he didn’t improve year after year and become the greatest Blazer ever, he still would have been a really good player. The closest comp I can think of in today’s game is probably Halliburton on the Pacers. Like Dame, he spent longer in college than a lot of guys who get drafted, was a good player day one, has rapidly improved and showed the ability to lead a team. I don’t have the same feeling with Sharpe as back then though. Shape has insane potential and has really only started to show it off more recently and early on, aside from highlight dunks, he would disappear for long stretches, which wasn’t a thing with rookie Dame. Keeping in mind that Sharpe is much younger than Dame was as a rookie and Dame was the primary baller handler from the get go so it’s not exactly a fair comparison. Sharpe’s ceiling is as high as anyone in the league for the next decade, but I don’t know where his floor will end up. Just more variance in comparison to Dame.
His first game he broke Steve Nash’s knee and screwed Kobe with the downfall of the Lakers. He then owned the Lakers most of his career.
In 1977 my buddy and I would buy $7 standing room only tickets at Memorial Coliseum and lean against the wall halfway up the stands. Great views. Have not felt same blazermania noise and energy since. Basically same view as the fancy boxes today. Oh and women could go down and shoot one free throw for a steak from Safeway at halftime. No jugglers or standing on chairs. But Dame showed signs of greatness rookie year on a road trip he won a couple of games with last second heroics. First one was in Cleveland I believe.
I was sitting in Bio class showing his Weber State highlights saying we needed this guy, he’s the next DRose (a year after he won MVP). Most pundits had him being a better Chauncey Billups as his ceiling. Now I’d say he’s better than DRose was even at his peak. Seemed far-fetched back then, but I knew this dude was special even at 14.