This is a dream scenario for Damian Lillard.
The Portland Trail Blazers star, who grew up in Oakland, gets to face the Warriors in the Western Conference finals in the last year at Oracle.
If everything breaks right for the Blazers, Lillard could potentially punch a ticket to his first NBA Finals while on the court at Oracle.
Steph Curry and the Warriors stand in the way of this storybook ending for Lillard, and they will do everything in their power to prevent it.
"I'm sure it's definitely special for him," Curry told reporters in Oakland on Monday. "He obviously represents Oakland every opportunity that he gets and understand obviously that this is the last year at Oracle, too, so it will be special for him and his family growing up right down the street from Oracle, but unfortunately, I don't want it to be a happy ending for him, I want it to be for us. So that's our job."
Lillard grew up in the Brookfield area of Oakland, just a short distance from Oracle Arena.
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Curry was asked about how Lillard represents the city of Oakland, and he was very complimentary.
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"He never forgets where he came from," Curry said. "A lot of his personality and the way he plays the game, the way he talks about his game and the way he represents himself is a byproduct of where he's from and that never changes. So, a lot of people that I talk to that are from here and that have followed him on his journey are nothing but proud of the way he represents the city and continues to put them on the map, in terms of, they call it Real Brookfield, right? That's part of who he is and that's special."
Lillard and Curry will meet in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area with Warriors Outsiders and continues at 5 p.m. with SNC: Warriors Playoff Central. After the game, tune back in for complete postgame reaction and analysis.
